STACK #144 Oct 2016

1 2 3 4

What did you take away from the first Watch Dogs? DOMINIC GUAY: Making a new IP is a great opportunity. The team felt we had accomplished many things, but at the same time we felt we could take it to a whole new level with a sequel. After shipping the original Watch Dogs we listened to what players had to say. In Watch Dogs 2 , you play a new character, Marcus, a young hacker that fights a corrupted establishment that exploits technology for control. This lets us develop a storyline that is directly linked to our game’s fantasy. Hacking is obviously a core element of the game and we wanted to give it more depth, more flexibility, so that players could plan or improvise with it to create their own unique moments in game. We also felt that the seamless online gameplay from the first instalment opened up an exciting space for innovation, to change the way multiplayer experiences could be integrated in an action game. We wished to give players more freedom in their play style. While we embrace stealth, action and hacking as viable styles, we feel game challenges should let the player free to find their own solutions. They should decide how they want to play the game: guns blazing, as a ghost, or as a trickster who manipulates people and systems. What were the key points that you identified needed working on for the sequel?

control on his play style by giving him more freedom in the game. I would also add that we made our game world less player-centric. As you explore the San Francisco Bay, you will be surprised by the feeling the city has a life of its own, that it does not revolve around Marcus. Enemy factions fight each other’s, events happen in the city and people react to them, people laugh at other’s misfortune but also help each other, etc. We also addressed some more specific points. For example, many players felt the driving could be improved and we agreed. We kept the wide range of vehicle styles but we are delivering a more accessible driving this time. Why choose San Francisco as the setting? Obviously it is a beautiful area with inspiring, diverse locations and people. It is also the birthplace of the tech revolution, notably in Silicon Valley, the place where many of the technologies that will change our lives tomorrow are being invented today. Why change the protagonist from Aiden to Marcus? How do they differ? It starts with the choice of setting: Marcus is a brilliant hacker who is from the San Francisco Bay Area, grew up in Oakland and experienced the injustices of the ctOS 2.0 system first hand. In Watch Dogs 2 , the hacking culture is a central theme and Marcus links up with a powerful group of like-minded hackers in DedSec. Marcus operates as part

We wished to give players more freedom in their play style

We paid close attention to players’ feedback from Watch Dogs 1 and have worked very hard to incorporate it as we build the next iteration in the franchise. I mentioned many of these points in the previous answer: focusing on our core thematic narratively, adding depth and flexibility to hacking, pushing seamless online to include seamless coop and open world friendly player encounters, giving the player more

stack.net.au