Watch Dogs: Legion is out on October 29th for Xbox One, PS4, PC and Google Stadia with the Xbox Series X/S getting it on November 10th and PS5 on November 12th. A wealth of new information has become available courtesy of new previews and Ubisoft has provided new details on the story and its post-launch content plans. Let’s take a look at 15 more things you should know about the open world title.
Zero Day
As we’ve noted previously, DedSec tussles with a group called Zero Day which impersonated them and set off numerous explosions in London. This prompts the government to call in the PMC Albion to restore order by using ctOS. It’s not long before DedSec re-surfaces and starts building up a resistance to fight back against Albion. In the latest story trailer though, a few more details were revealed about Zero Day. The group has a discreet digital avatar that it showcases on screens and via projectors on drones. It also feels that its methods are ultimately “good” because “destruction is always the cure.” At one point in the trailer, it notes that instead of saving London, it’s being armed for war. There’s even a brief flash of someone with wires connected to them in a lab of sorts. While DedSec will need to prove it’s innocence, stopping whatever grand plan Zero Day has in motion will also be key.
Famous Landmarks
Of course, there’s plenty of work to be done in dealing with Albion. The PMC has set up in various landmarks throughout the city, which means London Bridge will be crawling with Albion contractors. The Big Ben is a special case since it houses a propaganda machine and only a Spider-Bot can disable it. So you’ll need to remote control the bot and do some platforming to reach the top. Expect other historical landmarks to appear and require liberating as well.
More Negative Traits
Details on different negative traits that Operatives can have have surfaced and they’re fairly extensive. You can have a character that dies permanently; an assassin that deals and receives more damage; a living statue who can hide from pursuers in plain sight; and even characters that will waste your money with shopping sprees or other means. More details were also provided on the Low Mobility trait which the elderly can have. This prevents them from sprinting, taking cover or dodging in melee combat, which means you’ll need to rethink your play-style when controlling that old ex-spy.
New Gadgets and Cargo Drone Hacking
The Operatives in Watch Dogs: Legion can be formidable and a lot of that comes down to the tools they carry. For instance, there’s an AR Cloak that allows for going completely invisible, making it easy to sneak past metal detectors and infiltrate facilities in broad daylight. You can also use a missile drone, which is reportedly quite powerful, to bombard enemies. Even if that’s toned down, hacking cargo drones passing overhead and dropping packages on enemies is also possible, allowing for all kinds of hilarity.
“Access” Gameplay Benefits and Drawbacks
Among the different NPCs that can be recruited are Albion contractors, making it easier to sneak into restricted areas. However, this kind of “access” gameplay has some drawbacks. As creative director Clint Hocking told USGamer, movement is slower and you can’t crouch, plus cooldowns must be expended for any guards that get too close to you. Though it could make certain missions “easier”, it’s essentially a strong option for players in the early-game until they start unlocking new tools and Operatives with powerful traits.
Clothing and Cosmetics
It’s not enough to just recruit characters and send them into battle. You can also customize them with a variety of cosmetics. Visit the different shops, walk up to a window and you’ll have a choice of clothing items, from outerwear, inner-wear and leg wear to shoes, hats, and bags. These different jackets, shirts, jeans and so on can be purchased with ETO which you earn in-game.
NPCs Attacking Albion
One of the nicer touches that can be seen while roaming London is how NPCs retaliate against Albion. If you happen to save an NPC that’s being arrested, then they’ll attack the soldier in question. This can escalate even further as an entire group of people will lay the beatdown on Albion without you having to get your hands dirty.
Underground Boxing Arenas
Showcased during an official gameplay walkthrough is the prospect of entering underground boxing arenas to recruit fighters. There are several such arenas in London and you’ll enter a tournament to fight your way to the final boss. Beating the boss will let you recruit them, adding some very powerful melee Operatives to your squad.
Unique Operatives From Liberating Boroughs
Different boroughs require liberating throughout London but there’s some major incentive to do so. As Hocking told USGamer, if you successfully liberate a borough, then a unique version of classes like the hitman or spy could be awarded. Not only do these have an additional perk but also have their entire kit optimized for the task at hand. So if you’re seeking some of the best operatives of the game, then liberation is the key.
Four-Player Co-op
Ubisoft will roll out four-player online co-op for Watch Dogs: Legion on December 3rd and it has quite the number of features. Along with free roam, allowing you and up to three players to recruit NPCs while exploring London, co-op will have its own missions. Dynamic Events are also being added along with Tactical Ops, the latter being tougher four-player missions which require strong efficiency and teamwork to complete.
Spider-Bot Arena
The first dedicated PvP mode is Spider-Bot Arena which sees up to eight players battling it out with remote controlled Spider-Bots that are armed to the teeth. While it’s not quite the same as the Spider Tank from Watch Dogs 1, it should serve as a decent way to compete with other players. More PvP modes are in the works for future updates.
Invasion Returns
Invasion from Watch Dogs 1 and 2 is making a comeback. Invasion involves infiltrating another player’s game and hacking them, all the while remaining undetected. Whether features like Bounties and Retaliation will be carried over as well remains to be seen but those who had fun playing hide and seek against other players can rejoice.
Hero Characters
Season Pass holders will be receiving four new playable characters called Hero Characters. This includes Aiden Pearce from Watch Dogs 1. Pearce will have his own DLC storyline called Watch Dogs: Legion – Bloodline and will work with Wrench from Watch Dogs 2 (who is also a playable character). Both characters will have their own unique abilities and progression but that’s not all. Future Hero Characters include Mina, a former subject of experiments who has the power of mind-control, and Darcy, a member of the Brotherhood of Assassins from the Assassin’s Creed series. This will mark the first time that an Assassin is playable in Watch Dogs, hidden blade and all.
New Characters, Missions and New Game Plus
For those not interested in spending money on the Season Pass, there will be new characters with different abilities to recruit for free (with a hypnotist being one of the characters teased). New missions and New Game Plus will also be coming for free, though more details are still needed.
Microtransactions
To the surprise of no one, Watch Dogs: Legion has microtransactions. The premium store in-game allows you to purchase Operatives and cosmetics with WD Credits, which works out to $1 for 100 WD Credits (with bundles also available). ETO Packs and a map of all the collectibles can also be purchased with Credits. Ubisoft has clarified that Operatives sold through the premium store will feature “feature unique personalities, outfits, masks and cosmetics” but that their “gameplay abilities, traits, and weapons can be found on other Londoners around the city, and they do not offer any gameplay advantages compared with operatives recruited in the game.”