Fitting In

Learn how to blend into crowds and pickpocket civilians to stay hidden and acquire items in Assassin's Creed II with this quick guide.

Alright, so you've just kicked off your journey in Assassin's Creed II, and the first thing you'll learn is how to basically become a ghost in the crowd. It's all about 'Fitting In,' and it's super important for staying undetected.

First up, you need to meet Annetta. Just check your map for the marker – it's a building with a distinctive red awning and tapestry, pretty easy to spot. If you're feeling adventurous, there's a viewpoint nearby you could climb for a better look or to grab that viewpoint sync.

Once you're inside, you'll get a cutscene where Paola breaks down the 'Blending' mechanic. If you played the first Assassin's Creed, you'll recognize this, but now it's even better – you can blend with any group of walking people, not just scholars. The trick is to find a group that's moving together and just walk right into their little white circle. That circle shows the area you need to stay within to keep your disguise intact.

Paola will then lead you on a little chase. The key here is to keep her in sight, but more importantly, stay hidden within one of those walking groups and their blending circle. You'll be passing guards, and you absolutely do not want them to spot you. The crowd's movement can be a bit unpredictable, and sometimes you might get pushed out of your blend. Don't panic! Just try to blend back in, or look for another group nearby to slip into. It's all about smooth transitions.

After you've escorted Paola back to where you started, it's time for lesson number two: stealing. Yep, you're going to learn how to pickpocket. Holding down the [X] button lets you speedwalk, and if you bump into someone while doing this, you'll automatically steal from them. Paola wants you to try this out five times. Make sure you move away from the immediate area after each successful theft to avoid drawing too much attention from the guards. Once you've completed the five steals, head back to Paola to wrap up the mission.

• Blend skill learned
• Steal skill learned