Compatible emulators

Synopsis

Desmond Miles, a bartender, is kidnapped by the Abstergo Industries corporation to be used as a test subject in "Animus", a device capable of simulating genetic memory. Abstergo intends to put Desmond in the device to recall the memories of his ancestor, Altair Ibn-La'Ahad, a member of the Assassin Brotherhood in 1191, who lived during the Third Crusade in the Holy Land. At first, Desmond has difficulty adjusting to the device, but eventually relives Altair's exploits over the next few days. The game then progresses mainly from Altaïr's point of view, with occasional transitions to Desmond, due to problems with the Animus or the appearance of the Bleeding Effect. The game opens with Desmond entering Altaïr's memory, but he soon encounters sync issues. At this point, the voices of Lucy Stillman and Warren Vidic can be heard, arguing over Desmond's safety within the Animus. After encountering some problems, Desmond leaves the virtual machine and Vidic briefs him on the internal workings of the Animus, before initializing the machine's tutorial program. Once Desmond completes the tutorial, he enters Altaïr's closest syncable memory; Lucy adds that Desmond must relive key moments in Altaïr's life to increase his synchronization, before reaching the final memory which contains the information Abstergo is seeking. Altaïr is first shown attempting to recover one of a series of artifacts known as the "Pieces of Eden" from the Temple of Solomon with the help of Malik Al-Sayf and his brother Kadar, but they are stopped by Robert de Sablé, Grand Master of the Templars and sworn enemy of the Assassins. Upon recovering the treasure, Altaïr breaks the three principles of Assassins' Creed in an attempt to kill Robert, but he ultimately fails. In the ensuing commotion, Malik's brother is killed and Malik's left arm is paralyzed and then amputated. When Altaïr returns to the Assassins' stronghold at Masyaf with his apologies, Malik, who survived de Sablé, returns with the artifact and denigrates Altaïr for his arrogance. After narrowly defeating a retaliatory attack by the Templars, Al Mualim, leader of the Assassins, demotes Altaïr to the rank of novice but gives him another chance to climb the ranks of the Brotherhood. Al Mualim assigns Altair the task of assassinating nine key figures across the Holy Land in Jerusalem, Acre and Damascus, in an attempt to bring peace between the Crusader and Saracen forces. Each target is based on a real-life historical figure from the Third Crusade, including Majd Addin, Garnier of Nablus, Jubair al Hakim, Abu'l Nuqoud, Sibrand, William of Montferrat and Robert of Sablé. Altaïr completes each task, learning how each target is linked to Robert and the Templars and how together they aim to end the Crusades and bring the Holy Land under their own control. With men from both sides killed, he discovers that Robert's latest plot is to attempt to unite Christian and Muslim forces against their new common enemy, the Assassins themselves. Altaïr defeats de Sablé in front of Richard the Lionheart, failing to convince the king that an end to the war would be welcome for both camps, but putting an end to Robert's plot. From Sablé, Altaïr discovers that Al Mualim was himself a member of the Templars and used the Assassin to kill the other members who held the secret to the treasure's power, so that he could selfishly keep the artifact for himself. Altaïr quickly returns to Masyaf and approaches his master, who reveals the truth to him: the Fragment of Eden, which he had recovered thanks to Altaïr's help just before his transgression, creates illusions. He denounces religion and other seemingly supernatural events (e.g. the Ten Plagues of Egypt, the parting of the Red Sea, and the presence of the Greek gods in the Trojan War) as delusions caused by the piece, then declares his intention to use the artifact to force humanity into a state of brainwashing and, in doing so, end all conflict; Altair is eventually able to see through the deceptions created by the artifact to kill Al Mualim. When Altaïr retrieves the artifact, the Piece of Eden activates, showing a holographic view of the world with numerous locations of other Pieces of Eden marked across the globe. Once the process is complete, Desmond learns that Abstergo is a modern front for the Templars, and that they are already searching for other artifacts in locations identified in Altaïr's memories. Additionally, he learns that the modern-day Assassins tried to save him before the end of memory, but failed. Following this, Desmond was to be killed on the orders of a high-ranking Templar, Alan Rikkin, but Lucy Stillman saves him from death and, at one point, puts his ring finger in his palm, referencing the Assassin tradition of cutting off the finger. Although Desmond remains trapped in Abstergo's laboratory, his experience in the Animus created a bleed effect from Altaïr's life into his own life, allowing Desmond to use Altaïr's Eagle Vision, which, in turn, allows him to see strange messages painted on the walls of his room and on the floor of the laboratory. The messages all deal with various forms of the end of the world from different cultures, including several references to December 21, 2012, the date Abstergo plans to launch a satellite that will "end the war for good." It is hinted that this method would be the same as that used by Al Mualim to hypnotize Masyaf, but on a larger scale. Finally, the game ends with Desmond wondering what all the pictures mean and who could have drawn them.

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