Warning: This is a spoiler heavy article about the events which transpired at the end of Assassin’s Creed, Assassin’s Creed 2 and Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood. Proceed with caution.
Every Assassin’s Creed game thus far has managed to include a moment at the end of the game that just made you stop, put your controller down and take a long, deep breath to help clear your head. Not one has ended without giving players more to think about, and while subsequent games have always explained a little more, Assassin’s Creed Revelations is still going to have a lot of explaining to do.
So just what is Assassin’s Creed Revelations up against? Let’s first recap Brotherhood’s ending before getting into what it all means.
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After remembering where Ezio hid his Apple of Eden, Desmond wakes from the Animus and the Assassins head on out to Rome’s Colosseum to go recover it. Desmond enters an underground catacomb and has a run-in with another member of the First Civilization, Juno (recall: In Assassin’s Creed 2, Desmond encountered Minerva when Ezio unlocked the Vatican Vault). Eventually the underground passageway leads Desmund to the Santa Maria Aracoeli, where he rendezvous with Rebecca, Shaun and Lucy.
Inside the church, Ezio solves a puzzle which gives him access to the Vault where the Apple is stored. While down in the Vault, he solves another climbing puzzle and it becomes apparent that his companions cannot hear or see Juno, who is explaining to Desmond that humans are an imperfect race, created in the image of the First Civilization but without their sixth sense.
“A hundred years I might speak and still you would not know us. You with five senses. Us with six. The one we kept from you. To be safe. Now, you can never know. Only try. Grasp. You can SEE. SMELL. TASTE. TOUCH. HEAR. Knowledge has been blocked away. After, when the world became undone, we tried to pass it through the blood. Tried to join you with us. You see the blue shimmer. You hear the words. But you do not know! WE SHOULD HAVE LEFT YOU AS YOU WERE! It is hard to stay contained. Knowing as we do. We wait for you, Desmond. You will come here. You will activate it. You will know only when it is too late.”
What happens next is no doubt meant to tear a gaping hole into the chest of every Assassin’s Creed fan. Upon picking up the Apple of Eden that Ezio locked away, Desmond loses control of his body. With his allies standing seemingly still, Juno forces Desmond to move forward and stab Lucy. Then Juno leaves Desmond with a cryptic message as he stands there with Lucy’s life in his hands.
“It is done. The way lies all before you. Only she remains to be found. Awaken the sixth. Go. ALONE”
Both Desmond and Lucy collapse and the credits roll. During the credits we hear the voice of William M. and another assassin as they get Desmond back into the animus to help stabilize his condition.
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While the ending is complex, Darby McDevitt, script writer for the Assassin’s Creed series, makes the ending sound so very simple.
“That was the shock that shattered him. But it was a long time coming. Just like what happened with Subject 16 and subjects beforehand, prolonged exposure to the Animus and reliving these fragmented memories really does a number on your head. You begin to develop something like multiple personality disorder, and you slowly go crazy. Putting Desmond back in the Animus is basically letting the Animus handle that partition.”
Using McDevitt’s explanation, a few things become clear(er). Juno’s aim wasn’t to kill Lucy, but to force Desmond into a state of shock similar to that which Subject 16 experienced, one which he had amazingly avoided thus far. Juno’s message about finding her and awakening the sixth is likely a combination of two different objectives. Awakening the sixth likely refers to discovering the sixth sense that the First Civilization locked away from mankind.
Darby further explains that the concept of discovering the sixth sense isn’t just thrown out there, but rather that it will play an important role in Assasssin’s Creed Revelations.
“Juno explicitly says that they have six senses, not five. That plays a role in our game and how we get to access Altair’s memories.”
Does this mean that this sixth sense, as we strive to unlock and understand it, will be what allows Ezio to relive Altair’s memories? In that case, just what exactly is the sixth sense beyond Eagle Vision? Juno called it knowledge, so is it the ability to see both the past and the future?
Juno mentions that Desmond can see the blue shimmer, but implies that this is the imperfect form of the sixth sense. Eagle Vision is seeing an upgrade in Revelations to Eagle Sense, an ability which will allow Ezio to read the paths of guards, seeing both where they have been and where they’re going. Is this just one way of seeing both the past and future?
Juno’s comment about finding “her” is a little more complicated and to explain what that might mean, we need to talk about Subject 16 a little. In both Assassin’s Creed 2 and Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood, Subject 16 left behind glyphs and rifts, respectively, for Desmond to find in Ezio’s memories.
These areas of the game lead to puzzles hidden away in the Animus which, when completed, unlock pieces of a video in Assassin’s Creed 2 and a sort of virtual reality program in Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood. Both of these gifts which Subject 16 calls “The Truth” are crucial to understanding just what Juno was trying to say at the end of Brotherhood.
The Truth video from Assassin’s Creed 2 shows two humans free-running through a garden and up a building in an advanced city, likely belonging to the First Civilization. We don’t see their pursuers, but the the girl refers to the man as Adam, and he refers to her as Eve just as it’s revealed that they’re making their escape with a Piece of Eden in hand. The video is included below for reference.
In Brotherhood, the Truth video shows a bunch of scrambled video with the words, “The miracle is in the execution.” Upon realizing that the file contains a massive amount of data, the team comes to the conclusion that its not just a video, but a file executable in the Animus. What loads up resembles the VR Training program already available in the Animus.
Upon completing the executable, your mind is blown to little tiny pieces as you encounter Subject 16 in the Animus. It’s not clear if he’s surviving in the Animus or if he’s just an AI construct, but one of the messages he gives you may be the biggest hint at what Juno says when she refers to “her.”
“Eden, she… in Eden, find Eve. The key, her DNA.”
One possible explanation is this: Juno and Subject 16 are both telling you find Eve in Eden. It isn’t explained whether or not this needs to happen in the present, but judging by Juno’s actions –forcing a shock that lands you back in the Animus — it’s highly probable that finding Eve is something you’re expected to do through the Animus, most likely by reliving a memory.
It’s also possible that doing this will be how you unlock your sixth sense in Assassin’s Creed Revelations, although any memory sequences going back to the lives of Adam or Eve — provided Desmond is a descendant — will likely be short or contained. The mountain behind Eden in the first Truth video appears to be Mt. Kilimanjaro in Africa, and Revelations takes place primarily in Constantinople so it’s a far stretch to believe that Ubisoft would create another whole city for gamers to explore in Revelations.
What mysteries do you hope that Assassin’s Creed Revelations is going to help solve?
Assassin’s Creed Revelations will hopefully be providing more answers than questions when it ships in November, 2011, for the Xbox 360, PS3, and PC.
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Source: Game Informer
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Very nice read. I can’t wait for this game.
My mind is scrambled. I also think the sixth sense is time, and the ability to experience the past and future, even if it is only through descendants and ancestors.
Juno said they took it away so that we couldnt see, and I take that to mean that we couldnt see the apocalypse that’s coming, but i don’t know how Desmond is going to be able to have an impact on it.
I love that the Assassins/Templars struggle was revealed to be totally small potatoes compared to the impending disaster, but that totally blows away a lot of time spent developing that. We’ll see.
The one thing I keep remembering is when Desmond started to have the Animus bleed into the real world, and went into one of Altair’s memories in the real world. Then after Altair left, he stayed with the baby in Altair’s…girlfriend’s(?) womb. I knew that would come back to be important, and if that’s a sign of how memories end with one ancestor and start with another, that’s very cool.
Awesome article Seb, I think we’re both gonna be blown away by Revelations, and probably have half our predictions proven totally wrong lol
I’d like to relive memories from Adam. How crazy would that be: living the memories of the first human, really seeing why they were both (Adam & Eve) were cast out of Eden. I knew that when they said go find her (they meaning Juno) meant Eve and the sixth sense I knew was more than just the Eagle Vision. My roommate said Desmond already had the sense, but I still knew it was more
On another note, when Juno said “you will activate and and remember after it is too late” (or something like that) which I assumed to mean that Desmond is somehow the construct of all his past lives, kind of like reincarnation in a sense, and he was somehow suppose to remember why Ezio put the apple there. It’s more than him reliving his past…he is his past. He’s the key that will save the world from the oncoming destruction.
He was always the key from the beginning. I think, in some weird way, it was always him, he was the one that was going to overcome the multiple personalities and I bet that he is somehow going to be able to stabilize his ability of seeing memories without the Animus (I hope). I know this is all confusing but it makes to sense to me. I’m just really excited for this game. And I’m for sure getting it for myself or for Christmas.
Comparing to what I had been reading for the past month that is the easiest theory I had read.
Good recap and analysis.
Its too early to say that Lucy wasn’t killed for a reason. In the AC:B Truth segment, Subject 16 (though personally, I think it might be subject 17, but that’s another debate) said “She is not who you think she is.” Though he doesn’t specify who “she” is, if you walk outside the Villa Auditure as Desmond with Eagle Vision on, there are Red (Enemy) footprints along the stairs that lead all the way to the entrance of the sanctuary. Though I doubt Lucy is dead, I’m yet to believe she can be trusted.
Subject 17 is Desmond. What makes you think he’s responsible for the truth videos?
I can kinda see where you’re going with this, but not sure where you’re coming from. There hasn’t really been any evidence to suggest this.
I said might be. I’m basing this on the cryptic laugh 16 gives when Desmond ask, are you “Subject 16?”. Also on his knowledge of future events of Desmond’s life that he eludes to. But it’s just a theory (one I doubt myself) that I just threw out there for speculation.
Whiter it is 16 or 17, there’s still the question has to how he knows what’s to come.
actually i think she is bad because around sequence 8 int he bigining if you leave the animus and check the emails she has been emailing William M and telling him thuings they have foudn and that they are close to the apple
meh, its just a game
It’s a highly immerssive game with a relatively large following for its franchise’s short (time) being around. If you don’t like it and/or care about what it is trying to accomplish in creating an intricate, for once, well thought out story line (which rarely happens now that games are made for the masses) then don’t read the articles; don’t play the game; don’t leave senseless comments. Go play CoD.
i agree this storyline is one of if not the best most suspenseful storyline ive ever played and i love it, you are right it is highly impressive who ever dont appreciate it and what its trying to accomplish really should go play something els and leave this game and article alone.
this game is different by far from any other game ive ever played. Finally something new.
Good article…..way too long until AC3 comes out to hopefully explain the lot :\
Hopefully Revelations will explain a lot first. I personally hope AC3 works on making the gameplay feel brand new and fresh!
Man forget gameplay. I like what they did with the gameplay of Brotherhood. Just give me more of Assassin’s Creed.
Subject 16 also said “They are not who you think they are…” and in the Truth Video of AC2 you can clearly see in the window while Adam and Eve are climbing that Juno is holding the Apple and controlling workers… but the ending of AC2 Juno talks about how there was a great betrayal where someone took the Apple and controlled workers….
Look at the shadow and helmet, that’s minerva dude
Assassins Creed Revelations, has allot of explaining to get done with Subject 16 and Desmond, there could be a chance that 16, and 17 are related :O
Of course they are related. At the beginning of AC2, Ezio’s Data was extracted by Lucy by cross referencing Desmond’s and Subject 16′s DNA sequence. And the perfect match was Ezio’s DNA Sequence.
Interesting, this makes me want to go find those glyphs in Brotherhood now, already got the Truth video in AC2. Can’t wait for Revelations.
I’m just assuming this, but i think Subject 16 is Desmonds mother. Or something pertaining to that. Just a small assumption.
it cant be his mother….subject 16 was a DUDE
The other thing which f****ed me up were the words of S16: “The Sun… Your Son…” He was probably refering it to Eve as if he is “waking up” Eve and telling her that Desmond, her “son”, will come to her soon. At that moment S16 was possed or glitching at that moment so anything could have happend
OR change the word son into parent/mother
OR Eve & probably Adam are the sun and Desmond is the son of the sun???
Which of the following thoughts you think is more possible and try to say why. Thanks to readers.
ummm…what?
Desmond doesnt have an afro, so he will probably fail his task
what does an afro have to do with nything? srry…i’m just a kid…
hey guys if uve played assassins creed 2 and seen “the truth” the phantom reflection in the mirror is juno. i figured that out my self. it fits perfectly.
i… honestly think that another reason Desmond went into shock is because Lucy died. i mean, i THINK he was in love with her, or FALLING in love with her. Someone you’re in love with and you havent even KISSED dies?!?! Didn’t even get to tell Lucy before she dies?!?!…i’m not saying this is the ONLY reason he went into shock, i’m just saying it’s another good explaination..to me. Plz reply
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GUESS WHAT?! I’M ONLY 11 AND I FINISHED ASSASSINS CREED 2 AND BROTHERHOOD….NOT IMPRESSIVE ,HUH?
I beat each in 10 ours and I’m 10
nice goin girl(i think)!! i skipped the first one and did the second then first then third. screwy huh?
actually it was second…thrid….and then the first game. i screwed up on dis order chiz.
I did half of brohood then 2 then 1 then other half of brohood then revelations
Entirely possible to complete it in less than 8 hours. If you only do the main quests, don’t aim for 100% synch and ignore the glyphs / Subject 16 riddles. But then where’s the fun in that?
but if take a good look in the truth video you will notice that only the hands of the followers appear as if you are looking through there eyes and then if Adam and Eve were the first humans to be born then the follower must be from the first civilization and Adam and Eve are the first templers and the assassin’s were not always right or few or weak maybe at some point in the past the templers were right and the assassin’s were wrong
think about it