Ubisoft’s Watch Dogs: Legion has launched in London, a city emblematic of the surveillance dilemma that the game addresses. Known as the surveillance capital of the world, London boasts a staggering number of CCTV cameras, exceeding 60 per 1,000 residents. However, the choice of this iconic city goes beyond just its monitoring capabilities; London’s global recognition and its rich diversity play a significant role in shaping the game’s narrative of collective resistance against oppressive forces. Ubisoft Toronto, the development team behind this installment, aims to harness the spirit of unity among the city’s varied inhabitants to foster a collective fight for justice.
Named Watch Dogs: Legion, the game breaks away from the formula of previous installments, opting not to feature a single protagonist. Instead, players can embody any London resident who agrees to join the hacktivist group DedSec. Potential operatives range from athletes and drone enthusiasts to former spies and even those who once stood against the group. Rather than recruiting followers like in Watch Dogs 2, players are tasked with assembling a diverse team of up to 40 distinct characters, each contributing their own unique strengths and weaknesses to the mission.
This richness of character design extends to gameplay mechanics as well, where individual traits can aid or hinder progress. For example, a homeless character might possess skills that allow them to blend into their environment, while others may face limitations such as addiction or poor fitness. Stealth plays a pivotal role in the game, emphasizing the importance of hacking over direct confrontation. Players are encouraged to utilize clever tactics rather than charging in guns blazing, as doing so may lead to overwhelming enemy resistance.
Day Zero
The game opens in a near-future London, shortly after a sequence of terrorist bombings reminiscent of the 7/7 attacks. Following the thwarting of a plot to bomb the Parliament by a DedSec member and a sentient AI named Bagley, a rival hacking group, Zero Day, frames DedSec for chaos, leading to brutal crackdowns. The London Metropolitan Police is dismantled, with Albion, a private security firm, enforcing order with extreme measures. Bagley quips about Albion’s dominance, likening them to an imperial force rather than a protective agency.
As players take the reins of DedSec at its weakest point, they can choose their first operative from a selection of 18 predefined characters. With Bagley’s assistance, players aim to build a resistance against Albion and uncover the true instigators behind the chaos. Watch Dogs: Legion features four significant story arcs that involve various factions: the Zero Day hackers, Albion, the Clan Kelley mafia, and a tech entrepreneur named Skye Larsen. Players can even recruit individuals from Albion and Clan Kelley to gain better access to restricted areas.
Team Up
Recruitment is central to the gameplay, significantly enhancing the players’ choices compared to past titles. For instance, a construction worker could gain unobstructed access to building sites, and lawyers can facilitate reduced sentences for operatives detained in the game. The stakes are higher, as arrested characters can be locked out for up to 20 minutes, prolonging the gameplay. Watch Dogs: Legion even includes a “permadeath” feature; if all operatives die or are incapacitated simultaneously, the game concludes.
As players traverse London, they can interact with any NPC to gauge their potential as recruits, often necessitating dialogue to persuade these characters to join DedSec. The game provides timed recruitment missions, where players must complete specific tasks to gain allies. However, persuading characters hostile to DedSec requires further technological upgrades to explore their schedules and habits, adding layers to the recruitment process. The developers have meticulously crafted a living, breathing rendition of London to ensure that character interactions feel genuine rather than artificially constructed.
Despite the rich detail in creating London’s citizenry, the recruitment dialogues often lack believability. The premise of approaching strangers in a militarized society with a revolutionary agenda seems far-fetched and lacks depth. The game excels in smaller moments, however, and players may hear scathing remarks if they walk around in Albion gear, adding authenticity to the world.
Hack and Drone
In-Game Currencies
In Watch Dogs: Legion, three types of in-game currencies facilitate gameplay: Tech Points for acquiring technological upgrades, ETO, a digital currency for purchases, and WD Credits, which can be bought with real money. Players primarily focus on missions that require navigating complex buildings and hacking various systems to either reach their objectives or complete tasks. The game encourages technology-driven solutions, offering an array of hacking tools, upgrades, and gadgets that players can unlock with Tech Points.
The gameplay encourages strategic thinking while navigating the city, enhancing stealth mechanics. While the variety of hacking options is extensive, the user interface can sometimes feel cluttered, potentially causing players to trigger unintended alerts.
Overall, Watch Dogs: Legion feels heavily centered around drone usage, with missions designed to utilize gadgets like the spiderbot effectively. A standout mission that showcases this is one involving a diminutive drone, where precision and caution are paramount.
London Calling
Players will find opportunities to explore a reimagined London, condensed into eight districts. By liberating boroughs from Albion’s grasp, players can enhance recruiting prospects and unlock new missions. The game allows movement through various means, including vehicles and drones, although driving mechanics may frustrate some users due to the lack of realistic physics.
The newly introduced “Autodrive” feature aims to simplify navigation, although it can lead to unpredictable outcomes, causing players to take manual control. Performance glimmers of bugs and frame rate drops were observed during playtesting, particularly on Xbox One X, indicating that the experience may vary across platforms. Additionally, lengthy loading screens detract from gameplay pace, which would ideally benefit from more creative solutions.
Watch Dogs: Legion arrives at a pivotal moment for console gaming, seeking to bridge the gap between generations. While it successfully delivers a robust single-player experience, multiplayer content scheduled for release later is yet to be experienced. Players may find that although the game enables them to recruit a wide range of characters, it sometimes lacks emotional depth and continuity, rendering it a solitary experience.
The overarching theme of surveillance and data privacy is poignantly explored, though the disconnect among characters reduces the emotional impact of the narrative. As players navigate London’s challenges, it becomes evident that a dedicated, collective effort is required to dismantle the pervasive power structures fueled by surveillance capitalism.
Pros:
- Diverse recruitment options
- New gameplay dynamics through character abilities
- Focus on stealth and hacking over gunplay
- Realistic representation of London’s diversity
- Visually believable near-future London
- Exceptional small-scale missions
Cons:
- Lacks character depth
- Unrealistic citizen interactions in a controlled environment
- UI can become overwhelming due to too many hacking opportunities
- Frame rate issues on Xbox One X
- Driving mechanics do not satisfy
- Autodrive feature prone to glitches
- Prolonged loading times
Rating (out of 10): 8
Watch Dogs: Legion is set to launch worldwide on October 29 for PC, PS4, Stadia, and Xbox One, priced at Rs. 3,999 on the PlayStation Store, and Rs. 3,250 on the Microsoft Store. Additionally, it is available for €60 (about Rs. 5,200) on the Ubisoft Store, or as part of UPlay+ (soon to be Ubisoft+) at €15 (about Rs. 1,300) per month.
