Watch Dogs 2 - Review

[Wassim™]

E3 2016: WATCH DOGS 2 FEELS SO MUCH BETTER THAN THE ORIGINAL

For one, its setting speaks to my heart. "Well this is weird," was my first thought as I opened up Watch Dogs 2's map of San Francisco, a city I've lived in for the past 8 years and know as well as any place on Earth. The topography was so incredibly familiar -- the bridges, North Bay, Cupertino, each individual neighborhood of SF itself. As I bummed around places like Coit Tower, The Embarcadero, and Pier 39, I felt weird. I felt like I was at home; a stretched out, slightly rejiggered version of home, but still home. Hell, even the famous parrots of Telegraph Hill were there, chilling on a railing near the famous landmark. Tiny details like this made me appreciate the lengths Ubisoft goes to flesh out their settings.

As I bummed around places like Coit Tower, The Embarcadero, and Pier 39, I felt weird. I felt like I was at home; a stretched out, slightly rejiggered version of home, but still home. Hell, even the famous parrots of Telegraph Hill were there, chilling on a railing near the famous landmark. Tiny details like this made me appreciate the lengths Ubisoft goes to flesh out their settings.

Familiar city aside, Watch Dogs 2 takes the driving, running, and hacking of the original, and makes them all much more consumable, and more importantly, fun. Hopping on the back of a motorized scooter (it was the closest thing available, give me a break) and bombing down Telegraph Hill immediately showed me that driving in Watch Dogs 2 has a tighter, more arcade-y feel to it, and I'm totally digging it. It's less realistic, for sure, but I'd gladly take a more enjoyable set of mechanics over realism.

Likewise, Marcus' ability to parkour across the Bay Area makes running around on foot a much exciting than it was in the original. Alanah already went over why Marcus seems like a far more interesting hero than Aiden was in WD1, but I'm happy to report that not only is that true, but his agility makes the moment-to-moment gameplay more entertaining. Marcus can scurry up fences, hop over low walls, and climb up buildings with an Assassin's Creed-level of ease. I can't wait to explore more of my city as him.

Watch Dogs 2 - Gameplay Walkthrough - E3 2016