It's no secret that we're excited about Assassin's Creed Revelations here at Game Rant. The Assassin's Creed franchise has kept us on our toes by providing stories that are so well grounded in history, most characters who appear in the game can be found in the history books (or as modern day encyclopedias go, on Wikipedia), and the timeline of their deaths matches up with its story. This faithfulness to reality extends beyond just the story, with the locations of the game requiring a very real approach, backed by a location scouting trip fit for the franchise.

In effort to really prepare the team for the task of recreating Constantinople in Assassin's Creed Revelations, the locations team went on a couple trips to Istanbul in early February to really immerse themselves in the setting, and help with their research for the great city. Those familiar with history will remember that Constantinople was the name of Istanbul before the Ottoman Empire conquered it in 1453.

While there, the team took a whopping 3,500 photos to be used for textures, reference materials, and skylines, as well as 600 videos totaling over 6.5 hours of video footage. On a return trip they picked up another 2,500 photos for a grand total of over 6,000 photos of the great city.

Istanbul offered a lot of inspiration the team with the great diversity in its landmarks, homes, and even the shapes of the streets. With the city built not on flat ground, but rather several large hills, a lot of inspiration was drawn from just reaching the top of new hills in the city and getting a different view of the landscape.

Istanbul Grand Bazaar

While exploring the city, the level designers were constantly trying to see paths that Ezio might take as he explores the city. For example, the Grand Bazaar offers plenty of opportunities for Ezio's free-running skills, with natural rafters and windows that are perfect for Assassin's Creed's unique brand of exploration.

Assassin's Creed Revelations will be bringing players back into the mind of Desmond Miles as he explores the later years of Ezio Audiotore's life. Desmond himself is trapped in the Animus as he recovers from a shock triggered by fateful events at the ending of Assassin's Creed Brotherhood. Through Ezio, Desmond will learn more about his ancestor Altair Ibn-La’Ahad, and through the Animus he will have to repair his own shattered mind while uncovering truths about his own past.

Watch the full video of Game Informer's interview with Revelations' Art Director Raphael Lacoste and Level Designer Falco Poiker right here.

Are there any locations in Istanbul that you hope are recreated for Assassin's Creed Revelations?

Assassin's Creed Revelations will be letting you scout Constantinople for yourself when it arrives in November, 2011, for the Xbox 360, PC, and PS3.

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Source: Game Informer