Watch Dogs 2: Tips and Tricks for Beginners

Get the Quadcopter ASAP

When you start Watch Dogs 2, you’ll be introduced to DedSec and their 3D printer which is where you’ll create your tools and weapons for bringing the fight to Blume and the other factions located throughout the city. One of the items you can craft is a Quadcopter, which is a drone equipped with a camera and hacking capabilities. This is the perfect scouting tool and will make many of your infiltrations a breeze.

You need $65,700 to build one, so we recommend running out and getting some fast money as soon as you’re let loose. Then return to DedSec HQ and grab yourself a shiny new toy. 

You Gain New Missions by Helping Civilians

While there are main Operations and random DedSec events that pop up as you play, a lot of missions are unlocked by interacting with NPCs out in the world. When you enter NetHack mode (hit R3/RS) they’ll be highlighted as orange. Simply talk to or hack them (it will let you know which is necessary) and you’ll get an opportunity to help them in some way.

These will lead to some unlockable items and large amounts of followers, as well as more insight into Watch Dogs 2’s story. They’ll also move things along so you can unlock the bigger Operations down the line, as they have follower thresholds that must be met.

Your Stun Gun is Very Versatile

The first weapon granted to you in Watch Dogs 2, aside from your melee weapon, is the Stun Gun. A non-lethal gun that doesn’t have the greatest range, but can quickly put a nosy guard to sleep if you find yourself being approached or just want to clear out the ranks. You can upgrade it for more range and faster reload, but that still doesn’t make it the greatest weapon from a straight up offensive standpoint. However, it has more uses than just putting people to sleep.

There is a hack you can get later in the game that allows you to turn off security devices. It costs a lot of skill points and you need a specific piece of Key Data as well, which you may not want to stop and collect. It turns out that the stun gun can also turn of security devices for approximately 10 seconds, giving you time to sneak by and get into places. It saves you the skill points and keeps you from getting into trouble. Not too shabby, huh?

Use Guns That Enemies Drop Rather than Purchase Any Early On

You can build a number of guns at the 3D Printers you find in HQs. They are useful, sure, but they are also quite expensive and you probably have better things you want to do with your cash. A good idea is to use the weapons your enemies drop. You can pick up anything they use. This does more than save you money, though, it also helps you get ammunition a lot quicker.

Sure, buying a sniper rifle is cool, but not many enemies use them early on which means you’ll have to purchase ammo every time you need to re-up. If you’re using what your enemies use, then you can just pick some up every time you put one of them down. It’s a very useful money-saver while also allowing you to engage in firefights. 

Mix Hacks

You have many different types of hacks you can perform in Watch Dogs 2, and they’re each pretty good on their own. However, you can get creative and really take advantage of the skills afforded to you to make your life much easier (and the lives of your enemies much more challenging). This is done by mixing multiple hacks into one big trap or attack.

One solid example is turning a car into a moving EMP. You can throw an Electro Shock Device onto a car, then hack the device to trigger when an enemy is within its blast radius. Then, you can hack the car to drive it to where a group of enemies are congregating. Once it gets close enough it will shock everything in the vicinity, leaving you a free path to walk through as everyone sleeps.

There are many other creative ways you can mix hacks, so let your imagination run wild and think outside of the box. 

Side Activities Are a Great Source of Income

You can earn quite a bit of money if you’re willing to ignore the main story for just a little while. In Watch Dogs 2 you play an ambitious hacker who is determined to take down a corrupt system, but you don’t have a job. That means if you want money you’re going to have to get out there and find some. There are several ways to make money quickly, but the best is quite possibly doing the side activities.

The reason for this is that you’ll earn money and Followers which are Watch Dogs 2’s experience points. You may as well improve your character while fattening up your bank account. Races and Driver SF activities provide sizeable rewards that will help you purchase all the clothes you want and their Follower increases will give you the skills needed to pull the respect of the hacking community.

Don’t Pigeonhole Yourself Into One Playstyle

At the core of Watch Dogs 2 are three playstyles – Trickster, Aggresor, and Ghost – which each use different tactics in their approaches. Tricksters use hacking to set traps and distract enemies, Aggressors are about gun play and explosions, while Ghosts are about remaining unseen. You don’t get penalized for any particular style, nor are you locked into any of them during any point in gameplay.

While it’s fine to pick one and stick with it if you so choose, you’ll quickly learn that versatility goes a long way in Watch Dogs 2. You can adjust your approach on the fly, even if you don’t have the best skills for the job. It’s your ingenuity that will carry you through tough challenges, not your title. So stay open to options and make sure to scout beforehand so you can prepare for any changes in situations. 

Fast Travel to Keep Things Moving

We’re not gonna lie, driving in Watch Dogs 2 is a much better experience than it was in the first game. Each vehicle has its own physics, they’re all very responsive, and jumping through the San Francisco hills just never gets old. However, it’s still not the fastest way to get around. You have San Francisco, Marin, Oakland, and Silicon Valley, and missions are scattered throughout them all.

Thankfully, fast travel is available from the very beginning of the game with dozens of points already unlocked on your map. You can instantly teleport to any of the shops in the world making the story a much smoother experience.