If you played Watch Dogs in 2014 then you will no doubt be excited to get your hands on a copy of Watch Dogs 2 because in short it’s pretty much better in every aspect than the original. If you havn’t played the first game then let me school you quick…you play a hacker in the San Francisco Bay area and take on the all-seeing big brother city surveillance system called ctOS that tracks and monitors citizens through the network of electronically connected things. The original game was good, but the main character was about as exciting as a plank and nobody really liked him. In Watch Dogs 2 you play as Marcus Holloway, a much cooler and more edgy lead who is angrier, grittier and swears. I liked him. And the open-world San Francisco Bay area is more diverse and dynamic than the original’s Chicago.
I have a PS4 copy of Watch Dogs 2 to give away to a lucky reader so if you’re keen then keep reading and get involved.
That’s an in-game screenshot. Mooi.
The low-down: It’s 2016 and an advanced city operating system called ctOS 2.0 is installed in several US cities to create a safer, more efficient metropolis. You play as Marcus Holloway, a brilliant young hacker living in the San Francisco Bay Area and team up with Dedsec, a notorious group of hackers, to expose the hidden dangers of ctOS 2.0, which, in the hands of the corrupt is being wrongfully used to monitor and manipulate citizens on a massive scale. With the power of hacking and Dedsec by your side you launch the Hack of the Century, take down ctOS 2.0 and give freedom back to whom it belongs: the people.
And here’s a gameplay trailer to give you a taste of what to expect.
How sexy are those visuals of San Francisco hey. And it’s pretty much a exact replica of the city with all the landmarks in the correct locations.
My 2 cents so far.
Presentation: Outstanding. Think Grand Theft Auto, but with more tech gadgets and less violence. The visuals are awesome with the city of San Francisco faithfully reproduced from beaches, mountains, bustling neighbourhoods, Silicon Valley, the SF bridge and Standford University. All of which is free for you to explore and interact with in the dynamic open-world environment.
Gameplay: besides the obvious main missions there are plenty of side quests and things to do. You don’t even have to do anything if you don’t really want to. Just explore the city and use your superior hacking skills to mess with people by listening to their phone conversations, changing traffic lights, steal money from their bank accounts or using your drone to hack any number of electronic devices. You can also take control of all vehicles so jumping into a Ferrari and cruising through the winding roads is as rad as it sounds. Car physics are not the slickest, but hey let’s not nitpick. The one thing i didn’t think fitted with the whole hacker concept is that Marcus can use a 3D printer to create numerous kinds of guns. It just doesn’t suit the gameplay to go around blasting people. I’m sure some people will get a kick out of it though.
Lastability: it’s huge and there are so many things to do so don’t expect to get through the majority of it anytime soon. Being an open-world environment means you can choose to come and go as you please so you can easily drop a few days of play without even going near a main mission. Speaking of which…the main story line missions are also not linear and you have the freedom to approach them as you wish. Stealthy, with tech and your hacking skills or just guns blazing…your choice. And that’s without the online multiplayer option which is apparently great.
Final thoughts: Great visuals and very enjoyable city environment. Missions can get repetitive, but there is enough variety to keep most gamers entertained. Gameplay is fluid and the open world freedom is a pleasure to immerse yourself in. Gets a hacking 8 out 10.
Right…one of you that leaves a comment beneath this post is gonna walk away with a PS4 copy of the game and some other game merchandise.
To enter tell me in the comment section below why you want the game (be creative or funny or desperate you know the drill) and then head on over to SA’s top game distributor Megarom HERE and check the ‘Forthcoming’ game section then say which game you are most looking forward to.
Easy as that.
Will pick a winner next Friday 16th December.
[Competition only open to those in South Africa]