“Watch Dogs” was a peculiar release, as the game was hyped up very heavily before it came out, and then failed to fully meet expectations once it was released. While Ubisoft have acknowledged some its issues and have put some work towards fixing them, the game’s problems were mostly tied to its core and there wasn’t much that could be done to save it. On the other hand, apart from those problems, it was a solid game that offered several hours of good fun.
Now, it seems that Ubisoft have been listening very closely as they are planning the development of their next game in the series. “Watch Dogs 2” is probably still a long time away, but there are already some details known about the game. These are mostly based on rumors, although they generally make sense with regards to the first game, as well as Ubisoft’s traditional practices.
According to insider information, Ubisoft have decided to go with a new main character, as one of the main complaints about the original was the lack of anything noteworthy about the protagonist. Silent, visually dull (intentionally, as he was supposed to blend in easily), and lacking a particularly interesting story, players have been commenting that the game’s protagonist was serving to drag down the experience rather than add to it. It’s interesting to note that another game, “Half-Life”, became widely praised for its silent protagonist – the exact opposite response. However, “Half-Life” was played from a first-person perspective, a situation where a silent character can actually help the player identify with the protagonist more easily.
Along with the main character, the developers have apparently decided to throw out the setting as well, and the new game is going to be based on an entirely new location. Several possibilities are currently being discussed internally, according to leaks, ranging from New York to Tokyo. Another common complaint that people kept repeating about the first “Watch Dogs” was the dullness of its world. It was mostly empty and devoid of any interesting events, any signs of actual “life”, and the place felt scripted as a whole. This is something else that the company is trying to fix for the next installment in the series, although it’s not clear how.
The game probably still has a long time to come. Ubisoft are a company that can commit to a long development cycle when it’s necessary, plus they should have learned a few lessons with their recent release of “Assassin’s Creed: Unity”. If they want to make this a memorable game that fans will actually enjoy, they should take all the time they need to properly polish and prepare it.