We are less than a week away from the release of Watch Dogs 2, and while the game’s pre-order numbers are not exactly meeting Ubisoft’s expectations, there is still a whole lot to be excited about. To keep the momentum going up until the big release, the developers have put out a new video which shows off the beauty and complexity that exists in the game’s new setting- a fictionalized version San Francisco. It is a tech lover’s paradise and is also the best way for gamers to get their hacking fix without facing actual legal charges.
For the uninitiated, Watch Dogs 2 is the sequel in what is becoming one of Ubisoft’s most popular franchises. The games are open-world, and everything with a signal- from stop lights to phones, to ATM machines- is able to be hacked. The games also incorporate elements of stealth, a technique which is required in a variety of missions throughout the game. The first Watch Dogs was set in a fictionalized version of Chicago, and it even had a solid narrative to support the gameplay, as Aiden Pearce took control of the Central Operating System (ctOS) and became a well-known vigilante. But we are moving thousands of miles away from the Midwest now and entering a sequel with new characters, a new story, and a ctOS that has gotten a shiny new upgrade. In Watch Dogs 2, players control Marcus Holloway, a member of the secret hacking group Dedsec, and fight to take down the system as the game progresses.
The newest video released by Ubisoft explains the challenges that went into recreating San Francisco for the game and how the development team tries to encapsulate the large scope of the city and present it to the players with authenticity. That led them to the actual streets of the city to “scout the area” and make sure what they were doing was credible. It involved different teams talking to San Francisco residents for inspiration, capturing city landmarks, and simply catching the general vibe of the city. San Francisco is a wonderfully eclectic place, made up of dozens of neighborhoods, nationalities, and pure scenic beauty across the Bay Area. The amount of work and dedication the development team put into recreating that atmosphere is something to look forward to when the game finally comes out.
Where Chicago was an impressive setting in the first Watch Dogs, San Francisco is looking to be a full-blown character in its own right in the second. Watch Dogs 2 will be released on Tuesday, November 15. You can watch the full “Living World of San Francisco” video below.
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMxCi0hpsdA[/embedyt]
