The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

That's right. That's two blades you see strapped to his wrists instead of just the one that pansy Altair carried. The eagle hood is back as is the overall color scheme, just with extra detail. Whether he is or not, Ezio dresses in a very noble manner. The half cape over the shoulder, the vibrant reds and the beautiful designs may hint that the assassins of the day are even more highly regarded. Or maybe the designers just thought it looked cool, who knows. What I am happy to see is that the overall feel of Altair is still there. I was afraid that when a new character would be brought in, a completely new design would also be brought in, completely destroying the awesome outfit of the original. I cannot wait for this game to come out. While the first one did have its flaws, the actual prowling and assassinations were top notch. Hopefully they've fixed the smaller missions to make them actually fun and then the series will be the great one it can be.

- You'll have a ton of new weapons to choose from including an axe, a hammer, a mace, a spear, 2 different sword types, a spear axe, and 2 smaller blades
- You CAN swim
- Da Vincis workshop is in the game
- Locations include Saint Marks Basilica, The Grand Canal, The Little Canal, and the Rialto bridge.
- The game opens in 1476, Altair is from 1191
- So you do indeed play as a new ancestor of Altair / Desmond
- You will see the countryside of Tuscany
- The "Auditore" family is mentioned
- The main characters name is Ezio Auditore de Firenze
- He is a nobleman of Florence
- Big characters are in the game including Machiavelli, Caterina Sofrza, and Lorenzo de Medici
- YOU DO INDEED GLIDE on Da Vincis flying machine.
- Game will feature a new notoriety system that governs how enemy soldiers and people will treat you.
- You can disarm enemies and use their own weapons against them this time.
- Each weapon has a special move.
- 16 unique mission types.
- No more ease dropping or pick pocketing missions.
- If you get beat up to much you will need to see a street side doctor to regain full strength.
- Hidden objects (like flags in the first one) are there to uncover but this time if you track them down you will get in-game bonuses that make it worth your time.
- Items include, flags, statues, and gold coins and more that isnt mentioned.
- New enemy types with unique attitudes and weaknesses are present in the game. Archers are mentioned, as well as elite enemies, dagger wielders, "Brutish" armored troops with heavy armor and 2 handed swords and axes, and an intelligent halberd enemy will probe hiding places with their weapons if they think you're near by.
- While hiding in a hay bail you can assassinate people this time, but it may expose your position.
- You can still climb towers and ride horses
- The Lorendo de Medici assassination attempt is in the game.
- There is now a night and day sequence in the game.
- 240 people are working on this title.

Info from here

The game is set a few hundred years later in the 15th century. Gone are the knights in shining armor, replaced by men with strange mustache and codpieces.

The story will involve feuding families and disguises will play a part in the game a la Hitman. The focus testers were also asked to choose between one of three new designs for the new Altair. They were more brightly colored than the original,the main difference between them being different colors and pouches. The word "ezio," an Italian name derived from the word for "eagle" which was the symbol of Altair in the first game was under each picture.

Gunpowder was also said to be able to be used to propel objects at others and with the introduction of gunpowder, guns will probably figure somewhere into the game at some point. The game is apparently going to be shown at this years E3 and will be released either late this year or early next.

While it wasn't stated, I'm speculating a large part of it will take place at or around Italy. The family feud could be similar to the family feud between the Montagues and Capulets in Romeo and Juliet which took place in Italy. The word "Ezio" seems to heavily point in that direction also. While it hasn't been confirmed if these claims are in fact true, E3 seems to be a good bet for the unveiling.