Canadian game developer Ubisoft Montreal officially released the open world action-adventure third-person shooter video game “Watch Dogs 2” on the PlayStation 4 and the Xbox One on November 15.
The game’s PC version is still to come out on November 29.
Regarded as the equivalent of “GTA” of the hacking community, critics’ reviews of the game have started pouring in and most of them are really positive
One critic has noted that “Watch Dogs 2” was indeed more enjoyable than its predecessor but he did not expect the game to be so well designed and full of heart, reports Gamespot.
The critic added that “Watch Dogs 2” did not reinvent the open-world game and fans of Ubisoft’s special brand of go-places-and-pick-things-up gameplay will feel right at home.
Indeed, with a more lighthearted tone and new setting “Watch Dogs 2” represent a small but significant departure from the original game which is why it have appealed well not only to gamers but also to reviewers.
Another critic says that “Watch Dogs 2” is a step up from the first game’s dreary rendition of Chicago. He added that even though the game cannot compete head-on with the genre’s heavyweights, gamers would find it hard to walk away from its fun-loving attitude and exuberant cast.
A clear jump from the original game
The game developer has apparently made sure that “Watch Dogs 2” will be a clear jump from the original game by siphoning off the dull protagonist, the rather gray city, and the questionable moral compass that made the original game quite a dreary experience.
The distinctive hacking and puzzle mechanics of “Watch Dogs 2” do a great job of reminding gamers that they are not playing just another “GTA” clone as they tear through its beautiful Bay Area map.
In fact, another reviewer says that the game feels like making a statement. While “Watch Dogs 2” is not as faultless as Rudyard Kipling’s vision of Northern California, a gamer would still want to spend tens of hours wandering in the game’s virtual recreation of the famous city and into the Bay Area beyond.
The game’s flexible mission also allows gamers to get through mostly non-violently if they are good enough at stealth. The game’s multiplayer mode is good unconventional cat-and-mouse fun too.
Like a TV series
Some are also saying that “Watch Dogs 2” is like the TV series “Person of Interest” minus the humor but it has a vividly San Francisco backdrop and a hero that actually likes to joke throughout the plot.
The game is about hacking which is why the setting is in San Francisco because it is the location of Silicon Valley, which means that gamers’ playground is right there as hackers.
“Watch Dogs 2” holds a special charm for anyone who has lived or worked in the Bay Area. The game uses the place for its tale of counterculture hackers fighting evil government and private companies that seek to dismantle people privacy in the name of marketing, details Tech Crunch.
The game’s opening sets Marcus out as a good guy, one who is more likely to use his billiard-ball-on-a-string melee weapon than an assault rifle, although both options are available.
But while gruff loner Aiden Pearce of “Watch Dogs” looked like the sort of guy who’d keep a spare AK in his trenchcoat pocket, Marcus Holloway does not. Not only is it not his style, it’s also far from necessary thanks to the wider range of gadgets at his disposal.
There’s the RC car which can unfurl itself to hack and operate things at a distance and if caught will not get immediately cause Marcus to become detected. There’s also the new drone for getting an overview of an area from up high.
“Watch Dogs 2” also took great pains to show the San Francisco Bay Area just like in real life. The game about hacking the system has re-created the “City by the Bay,” all the way down to some very specific details.
The views from Rincon Park are a pretty good representation of the way “Watch Dogs 2” recreates most of San Francisco just like many people would remember it, with great attention to detail. Even if in reality, it’s a bit bigger, wider and grander.