WATCH_DOGS 2 — REVIEW
by Ubisoft Entertainment
At this point, no one is surprised at the reception that Ubisoft received from critics and players alike when they launched Watch_Dogs back in 2014. What was an odd time for devs and consumers, on the cusp of the now current generation of consoles, Watch_Dogs spent its press tour showing off majorly intriguing footage on next-gen. When the reality was, most of us still had Xbox 360s and Playstation 3s. But even then, there was a bit of a misdirection as the game was even dumbed-down for next-gen systems.
Ubi was smeared for their fallacy, but I can see the pattern. A pattern I find extremely interesting. One that allows me to remain faithful in Ubisoft (as a consumer, and someone on a dev team). They’re batting near 1000 on their second swings.
Here me out.
Ubisoft employs a lot of extremely talented people. Dreamers. And it’s those folks that conjure up insanely fresh game worlds that include Assassin’s Creed, Call of Juarez, Anno, Just Dance, Far Cry, Prince of Persia, Rayman, Rainbow Six, Splinter Cell, and now Watch Dogs; the first game in a series can never live up to the hype of their anticipated idea. Part of them are tech demos. Others are just plain proofs of concepts. But they never grasp the nuances that make their original concept desirable. That is, until they make a second. In nearly every single franchise listed above (and I’ll argue about it constantly) the second title was a far better realization of their original intentions. More often than not, making number two, the real jumping off point.
This theory is never proven with more clarity than in the case of Watch Dogs. The first was marred by the excitement of gamers worldwide, and the lofty promises of a development team a bit in over their head. But Watch Dogs 2 rights every wrong that plagued the original.
Where the first had a dark, and gloomy cast, set in an equally dank Chicago, the second is set in bright and vibrant San Francisco Bay, with a colorful cast of youthful renegades. Both of those changes make for not only a more interesting narrative (to a younger audience), but also seems to make more sense. While I can only say that I’ve had the pleasure of meeting a small number of hackers IRL, none of them have been more than 35–40 years old.
The Bay Area feels lively. It feels bright and full of a wider spectrum of vivid visuals. It feels like San Francisco. There’s a palpable size to it, but it doesn’t feel too large. Those of you familiar with specific locations around San Francisco may be disappointed to find your favorite shop or corner has been removed to stitch together a tighter, more playable version of the city. But generally, if it’s a tourist trap, or in a brochure anywhere, ever, it will be in this version of San Francisco.
“DedSec is this coalition of disorderly technological evangelists, making for a far more intriguing plot device”
Not only is Marcus more relatable to a younger generation, the youth-movement happening in the real world right now with a “fuck the man” mentality makes for tangible tendrils of reality strewn throughout a game that includes a heavy dose of crazy.
Also, there’s a selfie mode (with unlockable gestures), and the currency used to determine your levels and ability points is social media follows. This is practically a reality simulation. And there is far more beauty in WD2’s satirical moments, than any game on the market.
At one point, I snuck into a movie studio, to steal a theatrical film trailer, along with the NOT-knightrider car, and then jacked it up with my pals to fit it with remote controlled steering. Then, amid fireworks and loud electronic music, I drove it remotely through the streets of San Fran–cops on my tail–while my internet-meme of a friend chirped in my ear, before sending the (presumably) million dollar car off a ramp, and through the very billboard that displayed the poster for the movie it was supposed to star in. This one sequence, was better than all of Watch Dogs (one) combined.
The supporting cast is a trope troop. One clever artistic woman. One “hilarious” version of reddit that possessed a human body. One quiet coding visionary. And a leader that seems to have no useful tools other than “I bring people like DedSec together”.
Speaking of DedSec, this coalition of disorderly technological evangelists makes for a far more intriguing plot device than “gruff middle-aged man seeking justice and to be the savior to his nephew”. Which to me, would make a well-enjoyed novel by Cormac Mccarthy given his desire to infiltrate every moment with worthwhile dialog and prose, of which, Watch Dogs had none. You really want to see where these electronic pirates plunder. And Watch Dogs does well to let you sit front-and-center for most of that ride.
The pro-antagonist in Watch Dogs 2 is Marcus, a brutally smart kid from the streets of Oakland–a trait he’s not quick to forget, nor is he capable of ignoring an opportunity to remind you–and how he winds up with DedSec is told through a compelling, and rather long, tutorial sequence.
While the multiplayer offered up in tech demos, and trailers, isn’t quite where it needs to be just yet, there’s a real feeling of who knows who’s watching during your plundering of the Bay Area. Ubisoft has been working on their “seamless drop-in, drop-out multiplayer” and may be a few iterations away from having something completely solid on their hands. Most of their recent titles have had some flavor of this type of multiplayer–at least their open-world titles have.
For me, I get lost in Ubisoft’s ability to make fun–-not necessarily compelling-–side missions. So while the story of Watch Dogs 2 is far clearer, and cooler than the previous title in the franchise, there is plenty to burn hours away with during your time in San Francisco. There are lots of attention grabbing mechanics, from the upgrade tree to the remote-controlled toys used for hacking or scouting.
I adore stealth. I will always sway that way when given the opportunity, and Watch Dogs 2 gives you plenty of ways to approach things. Using Marcus’ Jumper (the remote control car) and his Drone (the flying, camera) there have been numerous occasions where I didn’t even have to physically enter the target area to succeed in my mission. What a satisfying experience. In fact, there aren’t many things (other than the repetitive clothing options) that feels unsatisfying, or that it wasn’t worth the time and effort.
Everything about Watch Dogs 2 is more fun, more vibrant, and exponentially more exciting. This sophomore title in this uniquely themed series proves that a future exists with Watch Dogs, and I think I speak for a lot of people when I say that I cannot wait to see where that future takes us!
Watch_Dogs 2 provided by Ubisoft Canada
