Ubisoft has given WatchDogs fans an in-depth look at their next installment of the franchise, WatchDogs 2, through a 20 minute livestream this morning. The game will be released on the 15th of November, 2016, with a demo of the game being revealed at E3 this year.
The cinematic trailers and in-game footage establish the colourful and vibrant San Francisco as the context for the life of Marcus Holloway, Oakland-born hacker spiteful after being mis-profiled and accused of a crime he didn’t commit. Watch the full reveal here:
Tl;dr? That’s all good, we’ve got your back:
- The game is strongly based off the creative aspect of hacking.
- Ubisoft were proud of what they had created on this new IP, but they’ve worked hard to make this installment better. The developers have worked long and hard fixing the issues in the previous game.
- Intense effort is being put into displaying the true cultures that San Francisco has in the game’s environment.
- The NPCs are more intelligent and self aware. “We broke the feeling that the world is only centred on you, the player.” Basically, they will act more like real people and aren’t going to be limited to set actions. The NPCs will have their own lives and interact with each other as much as they will with you.
- Marcus is equal parts tech-savvy hacker and athletic rebel. He is able to parkour at a higher level than Aiden, and is more “expressive” in his fighting style. His items include a billiard ball on a cord, a taser (the non-lethal option), drones, and 3D-printed guns (crafted from metal).
- The approach taken in presenting the hackers is much more in sync with modern internet culture. DEDSEC hackers are still practicing “hactivism” (much like the real-life Anonymous), but they spread their messages using “troll” methods and memes, taking on the “lol” approach.
- Hacking will now include driving/controlling all vehicles remotely, and being able to access all electronics and people. Rather than having specific members of the public that can be targeted, any person’s phone can be hacked, and eventually “mass hacking” is possible.
- Driving mechanics have been improved, and more physics elements have been added. (A/N: This was a huge issue with the old game, so good call Ubisoft)
- Multiplayer is co-op, and can be started from the single player maps. Other players can be encountered randomly, greeted using emotes and gestures, and partied with to in order to complete missions. This works because your characters are all part of the DEDSEC group, and therefore companions and allies.
The game, as it’s currently shown, looks like it may be taking strides in a positive direction, but what do you think? Let us know in the comments!