Watch Dogs 2
Seamless multiplayer makes this best in show
INFO FORMAT PS4 PUB UBISOFT DEV UBISOFT MONTREAL REVIEW ISSUE #131, 8/10
After all the unfortunate launch issues, what a relief that Watch Dogs 2’s best self is now fully functioning. While there’s plenty of fun to be had on your lonesome, San Francisco comes alive when internet strangers filter into your world. Are they here simply to grab a cheeky selfie, or to beat you down? Whatever the answer, this spontaneity is a vital part of the game’s charm.
New mode Bounty Hunter captures this spirit superbly. Should you annoy the rozzers enough to earn a three-shield wanted rating, another two players can join your world to hunt you down. All of a sudden, a breezy chase becomes tense and frantic, as the exploitable systems of the world turn against you. If it’s a giddy delight to remote-hack a car into a pursuing cop, then it’s a lot less funny when someone does it to you. Switching sides to play the role of the hunter is just as exciting and the unpredictability of all the encounters you’ll have makes this the pick of the bunch.
Returning mode Hacker Invasion takes a close second. Here, you have the opportunity to target human players by downloading their data and earning yourself in-game followers. However, you have to stay close to your target and not them let detect you for the download to complete. It’s a simple game of hide-and-seek, where being on either side ends in relentless panic in the best way possible. They might only be short blasts, but the unbearable crawl of the progress bar is a masterclass in how to put you on edge.
The more generic co-op missions, on the other hand, are not quite as tight. They tend to focus on you and another
TARGET HUMAN PLAYERS BY DOWNLOADING THEIR DATA AND EARNING YOURSELF INGAME FOLLOWERS.
hacker sneaking into a base to destroy some form of equipment and then escape – not the pinnacle of original thought, then. While the tools you acquire throughout the game are still handy, there’s more emphasis on using brute force over stealth thanks to the higher number of guards, and the missions focus on blowing things up. Still, there are pockets of empowering strategy. One mission sees my partner plough into a base to tackle guards head-on, while I use the quadcopter to spot and stun more guards who try to attack them. But, like the single-player mode, it’s an approach that we can repeat constantly, lacking the beguiling volatility of the other two modes.
But the slightly disappointing co-op options don’t ruin what the multiplayer can offer overall. It’s a brilliant experience that gives an already vibrant game an extra spark of excitement.
VERDICT
Discovering other Dedsec members wandering around gives your adventures an unpredictability that makes returning a delight. How openworld multiplayer should be. Ben Tyrer