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Ezio Auditore/Chris Redfield to play Sonic the Hedgehog in Wreck-it Ralph
No, Ezio Auditore da Firenze and Chris Redfield won't be trading in their various killing implements for pointy red shoes, nor will they be playing a grotesque two-headed version of Sega's iconic mascot, but the man who voices both those characters will be.Okay, maybe not the grotesque two-headed monster thing, but Roger Craig Smith (who voices both Ezio and Chris) will be playing the role of Sonic the Hedgehog in Disney's forthcoming reference vehicle Wreck-it Ralph. As it happens, Smith has become the blue blur in days past, having voiced the character in Mario & Sonic at the London Olympic Games, Sonic Generations and Sonic Free Riders. Let's just hope that any dialogue they give him will be better than what we're used to.
Someone got Ezio in my Final Fantasy XIII-2
Ezio Auditore da Firenze is a man's man -- he's rugged, ripped, mysterious and he looks menacing even in a dress-like robe. Ubisoft worked hard to make Ezio project such a style in the Assassin's Creed titles, and is so confident in its wardrobe choices that it's let Square Enix throw Ezio's classic hood and straps on Noel in Final Fantasy XIII-2. Surely the layered, butchy furs and armor will remain as masculine with a smooth-skinned, pouty man underneath. Surely.The Ezio outfit is available now on Xbox Live for $3 (240 MS Points), and tomorrow on PSN. See for yourself how Ezio's clothes look on Noel, minus the hidden blades and plus a few glowing swords, in the above video and screens below.%Gallery-152854%
Final Fantasy XIII-2 DLC adds Ezios and UFOs
Crossover content returns to Final Fantasy XIII-2 in Japan, with the Ezio costume for Noel finally making its appearance on April 10. It's not Prada, but it'll fit. Coming along with Ezio's togs is Gilgamesh, a coliseum fighter who, like others, can be recruited.The other downloadable coliseum battle announced for Japan is Koyo-Koyo, which is an adorable group of aliens in a flying saucer. You kill them.
Ezio brings a hidden gun to a knife fight in Soulcalibur 5 footage
Namco has posted a very long video discussing the features in Soulcalibur 5, complete with plenty of footage of everyone's favorite assassin, Ezio Auditore da Firenze. There's also a lot of talking to get through, so you may want to skip to 26:55 (as in the twenty-six minute mark) to get to the in-game action. Oh, and yes, Ezio brought his hidden gun. Siliconera notes that the video discusses the game's customization systems. Adjusting a character's physique, for example, could allow for longer reach. Furthermore, Namco does have plans for downloadable content, though the developers weren't ready to discuss whether those plans include more characters. We've still got our fingers crossed for Spawn making a glorious comeback.
Ubisoft: Assassin's Creed: Revelations will be, well, revealing
In an interview with the Guardian, Assassin's Creed creative director Alexandre Amancio explains Ubisoft's mindset when creating Revelations and the caution his team is taking with Altair, Ezio, Desmond and their combined Body Mass Index. "Well, Assassin's Creed has been going since 2007 -- the narrative is very rich and complex, so to avoid collapsing under the weight of our own mythology we needed to wrap up a few mysteries and set things up for what is to come. That's what this game is about: we're giving players some answers from Assassin's 2 and Brotherhood, we're completing the destiny of Altair, and we're tying it in to what's coming in 2012. And obviously, our over-arching storyline has to do with the end of the world in 2012 – we need to set up everything for the conclusion of that narrative. In this game, you'll get to understand why Ezio is so important and how his destiny his aligned to Altair's and to Desmond's." It appears Amancio is focused on completing the first arc of the Assassin's Creed series with an emphasis on character development and clarifying the franchise's future, which can't be very vast considering he's counting on the world to end next year.
Assassin's Creed 'Beautiful Lies' music video loves its lineage
The case for Desmond, Altair, and Ezio sharing the same gene pool has never been stronger than in this fan-made music video starring all three. Be aware of some story spoilers, particularly if you haven't completed Assassin's Creed or its first sequel.
Assassin's Creed 2 Ezio figure sneaks into view
Looking to intimidate all of the other figurines on your toy shelf? You may want to check out Hot Toys' 1/6th scale recreation of Assassin's Creed 2 protagonist, Ezio Audisomethingorother -- which comes complete with a set of interchangeable hands, knives, swords and even a ponytail. There's no word on price right now, but the figure is planned to launch in Q3. Considering its 30 points of articulation, 30cm height, real metal weapons and complex uniform -- not to mention the going rate on some of Hot Toys' other figures -- you'll probably want to start saving your Florins right now. %Gallery-97079%
Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood announced and detailed by Ubisoft
Click to Colosseum-size This morning, Ubisoft officially announced Ezio's return to the Assassin's Creed franchise, Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood. Though the game was outed and cursorily detailed in some placeholder box art last week, the official press release shared some specifics: the single-player campaign ("set in the living, breathing, unpredictable city of Rome") is expected to last 15 hours, and sees Ezio recruiting and training "promising young Assassins" for deployment across the historical capital. Rather than using money earned to bolster a villa, you'll fix up Rome itself, which will change Ezio's social standing, unlock missions and curry favor with various factions. The release promises collaboration with Da Vinci, Machiavelli, and Caterina Sforza, and describes new "secret weapons." Ubi is throwing in poison darts, parachutes, hidden blades and guns, not to mention an "advanced flying machine" -- which is presumably useful in more than a single mission this time. Multiplayer -- developed by Ubisoft Annecy, who created the online component of Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory -- is said to feature "multiple authentic character classes" (presumably the characters seen in the gallery below) each of whom will use "signature weapons and killing moves." We'll look for more details and a more specific release date than "Holiday 2010" at E3, perhaps on a giant advertisement emblazoned on the side of the convention center. %Gallery-92693%
Assassin's Creed 2 ships 8 million, next game returns to Rome
Speaking in an investor call, following the release of Ubisoft's fiscal third-quarter financial results, company CEO Yves Guillemot made it abundantly clear as to why another Assassin's Creed will unsheathe its stabby things before April 2011. According to Guillemot, Assassin's Creed 2, which launched in November 2009 on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, has shipped 8 million copies. The original Assassin's Creed had sold just as many by June 2009 -- roughly 18 months after its debut. Although details regarding the new Assassin's Creed -- set to star Ezio and some online friends -- remain slim, Guillemot wasn't mum on milieu: "This time, [Ezio] will strike directly against the templar's order in Rome." Can this Rome be built in a year, just in time for Holiday 2010?
New costumes, spaces are Home-ward bound
Sony's official Playstation blog has posted a rundown of what's new in Home this coming week, and it looks like you'll have a few different costumes, personal spaces, and even a couple of contests to pick from. First up, the costumes: Not only will the Bioshock suit finally be available, but there's a special edition Ezio costume from Assassin's Creed II as well. There's a brand new personal space named London Pub created by VEEMEE, complete with dart game, beer taps, and working restrooms. And there are new items for the Paris Clock Tower personal space, as well as Fantasy and Victorian clothing bundles to buy. As for contests, they're currently running MAG contests in Central Plaza (where you can get free t-shirts of the game's factions), and Zombieland contests that ask you to answer trivia questions posted around the environment. Other than those promotions, new stuff ain't cheap: The London Pub is $5.99, and the other items and costumes will cost you, too. But what's the cost of one beer at a swanky authentic pub when you could buy a virtual copy of the whole place?
Assassin's Creed 2 writer defends perceived slow start as 'necessary'
Though Assassin's Creed 2 has been enjoying near-universal praise from critics, apparently some folks have taken umbrage with the game's intro as it pertains to Ezio before he becomes a calculated killing machine. When VG247 recently asked the game's writer, Corey May, how he felt about that complaint, he told them that "it was necessary to spend time with Ezio as a carefree adolescent." While he admitted that the development team could have "refined the sequence so that it either moved faster or provided the player with more action-oriented activities," he remained steadfast that "it needed to be more than a token five minutes." May said the developers will try to "sharpen" the experience next time around, but even if the execution may have been perceived by some as less than perfect, "the idea of the beginning of the game" is what mattered most to him. We're behind you, Mr. May. Stabbing dudes sure is a ton of fun, but a little bit of context goes a long way. %Gallery-49869%
Assassin's Creed 2 trailer is the most violent music video ever
This trailer is kind of radical. Much like a serial killer gyrating on a neon-lit dance floor, Ubisoft's latest Assassin's Creed 2 gameplay footage places inconspicuous murder at the center of an infectious beat. We didn't think it was possible, but the anachronistic music video actually makes new protagonist Ezio seem ... almost hip.Also, we think he actually stabs a hip during the video.
Comic-Con 2009: Gordon Freeman and Ezio cosplay
During Preview Night at Comic-Con, we spotted two of the best video game costumes so far: Half-Life's Gordon Freeman, complete with Gravity Gun, and Ezio from Assassin's Creed 2. For a minute we thought we'd miraculously spotted former Joystiq blogger (and amateur Gordon Freeman lookalike) Ross Miller, and were set to pounce on him, but thankfully we noticed at the last minute and averted disaster. Click Gordon for a larger version, which includes his employee ID, and head beyond the break for Ezio. There's more cosplay going on here than at a LARP convention, and we'll be bringing you a lot more. Click through for Ezio and his blades, and stay tuned. %Gallery-68588%
Ubisoft to unload limited edition Assassin's Creed 2 bundle on Europe [update]
Update: We spoke with Ubisoft's Michael Beadle who confirmed that Europe is receiving the limited edition listed below. When pried about a release in North America, he could only say "The U.S. has not announced any details about a Limited Edition of Assassin's Creed II."Fans of Ubisoft's upcoming Assassin's Creed 2 will be able to show just how much they love the game by spending beaucoup bucks, as Kotaku reports the game is getting a rather extensive limited edition. The bundle -- which has been dubbed "the black edition" -- will include not only the game, but also a "holographic signature," 64-page leather-style book (not for recording your creeds, as it'll be filled with concept art and the like), game soundtrack, Ezio figurine, three in-game bonus quests, and some interviews.It's only been listed in PAL regions so far, with a price of £69.99 in the UK ($115 USD) and $149.95 in Australia ($121 USD), supposedly. We've put in word to Ubisoft to confirm this, and even though a North American limited edition hasn't been announced, It's likely we'll see a similar package. We'll be sure to let you know what we find out.
Interview: Assassin's Creed 2 creative director, Patrice Désilets
Assassin's Creed 2 is Patrice Désilets' first sequel. If there's any anxiety or fatigue squirming inside of him, it's well hidden by an infectious enthusiasm and candor. Speaking with us during E3 2009 in Ubisoft's den (and thus, din), the creative director frankly discussed several issues with us, including one which you may have heard about, over and over again: Joystiq: Do you mind if I go back to Assassin's Creed 1 for just a bit? Patrice Désilets: Yeah, yeah, no problem. So, that game comes out. You're reading the reviews and people are complaining about repetition. Yeah. What do you feel at this point? Do you agree with them? Repetition for me is a point of view, really. Like, what is repetitive or not? You know, sometimes you go and play the same game over and over again and you are all right with the repetitiveness of it. And in AC1 some people just couldn't bear it. We listened to them while we were making the second one, but, I wasn't nervous or mad. What I was a little disappointed with was some reviewers, how they treated us. They have the right to their opinions and everything, but I felt like they maybe went too fast. But you know what? I also received [opinions that were] the other way around. People being really happy about the game. Doing it two, three, four, five times. Sure. And we sold some eight million copies of it, you know. Eight million people can't be wrong?
