Considering everything that’s happened within 2020 – and the state of some parts of the world – Watch Dogs Legion might hit a little too close to some. But those of you that are fans of the series – particularly the beautiful Watch Dogs 2 – may likely get a kick out of it anyway, with its open-world approach in London and the ability to play as, well, as large variety of characters, each with their own special abilities. While that does deter from the overall personality of the game, it gives you a lot to do. That is, provided you can put up with a few bugs and rather lengthy loading times.
London Calling
There’s trouble brewing within the city. And before you can blink, London finds itself in a dystopian chaos, with the team at Dedsec framed for a hacking crime that has left many dead.
That forces a high-tech security team to enter and take control; and it’s up to the young squad and its large group of recruits to try and take back London, however they can. That’s easier said than done, as the odds are against you with all sorts of forces at play.
Fortunately, you’ve got the ability to recruit a handful of people, from old ladies to construction workers to all-out hack masters, as you try to regain control. It’s a neat approach, though not having the perspective of a single person (like in Watch Dogs 2) does take away from the general storyline a little bit. That, and the writing seems to be slightly off this time around.
But that means big things for the gameplay, as you can experiment with different ways to complete missions. For instance, you may not think of an old lady as being useful, but she’s surprisingly knowledgeable, making her more helpful than you may realize. And while the super spies out there (hello, 007?) may look worthwhile, they could be packing a weakness that forces you to pick someone else.
And the tech is more impressive than in Watch Dogs 2, thanks to a variety of drones, Spider- Bots and other assistants that can help throw off enemies long enough for you to finish them off. They add some variety to the general scope of missions, making things interesting with mini-games and just plain creating havoc on bad guys. It’s good fun.
A Beautiful City With Its Fair Share of Glitches
Watch Dogs Legion’s change from San Francisco to London might be a jarring one for some, but the developers really did a bang-up job recreating the atmosphere of the foggy city.
That said, you will need to get used to some things. The loading times, for example, are exasperatingly long. You’ll be waiting a good couple of minutes before you get into the game, and even then, we ran into a cutscene that led to another chunk of loading time. It’ll likely improve with the next-gen machines coming next week, but, honestly, this should’ve been given more attention.
For that matter, there are also some bugs to address. And not the intentional type either, as some character skins vanish during creation, akin to the old Assassin’s Creed Unity glitch. For that matter, we’ve seen a hard freeze or two as well. That’s not to say this can’t be fixed with a patch, nor does it deter from the overall experience. Just be prepared to see a thing or two look out of place, along with waiting for a little bit to start things up.
As for the audio, the soundtrack when you drive in your vehicles is well-selected, with a number of tunes that play on your journey. The sound effects are top notch as well, particularly the ones from your tech gear. And while some accents are a wee bit too thick for their own good, they add overall to the general atmosphere, rather than taking away from it.
It’s Worth a Visit, Given the Right Level of Tolerance
While I still prefer Watch Dogs 2 for its sense of whimsy and personality, Watch Dogs Legion is a pretty good entry in the ongoing series. The ability to play as a number of different characters within the world is fascinating, even if some have some questionable quirks. (Why is hiccupping a negative thing?) The gameplay is spot on, and fun when it comes to hacking like crazy; and the presentation is good, though its loading times and glitches could use addressing.
Watch Dogs Legion represents a nice leap forward in the series, even if it loses a slight bit of spring in its step along the way. Fortunately, with the next-gen around the corner, we might just see what it’s truly all about on the new machines. For now, it’s worth a look… if you can hack it.
