The original Watch Dogs never quite lived up to its promise or its potential- the game was held back by its dour tone, its relatively repetitive gameplay loop, and its boring protagonist, among other things. However, with Watch Dogs 2, Ubisoft looks to have taken the feedback from the original game to heart.
Speaking to MCV, Watch Dogs 2‘s marketing director Mark Slaughter said: “The team were really proud of what the first game accomplished and we learned a lot from that experience. The development team listened to players and have worked very hard to implement changes based on that feedback into the next instalment.
“There will be a more relevant narrative with deeper characterization; a fresh, lighter tone, more creative hacking options, better driving and a seamless online experience. Add to this more choice on how to approach challenges and a great sense of dynamism and variety in the game world and the team have worked very hard to produce a strong offering that the players will love.”
The change in tone will especially make Watch Dogs 2 a far more appealing game than the original- the original took itself a lot more seriously than the second one looks to do, and that may make all the difference in the world. Do remember that Ubisoft have pulled a turnaround of this sort previously with Assassin’s Creed– so they’re not in uncharted waters here.