The French company- Ubisoft is infamously known for implementing similar game mechanics in almost all their AAA titles. Especially this generation of games, Ubisoft has adhered to this game model for most of their big franchises, whether it be Far Cry, Assassin’s Creed, Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon or even Watch Dogs.
Three things are a given: A vast open world, a set amount of tools to cater to different play styles, and outpost liberation. These three ideas form the basis of Ubisoft’s AAA games if this generation is any indication. Watch Dogs Legion is no different, however, it’s trying to shake things up a bit with a very bold new mechanic which may set the foundation for the next generation of Ubisoft open-world titles.
The Philosophy
After observing, it’s imminent that Ubisoft’s philosophy when it comes to game designing is to provide its players with as much freedom as possible. Far Cry 3 may have started the concept of infiltrating guarded outposts but Far Cry 5 expanded that concept and allowed players to tackle these outposts when and wherever the players wanted.
Everything you did in Far Cry 5 progressed the game, even if sometimes that means ignoring some of the missions. This design decision is a clear example of how Ubisoft wants we-the players to have supreme control over how the game functions and in a way, it’s well-executed. However, it does comes with its own set of narrative and gameplay shortcomings which is a topic of discussion for other times.
Recent Assassin’s Creed titles such as AC Odyssey have moved in a similar direction. Removing a direct waypoint to navigate the players from point A to point B robs players from exploring the various intricacies of an open-world game. While level-based exploration proved to be a point of criticism in these titles, Ubisoft has decided subtly to remove them from the upcoming Assassin’s Creed Valhalla.
Related, The Future of Assassin’s Creed Franchise: An In-depth Analysis on The Past and Future
Ubisoft has been strictly adhering to its open-world game philosophy while making subtle changes along the way. Watch Dogs Legion on another hand is a huge leap that is looking to set the groundwork for the upcoming catalog of Ubisoft Games.
Freedom To Choose; Freedom to Play
In Watch Dogs Legion you can play as anyone. It means anyone. From the drunk delinquent passed out on the street to a James Bond-like undercover spy, to a 60 years old grandma with a stun-gun or perhaps a construction worker who can stroll around the futuristic, post-Brexit London on his gigantic drone, that somehow nobody cares to report about.
Freedom is at its core in Watch Dogs Legion and unlike anything, we have experienced on such a large scale. When the game was revealed last year at E3 2019, many people including me believed that by allowing players to choose who we want to play as, when we play as will have an overwhelming impact on the game’s narrative as well as the gameplay, seemingly because every character looks and feels different.
However, that is not a feat that Watch Dogs Legion is trying to achieve. It may have given you an impression that it does but realistically speaking that’s way too ambitious for any video game to execute perfectly. The good thing is that Ubisoft understands this and has given a clear indication in their recent gameplay trailer that was revealed at the Ubisoft Forward Event.
In Watch Dogs Legion, not everyone is a super spy or a hacktivist that can get the job done. That means that there are only a bunch of characters with prominent skills that will prove useful and the rest of them are well, futile in away. Looking for people who specializes in these particular skills is like looking for legendary set or armors in weapons in other recent Ubisoft titles.
It’s in searching for these different sets of characters and convincing them to join your very own DedSec party is Watch Dog Legion’s biggest strength. Because in doing so, players will be forced to explore the game’s world. And what a gorgeous world it is. Legion’s post-Brexit London feels alive and brimming with people and activities to interact with.
Eurogamer‘s Ian Higton writes-
It’s not just the locations that are familiar though. Legion also features plenty of iconic British sights like red double decker busses, real ale pubs and, thanks to an abundance of terraced houses, it even allows you to recreate more obscure British activities like late night garden hopping.
You can also check out his video about how accurately Watch Dogs Legion portrays London in the video down below.
It seems like Ubisoft has found a new way for players to explore their open world and keeping an eye out for a potential recruit seems like a feasible way. It’s also in a long time that I personally is excited for a Ubisoft game because it has been ages since the company has tried to overhaul their formula to such an extent.
Irrespective of how successful Watch Dogs Legion is in implementing its newfound freedom in the game, the future Ubisoft titles ( and perhaps other open-world games as well) will surely gaze upon this for sowing the seeds for what is undoubtedly the next step in open-world games.
