Collect 100 feathers in the box in your villa, then talk to your mother to get the Auditore Cape.

Collect 50 feathers in the box in your villa to unlock the Condottiero War Hammer for purchase for 30,600 Florins at the blacksmith's shop at Villa Monteriggioni.

Successfully complete the indicated task to unlock the corresponding ability:

Climb Leap: Successfully complete Rosa's "Monkey See, Monkey Do" mission in Sequence 7. This ability allows you to make longer jumps while climbing and get hand holds that would normally be out of reach.

Disarm: Successfully complete Mario's "Evasive Maneuvers" mission in Sequence 5. This ability allows you to counter incoming attacks from weapons that are normally too heavy to counter, such as axes.

Renovate any of the five shops located in the Villa to increase the Villa's value and get special discounts. Each shop has three renovation levels. The blacksmith and doctor are available at the beginning of the game. The following is how much each of the three renovation levels cost for each shop:

Ant Merchant: 1,000, 5,000, 8,000 Florins
Bank: 1,500, 5,000, 9,000 Florins
Blacksmith: First renovation already available, 7,000, 12,000 Florins
Doctor: First renovation already available, 3,000, 5,000 Florins
Tailor: 1,000, 2,500, 5,000 Florins

Feathers are placed along the main quest areas of the game. This is unlike the flags in the original Assassin's Creed, which appeared seemingly at random throughout the world. Finding hidden feathers is best done by running across rooftops, since naturally that is where birds spend the most time losing them. Walk around the rooftops with Eagle Vision turned on to see feathers in a white glitch type of graphic.

To find the final few feathers, pause the game, and go to the DNA strand. There is a section at the end of the strand that shows you where the feathers are located. Then, go to the feather section to find out what districts the missing feathers are located in.

Loot bodies or pick-pocket people to get free medicines and throwing knives.

If you lose an axe or spear inside an enemy while countering him, just pick up his corpse, and immediately drop it to be able to collect that weapon again and reuse it.

In the assassin's tomb in Santa Maria Delle Visitazione, before the room where you get one of the seals required for the Armour of Altair, is a large room filled with water. This room has an obstacle course. Activate the lever before going through the course, then stand on the edge of the floor, and look at the water. Remain idle until a large shape swims across the water. Use the lever again after the timer resets, and stand at same location. After awhile, a giant tentacle will shoot out of the water that Ezio dodges at the last second.

Once you unlock the smoke bomb, you can use it to kill guards quicker and easier. Equip the smoke bomb, then throw it. While the soldiers are coughing, use your hidden blade to quickly and easily kill them.

The horses in the game can be very useful for things other than obviously using them for travel. Ride them into a potential fight and dismount. Lure an enemy to the rear of the horse, and it will kick them, inflicting a good amount of damage. They also will follow you after you dismount them until you enter a city, making them easier to relocate.

Normally Archers are not much of a threat and more of a nuisance, but in some areas there are a lot of them scattered around. If you are in a fight and there are also archers shooting at you, try to get away from the fight and run to the archer(s). This will make them drop their bow and draw their sword. You can also use the archer(s) to your advantage by positioning the soldiers in the archer's line of fire to have them wound the soldiers instead of you.

Brutes are the large armored soldiers with two handed weapons such as axes and claymores. The trick to killing Brutes is to first disarm them. You can take their weapons away from them, and then kill them easily. Trying to reverse their moves will just result in you getting hurt if you have a weapon ready.

Seekers are soldiers with spears. The trick to killing Seekers is grappling them. Grab them first to kill them quickly.

When fighting a large group of enemies, it is best to keep moving around so they do not surround you and attack from more than one side at once. Keep your guard up, and wait for one of them to attack, then counter it. If there are Brutes or Seekers in the group, it is a little tougher, but the other tips listed will help. Try avoiding Brutes and Seekers at first and focus on the other enemies.

When you are in a situation where you have to fight multiple guards, attack with a group (thieves or mercenaries). While they are attacking someone, come from behind with your hidden blade to instantly kill them. Note: This also works during the final battle where many Ezios fight the final Boss; however, instead of using your hidden blade (because it is never successful), use your main weapon.

Note: This can only be done after learning the Disarm move. Sometimes you will run into the big "Golden Knights" or the men who fight better than normal soldiers and usually have unique weapons such as lances or big axes. They can also deflect attacks and counter more often. To defeat them more easily, disarm yourself by pressing Down to put your weapon away. When they attack, press X to counter and disarm them. This usually works in one attempt. Then, quickly press X again to kill the unarmed man.

Use Eagle Vision to scan for Glyphs in the indicated locations:

The Truth File 1: While standing on a roof, it is on a wall at Santa Croce. Solve the puzzle by choosing the paintings with an apple in them.

The Truth File 2: While standing on a roof, it is on a wall at Ospedale Degli Innocenti. Solve the puzzle by rotating the circle puzzle pieces from smallest circle to largest.

The Truth File 3: While standing on a roof, it is on a wall at La Rosa Colta. Solve the puzzle by highlighting the circular object in each photo.

The Truth File 4: While hanging from the roof, it is on a wall at Villa Auditore. Solve the puzzle by taking the hints literally.

The Truth File 5: In the bottom dwellings of Santa Maria Assunta, it is on a wall near pillars. Solve the puzzle by choosing the paintings with a sword in them.

The Truth File 6: While standing on a roof, it is on a wall at Torri Dei Salvucci. Solve the puzzle by rotating the circle puzzle pieces from smallest circle to largest, while keeping an eye on the two outer layers that will connect.

The Truth File 7: While standing on a roof, it is on a wall at Torre Del Diavolo. Solve the puzzle by choosing the paintings with red in them; this can be done in any order.

The Truth File 8: While standing on a roof, it is on a wall at San Lorenzo. Solve the puzzle by finding the Pieces Of Eden (success is indicated with a sound). Then, put the flame over Joan on the world map. Finally, move Rasputin's photo to the top of Czar Nicholas II’s photo.

The Truth File 9: While standing on a roof, it is on a wall at Mercato Vecchio. Solve the puzzle by taking the hints literally, with the last one being 6=1.

The Truth File 10: While standing on a roof, it is on a wall at Monte Oliveto Maggiore. Solve the puzzle by not looking for the Eagle Apollo Lander on the moon. Once found, it is best to rotate the layers of the puzzle from the inside out until they all align, but note that inner layer 1 rotates on its own despite being connected to layer 4 in one instance; this also happens with layer 6. Additionally, the Piece Of Eden is on the Moon's surface.

The Truth File 11: While standing on the floor, it is under a stone arch at Antico Teatro Romano. Solve the puzzle by highlighting the light bulbs. After that, highlight the middle of the photo above the doorway. Then, highlight Nikola Tesla’s lap.

The Truth File 12: While standing on a roof (not the church tower itself), look down to the side of a wall attached to where you stand at Abbazia Di San Mercuriale. Solve the puzzle by aligning red 4 with gray 1 on the wheel and entering the related code. Then, turn off all the lights on the globe. Select the orb in the middle of the next photo. Solve the last puzzle by lining up the wheel as follows: 1=II, 2=III, 3=I.

The Truth File 13: Climb the base lookout tower until you see it on part of the stone walling on Avamposto Veneziano. Solve the puzzle by lining up the wheel as follows: 5=circle, square, square; 2=circle; 3=triangle. After that, press the red button. The final part you will find near the left-middle bottom of the letter.

The Truth File 14: Swim under the Ponte Di Rialto bridge. It is on a wall near the edge of the water. Solve the puzzle by choosing the paintings with Gods in them: Jupiter, Zeus, Cupid, Swan, and Europa.

The Truth File 15: While standing on a roof, it is on a higher up wall at Gilda Dei Ladri Di Venezia, right above a wooden hatch. Solve the puzzle by working from the inside out, and realizing these layers are connected: 1 to 6, middle two, and 4 to 5.

The Truth File 16: Climb up the Campanile Di San Marco bell tower until you can climb in, then look on the floor. Solve the puzzle by looking around on the map for the answer to appear, which is as follows: Naples, Alaska, Greece, and Tunguska. Then, go to the staff, and stab the photo with it.

The Truth File 17: Climb up the Torre Dell 'Orologio, then look on the floor to find it. Solve the puzzle by lining up the wheel as follows: 7=broken square symbol, 9=six-sided hourglass symbol, 1=square with little square inside of it. The attic on the top-right will then reveal an Assassin symbol for you to ID.

The Truth File 18: While standing on a roof (not the highest roof), it is on a wall at San Pietro Di Castello. Solve the puzzle by lining up the wheel as follows: 6=M or YYY, 0=Chalice symbol, 3=<. Then, move the symbol over the thick blood vessels to finish the photo.

The Truth File 19: It is on the back of one of the rounded-top walls that stick out on the side-parts of Scuola Grande Di San Marco. Solve the puzzle by choosing the paintings with a sun in them: Aztec Calendar, Easter Gate, Sistine Chapel Ceiling, Nazca Textile, and Book Of The Dead. Then, find the part of the sun photo that has the most radiation, and ID it.

The Truth File 20: From the roof with a fire near it, it is there when you look down to a wall on the side of San Giacomo Di Rialto. Solve the puzzle by working from the inside out, and realizing that these layers are not connected: second inner layer and fifth outer layer. Then, ID the sun. Next, you can line up the code wheel any way you want to complete the puzzle. In the final puzzle, move the cursor over the bones to change the skeleton from a monkey into a human.

When Sequence 3 begins and you are escorting Maria and Claudia to the Villa, you will get ambushed by Pazzi and his men. You will be rescued by your Uncle Mario. When you first talk to him, he will say "Don't you recognize me? Its-a me, Mario!"

Accomplish the indicated achievement to get the corresponding number of Gamerscore points:

The Birth of an Assassin (20 points): Be reborn as Ezio Auditore Da Firenze.
Arrivederci Abstergo (20 points): Break out of Abstergo.
Welcome to the Animus 2.0 (20 points): Enter the Animus 2.0.
The Pain of Betrayal (30 points): Complete DNA Sequence 1.
Vengeance (30 points): Complete DNA Sequence 2.
Exit the Son (30 points): Complete DNA Sequence 3.
Bloody Sunday (30 points): Complete DNA Sequence 4.
Undertaker (20 points): Discover the Assassin's Tomb inside the catacombs under Santa Maria Novella.
The Conspirators (30 points): Complete DNA Sequence 5.
An Unexpected Journey (30 points): Complete DNA Sequence 6.
Bleeding Effect (30 points): Complete training and reenter the Animus.
The Merchant of Venice (30 points): Complete DNA Sequence 7.
The Impenetrable Palazzo (30 points): Complete DNA Sequence 8.
Masquerade (30 points): Complete DNA Sequence 9.
Bianca's Man (30 points): Complete DNA Sequence 10.
The Prophet (30 points): Complete DNA Sequence 11.
The Vault (30 points): Complete DNA Sequence 14.
An Old Friend Returns (100 points): Escape the hideout.
Myth Maker (5 points): Find the 8 statuettes in Monteriggioni.
Vitruvian Man (20 points): Unlock all 20 pieces of Subject 16's video.
Street Cleaner (10 points): Hide 5 dead bodies in a Bale of Hay.
Fly Swatter (5 points): Kick a Guard while using the Flying Machine.
Messer Sandman (10 points): Stun 4 guards at once by throwing sand in their face.
Doctor (20 points): Perform an Air Assassination on a Poisoned NPC.
No-hitter (20 points): Kill 10 enemies while remaining in conflict without being hit.
Kleptomaniac (10 points): Pickpocket 1000 Florins.
Lightning Strike (10 points): Sprint for 100 meters.
Sweeper (10 points): Sweep 5 guards at once by using a Long Weapon.
Venetian Gladiator (20 points): Discover the Assassin's Tomb inside Santa Maria della Visitazione.
I can see your house from here! (20 points): Discover the Assassin's Tomb inside the Torre Grossa.
Hallowed be thy name (20 points): Discover the Assassin's Tomb inside the Basilica di San Marco.
Prison Escape (20 points): Discover the Assassin's Tomb inside the Rocca di Ravaldino fortress.
Choir Boy (20 points): Discover the Assassin's Tomb inside Santa Maria del Fiore (The Duomo).
Assassin For Hire (10 points): Complete your first assassination mission for Lorenzo Il Magnifico.
Macho Man (10 points): Defend a woman's honor.
Steal Home (10 points): Win a race against thieves!
Show your Colors (10 points): Wear the Auditore cape in each city.
Handy Man (10 points): Upgrade a building in the Stronghold.
I like the view (10 points): Synchronize 10 View Points.
High Dive (10 points): Perform a Leap of Faith from the Top of Florence's Giotto's Campanile.
Mailman (10 points): Intercept a Borgia Courrier.
Tip of the Iceberg (10 points): Use your Eagle Vision to scan a Glyph in the environment.
A Piece of the Puzzle (10 points): Unlock a piece of Subject 16's video.
Art Connoisseur (10 points): Buy a Painting from Florence and Venice.
Podestà of Monteriggioni (30 points): Reach 80% of your stronghold's total value.
Perfect Harmony (10 points): Tint your clothes with those colors: Wetland Ebony and Wetland Ivory.
In Memory of Petruccio (30 points): Collect all the Feathers.
Red Light Addict (10 points): Spend 5000 florins on Courtesans.
Man of the People (10 points): Toss more than 300 florins on the ground.
Victory lies in preparation (10 points): Get all Hidden Blades, Item Pouches and Armor upgrades for Ezio.