Watch Dogs 2 is a great game which is elevated due to its gameplay rather than story. Almost everything from the first game has been refined but some of the dynamic aspects of the original’s world have also been taken away. Watch Dogs 2 feels less serious than its predecessor but in doing so it also takes away some of its volatility. For example, intervening in random crimes is no longer an option as you have to rely on strict side quests.
The world is still packed with computer-controlled characters and they engage in various antics but it seems more rigid. Luckily, a cast of lively characters and an upbeat aura make Watch Dogs 2 feel like a significant improvement over Aiden Pearce. Aiden Pearce, in my opinion, was quite possibly one of the most dull and generic characters ever created for a video game. Despite coming across as reckless and juvenile, Marcus and his gang are so much more alive.
If you were to use one word to describe the original Watch Dogs, it would have to be revenge. If you were to choose one word to describe Watch Dogs 2, it would have to be chaos. The story is all over the place but the main takeaway is that you have to destroy Blume—the company which operates the privacy-invading software in San Francisco—by disrupting as many of their operations as possible. That mostly involves committing numerous felonies and possibly murdering hundreds of people.
You can play Watch Dogs 2 using only your stun gun but enemies wake up rather quickly so it’s just difficult and annoying to manage. The fact that taking the lethal route is an option without consequences takes away from the immersion because on numerous occasions you question what you’re doing. However, the engaging side quests like taking on the Church of Scientology and other dubious individuals like Martin Shkreli improve the narrative as it all comes together in the end.
Unlike the dreary-looking city of Chicago, San Francisco is vibrant and colorful. This is just one of the little ways the mood of the franchise has changed. The game looks like a cross between inFamous: Second Son and Sunset Overdrive. Watch Dogs 2 is definitely breathtaking and a technical marvel. Throughout my playthrough I didn’t encounter any major bugs apart from little oddities like oversized objects clipping through walls. There are no game-breaking issues like broken side quests or missing characters. The game is solid and I’m glad it’s a polished experience at launch unlike some past Ubisoft titles.
The world of Watch Dogs 2 might not be as vast as other games but it still offers numerous layers and quests due to the built-in verticality. While it can be challenging to figure out how to climb every building, you have to think of it as a metagame which is designed to test your awareness and ability to use objects around you. For example, there are cranes all over the city which can be manipulated to get on numerous rooftops. There are also movable platforms which can be raised or lowered. I’m a fan of puzzle games so it was an enjoyable experience for me but I can see how others might find it quite a daunting task. You need to climb up various buildings using precise maneuvers to unlock all the upgrades. While it’s not necessary, it does improve gameplay significantly.
The hacking portions of the game can be quite challenging too. Sometimes there are time limits and the connections need to be made over a massive area. Before you go around hacking different parts of the city, be sure to print a drone which can do most of it for you. Upgrading most of your abilities—like having the remote-controlled car jump higher—makes playing Watch Dogs 2 much easier. I would recommend just fooling around in San Francisco and accumulating as much cash as possible before you tackle the rather challenging campaign.
Apart from the fact that the main narrative is weak, my only other complaint would have to be how supporting characters like Wrench seem to exist on a separate plane than the rest of us. Maybe I’m too old but I couldn’t understand half of the references they were talking about. Their “edgy lingo” went over my head. I didn’t think I was that old because I couldn’t even figure out what much of their speech meant but I guess I am. Maybe toning the “edginess” down a bit so that these characters make sense to the rest of us would’ve been a better option. On many occasions I had to google half of what the characters were talking about because I had no idea what was going on in a side quest.
Summary
If you love games that offer superb gameplay and can live with the fact that the story might not be as great as other open-world titles, then Watch Dogs 2 is a must-buy. I fell in love with the game because of the fact that it had so many interesting side quests like taking down corrupt insurance companies and a Donald Trump-like politician. These little narratives make the experience and are what set it apart from other titles in the genre. I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many great little missions in a game before that are also relevant to important issues that face the world today. Despite being told from the perspective of annoying teenagers, the game is more relatable due to the topics presented in these quests. I think that’s probably the main reason why you should buy Watch Dogs 2 more than anything else. Also, causing mayhem is always fun.
Asher and Xian is a shared byline ICXM used for 18 articles co-authored between 2015–2017 covering game reviews, and Xbox news. See the individual contributor profiles for the writers behind these collaborations.