Watch Dogs 2 was one of the biggest surprises of E3 2016 with people thinking that they wouldn’t dream of doing a sequel after the first one bombed so epically. I’ll admit, the trailer did look epic, but I was slightly reserved in committing to this one because of what happened to its predecessor.
Saying that, I decided to take a risk and I have jumped in with both feet into one of the last big releases of 2016. But please note, I have only played a few hours of this so I won’t be able to give you a definitive review on it.
Watch Dogs bombed because of hype and the small issue of Ubisoft showing us something that wasn’t going to feature in the game. After I saw the trailer for the game at E3, I was immediately very sceptical. It seemed like it was going to be too good to be true and seemed to promise too much. So has the sequel made the same mistake as the original?
The first thing you notice straight off the bat is that the game is very pretty. The graphics are smooth and the gaming world is rich and vibrant. You get a sense that there is more going on than in its predecessor. Focusing heavily on smart phone technology, most of the missions come from an app on your phone, but you are also able to download a variety of apps which allow you to customise your music, tinker with your home screen and order cars.
The plot of the game has been given a complete overhaul and now you play as a hacker trying to bring down Bloome using a number of publicity stunts to gain followers. As you gain followers, they will download the DedSec app and your character and his friends will use the processing power gathered to cripple them. Interesting concept.
But here’s the thing about Watch Dogs 2: I find it could get very annoying after a few hours of game time.
Almost immediately we are introduced to the other main characters of the game who are fellow hackers, much like yourself. Each of them have their own backstory and their own reasons for joining DedSec and they are all as annoying as each other. To me, this could get extremely annoying, extremely quickly.
Another issue I found with the sequel is they have tweaked the controls and made the game less fluid than the first. Free running and causing general mischief has become more a chore now than it has been. Okay, the driving issues have been fixed (so far) but now the combat system has become less flexible. One of the great things about Watch Dogs was you could move around the battlefield, using cover and the environment to your advantage, but in this game, it doesn’t feel like it has that fluidity behind it.
Hacking has also become more difficult as you can’t just wander around and tap into the network of the world. Instead you have to physically go into the system and then start. Not a good move.
But all that to one side, I did play it for most of the evening and I am slowly being drawn into the storyline. There is a massive amount to do in the new world and there are plenty of customisation options for your character.
Like I said, I still need a bit more time with it, but a full review will follow in the coming days.
Available on: PS4
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