Unlike Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood and (especially) Assassin’s Creed II, it is absolutely essential to at least partly involve yourself in optional tasks to acquire currency for equipment and upgrades in Revelations. The following brief rundown offers a simple guide to the principle ways in which Ezio can accumulate Akçe.

Mission Rewards

As in previous episodes, the vast majority of Core Memories and Secondary Memories offer a cash sum on completion. However, once you progress into Sequence 03, you will find that these payments are actually rather negligible.

Treasure Chests & Bomb Stashes

The ornate, rectangular Treasure Chests offer variable sums of money in addition to occasional crafting items; they also contribute to the Total Synch rating. The vast majority of them are located in Constantinople, though there are a further 12 in Cappadocia in Sequence 07, and 15 in five “Secret Locations” (the four destinations that Ezio visits in Core Memories to obtain Masyaf Keys, plus the unlockable Hagia Sofia).

You can purchase Treasure Maps that reveal their locations in Constantinople and Cappadocia at Book Shops. Bomb Stashes, containers that are either made from wood or have rounded corners, hold crafting ingredients only – though these can, naturally, be converted into currency via Piri Reis...