According to Frederic Lefroncois, producer of Assassin’s Creed Bloodlines, the game takes place “right after the events of Assassin’s Creed as he hunts down the ascending Templars in Cyprus.” He then emphasizes that “it’s the only game that explains the link between Assassin’s Creed and (the heavily anticipated) Assassin’s Creed 2. If you want to understand how Ezio is born and where the Codex comes from, you need this game.”

Unlike other handheld iterations of Assassin’s Creed, Bloodlines will recreate the “core gameplay” of the original console game, meaning the game will include free-running and combat. Once again, Altair will have to do missions before completing an assassination. However, you can expect a bit more variety this time around. “There are 8 new mission types,” Lefroncois explains, “and we wanted each mission to feel as fresh and exciting as the final Assassination moment.”

Assassin’s Creed Bloodlines will be available later this year on the PSP, and can be purchased as part of a bundle, which includes a white PSP-3000 system, the game, and a Memory Stick for $200.

[Via Joystiq]