In this, the first instalment of This is Your Game, I’m exploring the life of one of the most popular and charismatic gaming personalities of all time, Ezio Auditore da Firenze.
The Assassins Creed games have become some of the most iconic and unique in history, particularly those that involve Ezio as the protagonist. It’s no coincidence that Ezio was given three games for his story to be told, whereas other Assassins have been given only one. Ubisoft surely realised they were on to a winner with Ezio. The original Assassins Creed left many with a sour aftertaste. Although a superb technical exercise and thought-provoking concept, the gameplay was stilted, repetitive and clumsy. Any sequel needed to deliver on the potential of the first game and Assassins Creed II certainly did just that. Therein, we were introduced to a beautifully-rendered Renaissance Italy and a young Ezio Auditore; a noble teenager with a penchant for women and fighting. We were treated to a deep, multi-faceted and moving narrative, growing with Ezio into the role of Assassin; A highly-skilled, charismatic, painfully-attractive man. We followed him on his travels across Europe and beyond with Assassins Creed Brotherhood and Assassins Creed Revelations. We learned what it was to be an Assassin. We learned about the Templars and their startling level of power through Abstergo Industries. We watched Ezio grow from passionate youth to wise mentor. These games were full of eye-opening twists and turns, awe-inspiring concepts and beautiful worlds. When Ezio finally hung up his gauntlets in Assassins Creed Revelations, many were left with a feeling of not only great achievement, but great loss. Where could Assassins Creed go now, without Ezio? Since then, we’ve been introduced to other Assassins, other worlds and other time periods but none have matched the quality of Ezio’s games. For these reasons, I feel that Ezio deserves to be given the accolade of This is Your Game, in recognition of his being one of the best gaming characters of all time.
I recently travelled to Florence to meet the great man and surprise him with what is, at its core, a cheaply-made, faux leather-bound, red scrapbook. Ezio was both overwhelmed and confused by my visit. Apparently, it’s a most unusual occurrence for a nerd from London to travel to Renaissance Italy and present a stranger with a bright red scrapbook. Fortunately, Ezio has never heard of Michael Aspel, so he’s assured me he won’t grass me up to the BBC, which he’s also never heard of.
After a detailed explanation, most of which was conducted with a hidden blade being held against my throat, Ezio was pleased to be interviewed for Mouse n Joypad.
Ezio, thanks so much for agreeing to speak to Mouse n Joypad today.
What is a Mouse Enjoy Pad?
It’s a website
A place where spiders live?
It’s….
Do the spiders eat the mice?
No, it’s………..never mind. Thank you for agreeing to talk to me.
Nessun Problema.
What?
No problem.
Right. So, let’s start with your childhood. You were born in Florence in 1459. Tell me about your upbringing.
I grew up in Florence and enjoyed a wonderful childhood. My father, Giovanni, was a prolific banker, which provided myself, my mother, my brothers and my sister, with the means by which to enjoy financial comfort. Everything was perfect but, alas, everything changed when I reached seventeen years of age. My family were betrayed by those who had been considered friends. My father and both my brothers were arrested and executed, as part of a corrupt plot against Florence and my family. I will never forget the overwhelming sense of helplessness I felt on that day. It changed me forever.
The deaths of your father and brothers unlocked a family secret for you, didn’t it?
I discovered that my father had been an Assassin. This discovery was the first time I knew of the Order. It was a confusing time for such a young and naïve man. When I took my mother and sister out of Florence, we sought refuge at my uncle Mario’s Villa in Monteriggioni. It was Mario who truly opened my eyes to the ways of the Order. He showed me so much. He taught me how to fight like an Assassin and taught me about the long-standing war between the Assassins and Templars. It was then that I knew my path. I was to be an Assassin and fight for the liberty of the people.
Once equipped with the knowledge you needed, you travelled to Florence to seek out the Templar leaders and end their corruption. Your journey was helped, in no small part, by Leonardo Da Vinci, with whom you became close. Tell me about your friendship.
Leonardo was a man with talents that stood him apart from anyone I’ve ever met since. He helped me in so many ways. His creations gave me the tools to achieve things that would’ve been impossible without him. I did, however, on occasion, feel that our affectionate hugs lasted a little longer than I was comfortable with. Also, although I never told him, he was a terrible painter. He was very forgettable as an artist.
Really? He became pretty famous for his paintings.
How famous?
Well, a mutated, adolescent turtle was named after him.
A turtle? Does the turtle live with your mouse?
Haha, no. He actually lives under ground, with his brothers and a rat.
You are a strange man, Trevor. You would have got on well with Leonardo.
Thank you. Ezio, you faced a multitude of enemies in your life as an Assassin. Which victory was most important to you?
Every one of my enemies was important. I never eliminated any one unless I had no other option, apart from the occasional civilian, when someone pressed the wrong button but I don’t want to talk about that. An enemy that lingers in my mind more than most is Rodrigo Borgia. He was an utterly corrupt man who was given a dangerous amount of power. It was imperative for him to be stopped. The damage he could have done as Pope is a terrifying prospect. Eventually, his actions caused others to turn against him and he was eliminated, without me having to draw a weapon.
That’s right. Cesare gave him a poisoned apple, didn’t he? That reminds me of another story, but that one involved dwarves.
What is a dwarf?
A small person.
A child?
No. Never mind. Later in your career, you became a Mentor, didn’t you?
Yes, it was important to build numbers in the Order. The Templars are powerful, with huge influence and resources. If the Order had any chance of making a difference, we had to expand. It became my job to recruit and train new Assassins and we quickly became stronger, as a result.
Finally, what does it mean to you to be given the accolade of This is Your Game?
Honestly, I still do not know what it means or it’s purpose. All I know is that it has something to do with mice, spiders, mutated turtles and small people. I have seen much in my life, but today, you have opened my eyes to another world; A world full of possibilities and strange people. Thank you for showing me and thank you for this book. It will look very good in my shitter.
Ezio Auditore, This is Your Game.
Stay tuned for the next instalment of This is Your Game, coming later this week, in which I’ll be speaking to Niko Bellic, the star of Grand Theft Auto IV.
Who would you like to see featured in a future edition? Send me a tweet @MrTrevorHolland.
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