The game follows the series' standard open world gameplay in the Ezio and Altaïr Sequences, where the
game's main story takes place. New gameplay additions include an item called the "hookblade", which can
be used to zipline across the city or grab enemies to yank them in for a combo attack. The hookblade
reportedly speeds up navigation by around 30 percent and serves as a replacement to the traditional dual
Hidden Blade. Along with the hookblade, Ezio also has around 150 different bomb variations at his
disposal, which are to be crafted. The game features new Desmond Sequences known as "Desmond's
Journey", five "Dali-esque" first-person platforming missions in a radical departure for the series.
Each sequences of "Desmond's Journey" can only be unlocked by collecting a certain amount of Data
Fragments hidden throughout Constantinople, or by purchasing The Lost Archive DLC. Data Fragments are a
new type of collectible in Revelations, replacing the Borgia Flags of previous games in the
series.
Also added and expanded are seizing districts of the city from the Templars. While capturing a district
is very similar to Brotherhood, the Templars will send reinforcements to recapture districts, which Ezio
must defend using a "tower defense" minigame, where he controls a group of Assassins from rooftops
against several waves of Templar soldiers and siege equipment. Similar to Brotherhood, initiates can be
sent on missions to other regions, eventually wresting control from the Templars, and then using the
city to produce a stream of income and new Assassin recruits. The game is playable in full 3D across
three platforms: PlayStation 3, PC, and Xbox 360, with the console versions supporting both stereoscopic
3D mode for 3D HDTVs and for 2D HDTVs. All Revelations gameplay and cinematics have S3D support.