This morning, Dave and Nate from PlayStation Access shared eight ways that they were surprised by Ubisoft’s upcoming Watch Dogs after getting to play the game for themselves. Check out the video for yourself, but here’s a run-down of what they had to say surprised them:
1. Getting hacked
Avoiding getting hacked involves being clever and paying attention. Obviously, it does involves hiding from hackers, but it also means interacting and blending in with NPC characters until your hacker loses track of you.
2. Hacking
There are so many different ways to hack others. There are actually over 100 types of hacks available to players throughout the game. And indeed, opportunities to hack are everywhere: cameras, small devices, networks, phones, people, and so much more.
3. It has a sense of humor
So much of what has been seen of Watch Dogs is so serious. But the game does actually have a lot of humor. Indeed many NPC characters are funny in otherwise serious situations. You can even cause funny public mayhem and enjoy references to memes.
4. There’s a crafting system
“Think The Last of Us,” one of the hosts mentioned. Players will be able to craft little disposable items like explosives. Unlike in The Last of Us, crafting occurs within a weapon wheel menu, so you don’t need to take time to craft like Joel would.
5. There are no branching storylines
There is a lot of player choice running along different moral pathways, but they do not affect the story, only the gameplay.
6. Aiden’s phone isn’t just for show
Aiden’s phone has a lot of apps you can use. Among them, you have apps to order cars, set a playlist, unlock music, play virtual reality games, take a sight-seeing tour (things from real Chicago!), and more.
7. It’s not just Assassin’s Creed in Chicago
Yes, it is an open world by Ubisoft, but they have completely different feels and ideas. Some aspects may be similar, but there are many differences as well (such as control schemes and mechanics of free-running).
8. It actually makes you think
Yes, you can hack into all these NPC’s lives and find out about them, but at what cost? You may try to steal somebody’s money, but then you can see that their balance or their salary is incredibly low and you decide not to off a sense of human sympathy. Chicago is supposed to be the city with the most surveillance in the world, so Watch Dogs occurring here is not surprising.
