Watch Dogs 2 is Ubisoft‘s latest installment of its hacker-centric open world action game. If you played the first Watch Dogs you probably know it got fairly mixed reviews. I recently posted an article about why I’m still excited for Watch Dogs 2 (yes, I had faith even pre-awesome trailer). Now that I’ve seen some live extended gameplay courtesy of E3, I can safely say I stand by that statement. Here are eight features we saw with our time with the game.
1. It’s twice as big as the first Watch Dogs
Sure Chicago is cool, but Watch Dogs 2 is set in San Francisco! That makes for a bigger, sunnier, and more comprehensive world for us to explore. As a Los Angeles resident, I’m excited to take Ubisoft’s digital tour of San Fran.
2. A New Protagonist
One of Watch Dogs 1’s biggest criticisms was its protagonist Aiden Pearce. He’s been called everything from dull to soulless, but this time around we have a new character and a fresh start. Marcus, Watch Dogs 2’s new protagonist already looks leaps and bounds more interesting. He’s been accused of a crime he didn’t commit (among some he probably has) and is out to clear his name.
3. New Hacking Abilities
It’s always a good idea to add new hacking techniques and that’s just what Ubisoft has done in Watch Dogs 2. One of my favorite features is being able to remotely hack cars. This can be useful for making distractions, getting things out of your way, and potentially taking down targets.
4. The App Store
Watch Dogs 2 has added an in-game App store. We don’t know much about this feature yet but we do know there are different apps Marcus can download optionally. Hey, maybe if we’re lucky we’ll get a Tinderesk app and Watch Dogs 2 can double as a dating simulator.
5. Unique NPC interaction
Ubisoft has added a feature to Watch Dogs 2 that allows you to change the mood of NPCs around you. We’re still not entirely sure how big of an impact it will have on gameplay but could come in handy when trying to distract people.
6. Better integrated online gameplay
In Watch Dogs 1 you had a sort of online integration that was cool, but not overly exciting. This time around it’s looking pretty cool and they’ve added game features around this whole concept. Now you can run into other real players in the open world to not only interact with them but join them in co-op missions. Don’t worry all you blackhats out there I’m sure you can still hack their progress away as well.
7. Drones & RC cameras
Watch Dogs 2 now features drones! Drones have already made a huge real life impact and will surely make an even bigger one in the future. Now you can control your very own grey-hat drone in-game. This will make a great addition to the CCTV cameras and now RC cameras. If you’re wondering what the hell RC cameras are, they’re exactly what they sound like. They’re wheeled, remote controlled cameras that will be used to scout for enemies, slide under doors, and hack through its line of sight.
8. Combat overhaul
There’s been a huge combat overhaul. Ubisoft has added a whole new melee system, new weapons, and even the option to play nonlethally.
Watch Dogs 2 will be released this November 15th for Playstation 4, Xbox One, and PC.
