Publisher: Ubisoft | Ubisoft Toronto | Platforms: PS4 (Reviewed), Xbox One, PC
The latest Watch Dogs title featuring the futuristic malcontents DedSec taking on the The Man provides a few feints right from the top. You’re presented with an option for it to play as a pseudo rogue-like via Permadeath. Not necessary — you can turn it off right from the start. You’re given plenty of upgrade paths to help you overcome missions. I mean…if you want; I beat the game with nary an upgrade obtained. The gameplay tips say to make sure you use stealth tech to hack cameras and open doors. Nah. I’ll just use my drone to fly overhead, pop down to the server and…done. What’s there in Watch Dogs: Legion is a solid open-world recreation of London — never been, but I got a good sense of the atmosphere — with a decent 8-10 hour campaign that doesn’t completely stick the landing. Like many games that aim for commentary ripped straight “from the headlines,” it does take you through a couple what-if scenarios that seem plausible but quickly devolves into the predictable. WD:L is a decent rental to drop down into beautiful London as you amass a legion of recruits to do your bidding — my favorite being Teri Whyte, a trusty nail-gun shooting, cargo drone hailing construction worker.
7.0/10 – Good
On the cutting room floor…
Legion – It’s In the Name
Instead of giving you a main protagonist, WD:L gives you the game’s population to choose from. Sounds great, but it really just comes down to you scanning for characters that have a couple traits you’re looking for (i.e. a heavy weapon) or that might fit a certain role for a mission (i.e. someone with a car, works for Albion, etc). Besides the occasional mission that requires a specific trait to complete, I just ended up going with characters I liked and the frustration that comes when they go down and they’re out for 30-60 minutes being arrested or injured.
Can Love Bloom in the Artificial Intelligence Battlefield?
One of the highlights of WD:L, besides how well London is recreated, is the consistent voice in your ear, Bagley, a sentient AI program. He is equal parts helpful and equal parts, well…a hater. Some great quips are sprinkled throughout your adventure with good ol’ Bags. Here’s hoping they keep the character for future games in the franchise.
Permadeath. Grr.
Ok. If you know me, you know I how much I hate rogue-likes. Thankfully, WD:L just hints at it, as it’s not a requirement to play with “Permadeath” on. It is offered to you from the start as an option and something that given the nature of the game — you are expected to actively recruit members to DedSec — is a nice touch for those seeking a challenge. The idea is that members can very much die, FOREVER, and you’d have to recruit some more to take their place because they would no longer be available. Noooo, thank you.
We Got Comms! 