8. Watch Dogs Legion
It wouldn’t be E3 without something Ubisoft leaking in the build-up, and right on cue that’s exactly what happened with Watch Dogs Legion. Technically, then, the actual announcement of the sequel wasn’t all that surprising for many, but I think what would have been was just how radically different the upcoming game is to its predecessor.
One of the big takeaways from Watch Dogs 2 was the dramatic shift in tone from the original game. Ubisoft wisely distanced themselves from the glum Aiden Pearce and dreary Chicago setting for something much brighter and more vibrant.
The third game, though, isn’t necessarily a continuation of that. It’s colorful, sure, and the trailer has plenty of whimsical moments, but there are darker tones here, a distinctly cyberpunky aesthetic, and most notably, a hugely ambitious new gameplay mechanic that allows players to take control of any NPC in the game.
Overall, it’s great to see the third game finding a balance between the thematic tone of the first and second game. Near-future London looks superb as a location, too, and playable NPC mechanic is exactly the sort of invention that’s been lacking from Ubisoft’s open world games in recent years.
It’s easy to imagine that if Watch Dogs wasn’t on gamers’ radars prior to the E3 showing, it certainly is now.
