Watch Dogs 2

Watch_Dogs 2 definitely improves on its predecessor in almost every way.

Watch Dogs 2’s distinctive hacking and puzzle mechanics do a great job of reminding you that you’re not playing just another Grand Theft Auto clone as you tear through it’s beautiful Bay Area map. Marcus is a bit too friendly of a guy to be believable as our instrument of mayhem, but the flexible missions let you get through mostly non-violently if you’re good enough at stealth. And when it works, multiplayer is good unconventional cat-and-mouse fun, too.

Watch Dogs 2 offers a better and richer gameplay than its predecessor, sacrificing a deeper and mature script in favor of a funnier sandbox experience. A recommended buy especially for lovers of stealth and hacking gameplay mechanics.

Watch Dogs 2 is a game that wants to take you on a whistlestop tour of San Francisco’s not-so-hidden underbelly. For a game with a central cast of disenfranchised youths, I found it oddly relatable and compelling. Every bone in my body ached for me to hate DedSec, but instead I totally fell in with them and everything they were about. Marcus Holloway is to Watch Dogs what Ezio Auditore was to Assassin’s Creed: the symbol of a new era, the mascot of a franchise that has proved it shouldn’t be judged on first impressions, that has proved it can move with the times. It’s a strong, smart game that never takes itself too seriously, and the result is pretty special.

An intelligent and self-aware sequel, this successfully shifts the tone of the series' debut. [Jan 2017, p.80]

It feels like a cheap GTA knock off that adds in some juvenile characters with little to no emotional value and no multiplayer (as of yet). That doesn't mean that what is there is isn't somewhat enjoyable, because it is. While the game controls are a bit more complex, they still feel responsive, and while the plot and missions are almost meaningless, the fact that they take you through a beautiful city is worth every minute spent.

Ubisoft has refined Watch Dogs 2 into not only a more polished continuation of the first game, but an admirable sandbox in its own right. I was pleasantly surprised by its conversion to a campier experience and dedication to solid gameplay mechanics, and will have no problem tracking down every little selfie and side mission in the Bay Area for many hours to come.

Watch Dogs 2 is a fantastically fun sandbox that will hold your attention for more than just a few hours. With expanded skills, gorgeous locations, and a fun storyline, it's an excellent sequel to it's predecessor. While the game does have a few downsides, they are easily eclipsed by what it does well.

Watch Dogs 2 wastes its incredible, realistic world and believable characters by leaning on boring gunplay, basic cover-shooter mechanics and tonal-inconsistencies that upend every part of it. Watch Dogs 2 has the opposite problems to its predecessor then. Acts of aggression (in whatever form they may have taken) made sense for vigilante Aiden Pierce, his mission thrived on it; and oh god now Watch Dogs 2 is making us defend and justify the existence of the blandest protagonist in videogames. But that’s Watch Dogs 2, a game that will make you question everything you thought you knew about open world game design, because clearly something needs to change.