There's always one gadget that defines an Assassin's Creed game. In the original, it was the hidden blade; in Assassin's Creed II, it was the gun; in Black Flag, it was your ship.

Now, with Assassin's Creed Syndicate, it's all about the grappling hook. It's the best part about the new mechanics, no question — after all, who wants to bother climbing all the way up a building when you can just hit a button and shoot straight to the top?

There's just one small issue: the game doesn't really tell you how to get the grappling hook. Most of the games in the series take their time doling out gadgets, but Syndicate opens the world up before you grab the grappling hook — and it can be a bit confusing to figure out exactly what you need to do to get it.

Never fear: we've listed out everything you need to do in order to grab Syndicate's premier gadget. If you've been having trouble figuring out where to go next or just want get a head start before you dive in for the first time, here's how to grab Assassin's Creed Syndicate's grappling hook:

Progress through Sequence 2

The first few missions in Syndicate are required — they basically act as tutorials. Completing these missions won't take long — depending on your skill level, it'll likely take less than an hour.

The game will let you know when you hit Sequence 3 — it's when Jacob and Evie arrive in London.

Complete Sequence 3, Mission 1: "Somewhere That's Green"

As with Sequence 1 and 2, you'll want to complete the first mission in Sequence 3, "Somewhere That's Green." It's basically your introduction to London and should only take a few minutes to complete.

Clear Whitechapel of Gangs

After completing "Somewhere That's Green," you'll finally be able to explore all of London. As hard as it may be, resist the urge to go off on your own — you may be able to explore, but your progress is tied to clearing the gangs out of Whitechapel.

The game will explain "Conquest Activities" and how they'll clear out sections of the map as you complete them. Whitechapel contains four different missions — it may sound like a lot, but it won't take long to finish everything off.

Once the Conquest Activities are cleared, the Gang Leader will appear — and he appears to have some sort of grappling hook with him. Take him down, and you'll receive his hook ... but you're not ready to start swinging around London just yet.

An icon with the letter "B" will appear on your map — head there as soon as you see it.

Complete Sequence 3, Mission 2: "Freedom of Press"

"Freedom of Press" is your introduction to Alexander Graham Bell, as well as a tutorial on how to use the grappling hook. Bell will ask you to repair a few fuse boxes; just grapple up to their locations, hit the button and you'll be set.

After that, Bell will ask you to find 200 metal components — again, it may sound like a lot, but you should find more than enough after looting two of the chests scattered around the city. Just craft some upgrades for your smoke bombs and knives, and you'll complete the mission and enter Sequence 4.

Congratulations: you are now the proud owner of the coolest gadget in Assassin's Creed: Syndicate!

From here on out, you'll basically be able to tackle whatever you want in your current Sequence — the game really opens up after Sequence 4, and now that you have the grappling hook, you're free to take London back!

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