Since the first teaser trailer for Assassin’s Creed II surfaced in April we have learned that the next Assassin’s Creed outing will be set in Italy during the Renaissance and that we’ll be playing as the incarnate of Ezio. We also know that the development team weighs in at 450 members, roughly triple that of the team that worked on the original entry to the series, and that the sequel is scheduled to be released by the end of this year.

This week we discovered a few more things about Assassin’s Creed II. Sony showcased the game at their E3 press conference on Tuesday, with the demo showing off the architecture and setting of the Italian Renaissance (the backstory to the game is set directly after the events of the first), the use of a Renaissance-era flying machine made by a friend of yours (in the game) and introducing Leonardo Da Vinci, who will also provide you with other inventions during the course of the game. The ability to swim was also demonstrated, while the protagonist was also shown taking out two enemies at once with his two wrist-blades.

SCEA promises to quench your Assassin’s Creed II thirst further if you take a look at this Q and A with Ubisoft Montreal designer Mathieu Gagnon. Gagnon takes us through the new demo, explaining everything at Ezio’s disposal.

Enjoy!