From the moment I saw gameplay for the first Watch Dogs, I was hooked. So many options of things to hack, play styles, and really engaging integrated (asynchronous) multiplayer. Watch Dogs 2 is no different. I just finished watching an eighteen-minute “World Premiere” video, and just like the first game, I’m hooked. This time around, the setting is San Francisco… think about that one for a minute.
You are playing as protagonist Marcus Holloway, a member of DedSec (yup, they’re back for round two), in a city that is home to Silicon Valley. Marcus is a hacker, as well as proficient in parkour and fighting. Once again, ctOS (2.0) is being implemented, and mass surveillance is in full swing. It will be your (Marcus’s) job to shut it down and defeat those responsible. Ubisoft has set up a very intriguing playing field to dig into.
The promise of this game is massive – let’s start out with the citizens of San Francisco. The first game had a city that, at times, could feel more alive than other games of its time. However, most of the time, it still felt as if the world only reacted to you. With their sophomore release, NPCs are touted to start fights or even call the cops on each other. Interrupt an argument between a group of hoodlums, and they may just turn and attack. Are you tired of always being chased by dogs while everyone else stands around watching? Well, tire no more, the dogs of Watch Dogs 2 will chase just about anyone that stares at them the wrong way.
Next up, let’s talk about vehicles. Ubisoft is promising a wide variety of vehicles, both commuter and commercial, as well as varying physics tailored to each one. As with the first game, every commuter vehicle you see is available to drive (and I’m sure a handful of commercial vehicles as well). I’ve already spotted a number of cars that I will be hooning around the streets of San Francisco when this game launches!
In regards to hacking – they definitely deliver in this crucial area. In the first Watch Dogs, you were only allowed to hack specific flagged NPCs. In Watch Dogs 2, you can hack anyone around you; later in the game, you can hack everyone in the immediate area around you at the same time. All of those vehicles I briefly mentioned? You can hack every single one of them. Now if a group of enemies is taking cover behind a big armored SUV, just hack into it and either move it out of the way or run them all down. It doesn’t stop at cars either – imagine hacking a forklift, picking up a dumpster or pickup truck, and dumping it right on top of would-be attackers. As a side note, apparently, there is a little companion robot that you can hack as well (as seen in the announcement trailer). I can’t wait to hear more about other hacking gadgets and methods that are yet to be revealed.
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Finally, we arrive at gameplay styles. Gameplay is, and will always be, king, after all. Ubisoft’s intention with Watchdogs 2 is to allow the player to run with just about any tactic they want to use, while encouraging different approaches to every situation. If you think you are good enough, you can try to stealth the entire game. You don’t want to kill anyone? They have tasers and drones (aerial and two-wheeled) for that. Maybe you’re feeling a little exposed and are very allergic to bullets – why not try to hack, hopping camera to camera, to successfully complete your mission objective? If all else fails, run in guns-a-blazing and kill ’em all. Asynchronous gameplay is back, with an added avenue. As you are playing your campaign, you may run across someone else playing through their campaign. Feel free to walk up to them, spend twenty minutes exchanging emotes back and forth, or better yet, join up for an impromptu coop session.
In the World Premiere video, the fine people at Ubisoft make it clear that their intention is to improve every aspect of the first Watch Dogs. They obviously took to heart feedback from players in response to the first game and came up with Watch Dogs 2. Everything I have seen so far leads me to believe that they will deliver on all of it.
The game will be available on November 15th on PS4, Xbox One, and PC. Happy hacking, people!
