Watch Dogs: Legion

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Watch Dogs: Legion
Developer(s)Ubisoft Toronto[b]
Publisher(s)Ubisoft
Director(s)
Producer(s)Sean Crooks
Designer(s)
  • Wesley Pincombe
  • Liz England
Programmer(s)
  • Martin Walsh
  • Gavin Whitlock
  • Matt Delbosc
Writer(s)
  • Nitai Bessette
  • Cameron Labine
Composer(s)Stephen Barton
SeriesWatch Dogs
Platform(s)
Release
  • Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Stadia
  • 29 October 2020
  • Xbox Series X/S, Amazon Luna
  • 10 November 2020
  • PlayStation 5
  • 12 November 2020[a]
Genre(s)Action-adventure
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Watch Dogs: Legion is a 2020 action-adventure game published by Ubisoft and developed by its Toronto studio. It is the third instalment in the Watch Dogs series, and the sequel to 2016's Watch Dogs 2. Set within a fictionalised representation of a future, dystopian London, the game's story focuses on the hacker group DedSec as they seek to clear their names for a series of bombings they have been framed for, as well as liberate its citizens from the control of an oppressive private military company, which turned London into a surveillance state in the aftermath of the bombings.

Alongside traditional elements of gameplay from previous titles, Legion uses multiple playable characters that can be recruited and controlled at any time to complete missions. Each playable character has their own unique skills and backgrounds, and can be lost permanently if players enable the option of permadeath before starting a new game. Four-player cooperative multiplayer will also be included, allowing players to team up to complete missions or explore London together.

Legion was released on October 29, 2020 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Stadia, and as a launch title in November for the Xbox Series X/S, the PlayStation 5, and Amazon Luna. Upon release, the game received generally mixed reviews, yet faced some questions over the multiple playable character aspect and repetitive mission style, and criticism over its open world design and driving mechanics.

Gameplay

In Legion, players can recruit non-playable characters to join the hacker group DedSec. Following the completion of their recruitment missions, players would be able to control them directly.

Watch Dogs: Legion is an action-adventure game played from a third-person perspective, and takes place within an open world setting based upon London, which can be explored either on foot ─ utilizing parkour moves ─ vehicles, or fast-travelling via the city's Underground stations. The game is composed of several missions, including those that progress the main story, liberation missions aimed at freeing the city's boroughs featured in the setting, recruitment missions for new playable characters, and various side-activities, with players able to freely pursue a mission or activity, or explore the city for secrets and collectibles. Each mission's objectives can be handled via one or several different approaches: an open-combat approach utilizing a variety of weapons; a stealth approach utilizing the environment to avoid detection and monitoring enemy patterns; or a hacking approach using any hackable object to subdue enemies with traps or distractions, while seeking out objectives via cameras and remotely accessing them. Combat includes a mixture of gun fights ─ involving lethal and non-lethal fire-arms ─ and hand-to-hand combat moves, with enemies making use of different methods depending on how the player acts against them in combat (i.e. a guard hit with a punch will use melee attacks). Players can be pursued by enemies when escaping, including hostile drones, but can lose them by utilizing hack-able environmental objects (i.e. vents) and avoiding line of sight with pursuers.

Unlike previous games in the series, Legion features the ability to use multiple characters during a playthrough, each of whom can be recruited from around the game's setting.[3][4] While the player must choose a character to begin with after the story's prologue chapter, others may be recruited upon completing the initial story missions of the game from anywhere around the game's setting, which can also include those working for hostile factions. Those recruited become operatives that the player can freely switch to at any time, as well as customize with different clothing options,[5] with each recruit-able character maintaining their own lifestyle and occupation when not active (i.e. spending time drinking at a pub). Each character that can be recruited has different traits and skills, based upon their background ─ a spy operative has access to a silenced pistol and can summon a special spy vehicle to travel around with, armed with rockets; a hooligan operative can summon friends to help in a fist-fight; a builder operative can make use of large drones for heavy-lifting and a nail-gun for combat; while an "adrenaline junkie" operative can deal more damage, but risk the possibility of being knocked out/dying at random moments.[5] Operatives can gain experience when used by the player, which allows them to gain additional skills and abilities to improve them, with the player able to provide additional upgrades for all characters by spending "tech points" ─ a collectible scattered around the city, which can be spent on weapon and gadget upgrades. In addition to standard recruitable NPCs, the player can also acquire special NPCs to their roster, known as "Prestige Operatives" ─ these unique characters possess exceptional weapons and gain access to stronger perks as they improve in level than standard operatives.

All potential recruits have an additional statistic, which details whether they can be recruited when approached ─ their thoughts on DedSec. Some recruits may not join if either they favour those that oppose them (such as a hostile faction), if the player has a character in their roster whom they hate or if DedSec did something to harm another NPC they have good relations with.[5] If a recruit can be brought in, players will be required to complete a mission from them related to a problem they need resolving.[5][6] An example of such a mission would be helping someone determine why they are being constantly spied on more frequently of latet. Any character that can be recruited can be killed during a playthrough whether in combat, accidental death or explosion, or from their own traits, and thus be permanently removed from the player's roster of playable characters, provided the player has the permadeath option enabled; if not, the character is merely unavailable and needs to be simply rescued by another operative. If the player loses all their characters from death or arrest, the game ends.

The online component of the game, set to be introduced in early 2021, will allow for four-player cooperative gameplay, with players able to share progression between single-player and multiplayer modes.[2] They can also access Tactical Ops, which are co-operative missions designed for 4 players, or simply explore London together. The asymmetrical multiplayer mode Invasion will also return. The game also features a competitive multiplayer mode named "Spiderbot Arena" in which players assume control of a gadget called spiderbot and compete against each other in free for all matches.[7]

Synopsis

Setting

Watch Dogs: Legion takes place within a fictionalised representation of near future London (circa late-2020s/early-2030s);[3][4] the setting encompasses notable landmarks, boroughs, and cultural styles of the city, such as the political borough of Westminster. Since the events of Watch Dogs 2, technology has vastly changed as a result of an acceleration of automation and artificial intelligence (AI), which has effectively improved Britain's economy at the cost of many blue and white collar jobs, with the British Pound having been overtaken by cryptocurrencies. AR and VR systems are commonplace across the city, with an increase in drones and electric cars, and the introduction of driverless cars, much of which is enhanced through the use of ctOS (central Operating System) ─ the centralized computer network developed by technology company Blume, featured in both Watch Dogs and Watch Dogs 2.

The game focuses on DedSec ─ a hacker group consisting of various branches across the world, who fight against authority regimes and groups that utilise ctOS for their own goals at the expense of ordinary citizens. Their main enemies include: Zero Day ─ a rogue hacker group that frames DedSec for a series of bombings across London; Albion ─ a private military company that takes over as law enforcement across London; Clan Kelley ─ a criminal syndicate that has monopolised the use of the dark web, conducting human trafficking and abductions; and Signals Intelligence Response (SIRS) ─ an intelligence agency consolidating all of Britain's intelligence network.

Plot

The London Branch of DedSec, led by Sabine Brandt and her newly crafted AI, Bagley, detect armed intruders planting explosives in the Houses of Parliament. DedSec operative Dalton Wolfe goes to defuse the bombs and discovers the intruders to be members of a rogue hacker group called "Zero Day". While Dalton manages to prevent Parliment's destruction, he is swiftly gunned down by drones commanded by Zero Day's leader, who detonates additional explosives around London and orders an attack on DedSec's hideout, forcing Sabine to shut down Bagley and go into hiding. In the wake of the bombings, the British government contract Albion with restoring order to London and hunting down DedSec, who are held responsible for the chaos, effectively causing social and political unrest amongst the city's inhabitants.

Months later, Albion enforces the law without political oversight, transforming the city into a surveillance state with the aid of SIRS ─ a collation of Britain's intelligence agencies. As a result, London's citizens have their personal liberties severely restricted and their lives constantly monitored,[5] and those who question Albion's methods are either arrested or disappear, including those being processed for deportation to Europe. In addition, organised crime is on the rise, despite Albion's presence. Although most DedSec members have been arrested or killed by Albion, Sabine resurfaces when she finds a new recruit through the city's ctOS, assigning them to reactivate the group's safehouse and Bagley. DedSec slowly rebuild their strength as they find more recruits who, under Sabine's co-ordonation and with Bagley's help, liberate various boroughs by encouraging citizens to rise up in defiance of their oppressors.

During this time, DedSec investigate the bombings and soon discover that both Albion CEO Nigel Cass and Clan Kelley's leader, Mary Kelley, were somehow involved, and are taking advantage of London's current situation for their own ends. DedSec is later contacted by Richard Malik, a member of SIRS, who has a lead on Zero Day and presents evidence that SIRS leader Emily Child was responsible for the bombings. However, when Child confronts DedSec, she reveals that Malik's lead was fake and that he wanted to infiltrate the group to supply their identities to Albion. While trying to capture Malik, DedSec are blamed for another bombing that kills Child and allows Malik to take over SIRS. With Bagley's help, the group eventually capture Malik and clear their names, but learn he wasn't behind the Zero Day bombings.

Continuing their investigation on Cass and Kelley, DedSec discover that the latter helped Zero Day smuggle their bombs into the country and is currently involved in abducting people from a major deportation centre in order to sell them on as either slaves or organ donors. Gaining entry to her slave auction, DedSec confront Kelley and leave her to be executed by her slaves. Shifting focus towards Cass, DedSec learn that he helped to set up Zero Day's bombs, and that he intends to enforce peace across London with an automated drone army. DedSec shut down the drone project and expose Cass' crimes, forcing him to barricade himself in Albion's main base at the Tower of London. Fearful of Cass' reprisal against those who will attempt to arrest him, DedSec are forced to eliminate him.

As DedSec celebrate their actions, Zero Day suddenly hacks the group, stealing the tech they had acquired. Tracing the hack, they quickly discover that Sabine was behind the bombings and Zero Day, and that Cass worked alongside her until he double-crossed her for control of data gathering technology. In response, Sabine sought to restart DedSec simply to get revenge on Cass, recover what he had stolen, and seek out other components she needed. As the group evade Sabine's efforts to stop them, they discover that she intends to use the technology she stole to create a patch for Bagley that will be used to take control of the Britain's ctOS infrastructure, plunging the country into chaos in hopes it will force society to forgo technology and restart. To prevent this, Bagley willingly agrees to be shut down. Avoiding the rampant chaos caused by Sabine across London, DedSec confront and kill her, while successfully shutting down Bagley and preventing the patch being sent across the country.

While the British government reviews its contract with Albion and local law enforcement begins work to resume operations, DedSec finally clear their names and are praised for exposing considerable crimes and corruption across the city. In an epilogue scene, they manage to restore Bagley to his original state, and continue to rely on him to help them expose corruption across the city and finish off loose ends.

Development

Clint Hocking is the creative director for Legion.

Watch Dogs: Legion is being developed by Ubisoft Toronto,[2] with additional work being provided by sister studios Ubisoft Montreal, Ubisoft Paris, Ubisoft Bucharest, Ubisoft Kyiv and Ubisoft Reflections.[2] The development team is headed by creative director Clint Hocking,[8] who was recruited to assist on the game's creation due to Ubisoft moving development from their studio in Montreal to Toronto, and recruiting developers who had previously worked with him on Far Cry and Far Cry 2.[9]

Upon its reveal at E3 2019, many outlets described the futuristic London setting as post-Brexit, what could potentially happen following the expected departure of the United Kingdom from the European Union. This choice of setting became a point of debate in the media, as there are several political questions related to post-Brexit. Hocking stated that they had come onto the idea of this setting around a year and a half before the actual Brexit vote in 2016, and that while the game does involve Brexit, the intent was not to try to debate the nature of Brexit, but to show and debate elements already existing in the world today that lead to events such as Brexit.[10] On 25 January 2020, Hocking pointed out that, as a "creator of culture",[11] the aim of including real-world elements such as Brexit is to provide a means of engagement for players about the world around them, though with the development team taking considerable thought on how to implement these and other events occurring in the real-world within Legion's setting.[11]

Ubisoft partnered with British rapper Stormzy for a special in-game mission named "Fall on My Enemies" that would be available at the game's launch. Stormzy also recorded a music video for "Rainfall", his latest song, using motion capture for the game.[12]

Release

Watch Dogs: Legion was teased by Ubisoft via Twitter on 5 June 2019, before its announcement at E3 2019.[13] The game was initially scheduled for release on 6 March 2020,[3] with the PC versions of the game being exclusive titles for the Epic Games Store over a year-long period,[14] but Ubisoft delayed the launch in October 2019.[15][16][17] By July 2020, they announced during their "Ubisoft Forward" event, that the game would released on 29 October 2020, for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Stadia.[18][2] Release dates for versions of the game for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S, unveiled during this same announcement,[19] were made over the course of September and October: the Series X/S version was announced as a launch title for the platform after Microsoft confirmed the console's launch date for 10 November 2020;[20] while the PlayStation 5 version was confirmed to release as a digital launch title on 12 November, with a physical copy on 24 November.[1] A version for Amazon Luna was officially announced on 29 October, with its release scheduled for 10 November.[21]

In January 2020, BBC reporter Marc Cieslak conducted an interview with Hocking about the game for Click, which, in a world's first, involved using the studio's motion capture software to allow it to take place within the virtual setting of the game.[11][22]

Ubisoft announced that a post-launch update on December 3 would add multiplayer to the game. The company also unveiled a DLC pack titled Bloodline that would be released in 2021, with season pass owners receiving the pack much earlier. The pack would incorporate a new mission storyline, and feature the appearances of four new characters who players can recruit into their roster, including Aiden Pearce, the protagonist of the first Watch Dogs; Wrench, a supporting character from Watch Dogs 2; Mina, a brand new character with the ability of mind control; and Darcy, a member of the Assassin Order, as part of a non-canonical crossover with the Assassin's Creed series. Additional abilities, characters and a New Game Plus mode, allowing players to retain progress and items obtained upon completing the game, would also be made available at a later date via an update.[7]

Reception

Watch Dogs: Legion received "mixed or average" reviews, according to review aggregator Metacritic.[23][24][25]

Electronic Gaming Monthly's Michael Goroff, who gave one of these reviews, remarked that the game "offers a novel way to experience an open world, with its interconnected NPCs and the introduction of permadeath to the genre", noting that in this aspect the game provided a real relationship between players and the characters they recruited, particularly in ensuring their survival during a playthrough. However, Goroff noted that this aspect had a flaw, pointing out that other NPCs already recruited wouldn't react like allies when the current operative runs into them while dealing with hostiles, and that there were limitations in that players would need to search amongst considerable numbers of NPCs to find those with skills they wanted.[27]

VG247's Lauren Aitken was critical of the background of the game's story and the repetitive nature of missions, noting how their structure remains the same even when the "difficulty suddenly ramps up after the 404 and Skye Larson storylines", while pointing out that each mission strand's storyline was relatively "short". The lack of uniqueness in the NPCs' accents was also criticized, with Aitken adding that players would mostly find it useful to go primarily for those with hacking skills, due to how much of the game requires these. Overall, they found that the game would be of interest mostly to "Watch Dogs fans and more die-hard anarchists".[36]

On the other hand, IGN's Dan Stapleton praised the diversity of NPCs in the game, remarking that which NPCs the player decides to recruit can have a significant effect on the overall gameplay, and that this diversity enables numerous possibilities and encourages the player to use their creativity. Nevertheless, Stapleton argued that more could have been made of this diversity, and that the game didn't do enough to encourage the player to recruit weaker characters.[38]

Another point of criticism was the game's driving mechanics, which VideoGamer's Josh Wise called "chunky".[37]

Sales

The PlayStation 4 version of Watch Dogs: Legion sold 40,962 physical copies within its first week on sale in Japan, making it the fourth bestselling retail game of the week in the country.[39]

Notes

  1. ^ The digital version was released on November 12, while the physical version was released on November 24.[1]
  2. ^ Additional work by Ubisoft Montreal, Ubisoft Paris, Ubisoft Bucharest, Ubisoft Kyiv and Ubisoft Reflections[2]

References

  1. ^ a b Nunneley, Stephany (6 October 2020). "Watch Dogs: Legion trailer focuses on story, post-release content detailed". VG247. Retrieved 13 October 2020.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Ubisoft ® Announces Watch Dogs®: Legion". Business Wire. Berkshire Hathaway. 10 June 2019. Archived from the original on 11 June 2019. Retrieved 10 June 2019.
  3. ^ a b c Fahey, Mike (10 June 2019). "Watch Dogs Legion Looks Wild And Ambitious, Will Be Out In March". Kotaku. G/O Media. Archived from the original on 10 June 2019. Retrieved 10 June 2019.
  4. ^ a b Helm, Jordan (4 June 2019). "Watch Dogs 3 Called Watch Dogs Legion, Set in London". Hardcore Gamer. Archived from the original on 10 June 2019. Retrieved 10 June 2019.
  5. ^ a b c d e Dwair, Rob (18 June 2019). "Watch Dogs Legion: everything we know so far". PCGamer. Future Plc. Archived from the original on 17 June 2019. Retrieved 18 June 2019.
  6. ^ Wakeling, Richard (11 June 2019). "E3 2019: Watch Dogs Legion First Gameplay And Release Date Revealed". GameSpot. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on 11 June 2019. Retrieved 11 June 2019.
  7. ^ a b Nunneley, Stephanny (6 October 2020). "Watch Dogs: Legion trailer focuses on story, post-release content detailed". VG 247. Retrieved 19 October 2020.
  8. ^ Webster, Andrew (10 June 2019). "Watch Dogs Legion hands-on: an ambitious evolution of the series". The Verge. Vox Media. Archived from the original on 11 June 2019. Retrieved 11 June 2019.
  9. ^ Francis, Bryant (27 June 2019). "Why Clint Hocking wanted every NPC in Watch Dogs: Legion to be playable". Gamasutra. UBM Technology Group. Archived from the original on 27 June 2019. Retrieved 27 June 2019.
  10. ^ Yin-Poole, Wesley (14 June 2019). "Of course Watch Dogs: Legion made it onto the BBC". Eurogamer. Gamer Network. Archived from the original on 14 June 2019. Retrieved 14 June 2019.
  11. ^ a b c "Watch Dogs Legion: Click goes inside the post-Brexit game". BBC News. 25 January 2020. Archived from the original on 25 January 2020.
  12. ^ Mercante, Alyssa (10 September 2020). "Watch Dogs: Legion will have special Stormzy mission available on launch day". GamesRadar. Retrieved 19 October 2020.
  13. ^ Webster, Andrew (5 June 2019). "Ubisoft teases Watch Dogs Legion ahead of E3". The Verge. Vox Media. Archived from the original on 5 June 2019.
  14. ^ Strickland, Derek (13 June 2019). "Watch Dogs Legion is Epic exclusive, skipping Steam". TweakTown.
  15. ^ Rivera, Joshua (24 October 2019). "Ubisoft Delays Watch Dogs Legion, Other Games". Kotaku. G/O Media. Archived from the original on 24 October 2019. Retrieved 24 October 2019.
  16. ^ Peters, Jay (24 October 2019). "Ubisoft delays multiple titles, including Watch Dogs Legion". The Verge. Vox Media. Archived from the original on 24 October 2019. Retrieved 24 October 2019.
  17. ^ Wales, Matt (24 October 2019). "Ubisoft delays Watch Dogs Legion, Gods & Monsters, Rainbow 6 Quarantine". Eurogamer. Gamer Network. Archived from the original on 24 October 2019. Retrieved 24 October 2019.
  18. ^ "Watch Dogs Legion Gets October Release Date". IGN. 12 July 2020. Retrieved 12 July 2020.
  19. ^ Purslow, Matt (31 October 2019). "Watch Dogs Legion, Rainbow Six Quarantine, and Gods and Monsters Are Now Next-Generation PS5 and Xbox Scarlett Games". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on 3 November 2019. Retrieved 4 November 2019.
  20. ^ Wakeling, Richard (9 September 2020). "Watch Dogs Legion Release Date Announced, And It's An Xbox Series X/S Launch Title". GameSpot. Retrieved 9 September 2020.
  21. ^ Reparaz, Mikel (29 October 2020). "Watch Dogs: Legion Out Now". Ubisoft News.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  22. ^ Boudreau, Ian (25 January 2020). "BBC sends reporter into Watch Dogs: Legion to interview creative director". PCGamesN. Network N. Archived from the original on 25 January 2020. Retrieved 3 February 2020.
  23. ^ a b "Watch Dogs: Legion for PC Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 13 November 2020.
  24. ^ a b "Watch Dogs: Legion for PlayStation 4 Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 13 November 2020.
  25. ^ a b "Watch Dogs: Legion for Xbox One Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 13 November 2020.
  26. ^ "Watch Dogs: Legion for Xbox Series X Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
  27. ^ a b Goroff, Michael (28 October 2020). "Watch Dogs: Legion review". Electronic Gaming Monthly. Retrieved 28 October 2020.
  28. ^ Stewart, Marcus (28 October 2020). "Watch Dogs: Legion Review – A Successful Team-Building Exercise". Game Informer. Retrieved 28 October 2020.
  29. ^ Tamburro, Paul (28 October 2020). "Watch Dogs: Legion Review - 'Pokemon but with people'". Game Revolution. Retrieved 28 October 2020.
  30. ^ Fillari, Alessandro (28 October 2020). "Watch Dogs: Legion Review". GameSpot. Retrieved 28 October 2020.
  31. ^ Avard, Alex (28 October 2020). "Watch Dogs Legion review: "Royally shakes up the template with its play as anyonemechanic"". GamesRadar. Retrieved 28 October 2020.
  32. ^ Schulz, Elena (28 October 2020). "Watch Dogs Legion in the test: You shouldn't underestimate this open world". GameStar. Retrieved 28 October 2020.
  33. ^ Stapleton, Dan (28 October 2020). "Watch Dogs: Legion Review". IGN. Retrieved 28 October 2020.
  34. ^ Livingston, Christopher (28 October 2020). "Watch Dogs Legion review". PC Gamer. Retrieved 28 October 2020.
  35. ^ Erskine, Donovan (28 October 2020). "Watch Dogs: Legion review: Hack teh world". Shacknews. Retrieved 28 October 2020.
  36. ^ a b Aitken, Lauren (28 October 2020). "Watch Dogs: Legion review – Some cool tech can't cover up dull repetition and a story that hits too close to home". VG247. Retrieved 28 October 2020.
  37. ^ a b Wise, Josh (28 October 2020). "Watch Dogs: Legion review". VideoGamer.com. Retrieved 28 October 2020.
  38. ^ Watch Dogs: Legion Review - IGN, retrieved 11 November 2020
  39. ^ Romano, Sal (5 November 2020). "Famitsu Sales: 10/26/20 – 11/1/20 [Update]". Gematsu. Retrieved 7 November 2020.

External links

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