It has been more than a year since we got our hands-on Watch Dogs Legion at E3 2019, but right before Ubisoft Forward wowed us with more reveals and announcements, we were able to take to the streets of futuristic London once again as DedSec in a preview of what is to come.
The headlining feature of Watch Dogs Legion is the fact you can play as anyone. Every character you see or meet can be potential addition to DedSec. All which come with their own special attributes and abilities. You can have smart hackers who come equipped with spider bots, or a superspy that has a special car that shoots missiles. If you need help getting into restricted areas like a police station, recruit a bobby.
The fact you do not have one particular protagonist is interesting and refreshing. The freedom Watch Dogs Legion allows the players is simply unprecedented. All it remains to be seen is just how crazy the abilities can get, and how often they repeat considering the size of the populace.
In our time with the game, recruitment starts by surveying your potential member. Learning about their needs and grievances allow you to help them where they need it most. Rescue a kidnapped family member, or liberate stolen goods from gangs, you scratch their backs, they will scratch yours.
It all takes place in a London that is both familiar yet strangely new. The technology that pervades the city makes this playground standout immediately. From drones flying in the air to self-driving cars, you will spend plenty of time admiring the environments as you drive from mission to mission.
The driving, though, could use a little bit more tightening up, at least there’s auto-drive to save you the grief. Or do it the DedSec way by hacking cargo drones and taking a flight. This truly is the way to travel in the future.
Completing story missions will help you on your way to finding out who is responsible for the chaos that had descended upon London. However, there are other stuff to get up to as well. Aside from recruitment missions, you can help inspire the people to rise up against the Albion oppression.
These boroughs will respond as you tear down symbols of oppression and express your resistance against the establishment. Saving London will take time, but each portion of the city you liberate will make life easier for DedSec.
Hacking in Watch Dogs Legion returns, and is more expansive than before. Cameras, drones, cars, and even enemies can be hacked as you head towards objectives. You can get the lay of the land, eliminate potential threats, and disable the many electronic barriers. The non-lethal option remains in Watch Dogs Legion, so there is plenty of shocking to go around.
Watch Dogs Legion also allows you to play AR detective, at least in one of the missions. A missing contact’s last location gave us enough clues to reconstruct the scenario, allowing for us to trace them and attempt a rescue. Hack, disable, infiltrate, and get the hell out of dodge, that is a formula that Ubisoft is perfecting with this sequel.
With so many sequels for its many franchises, Ubisoft is positioning Watch Dogs Legion as the heist movie you are in charge of. Form the team, decide your approach, and let all hell break loose. The freedom of London is yours, now it is all up to you to save DedSec and the city.
Watch Dogs Legion launches this 29 October for PS4, Xbox One, and PC.
Jake is a full-time trophy hunter and achievement gatherer on consoles, and part-time Steam Sale victim. He has a thing for Batman and awesome statues, and running out of space for both. Send help.
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