Ubisoft's Watch Dogs 2: Hacking adventure with fun gaming experience

Ubisoft’s Watch Dogs 2 combines rebellion, hacking and fun to provide the ultimate gaming experience, writes Kakoli Chakraborty.

In 2014, when Ubisoft released Watch Dogs, it shattered the hopes and expectations of many gamers. But with Watch Dogs 2, an open-world action adventure video game, Ubisoft aims to salvage the situation. I tested the PlayStation 4 version of the game and after putting in close to 20 hours over the course of four days, I can safely say that Ubisoft has successfully achieved what it had set out to do. 

The main story revolves around Marcus Halloway, a hacker who decides to join forces with hacking group Deadsec to disrupt the insidious corporation Blume and its software ctOS that covertly infringes on citizens’ privacy.

Like any other open-world game, you have the option of exploring the city and undertaking side missions. Ubisoft has backed the gameplay with the picturesque San Francisco, a much needed upgrade from Watch Dogs’s gloomy Chicago. 

Add to that the brilliant members of Deadsec: the quiet but capable Horatio and Josh and the counterbalancing quirky and hilarious Wrench along with the Sitara who is essentially what glues the group together. 

The game provides you with various opportunities to interact with the NPCs and the environment. You, as Marcus, can hack and spy on the NPCs’ phones, wire money from their bank accounts and even overheat their devices.

It also comes with multiplayer and co-op modes, wherein you can team up with another player and go on missions. And if you want to channel your dark side, you can help the police catch other players and eliminate your rivals. But be warned, other people will do that to you as well.

You can transform Marcus into a mean hacking machine by accessing his skill tree and unlocking advanced hacking and combat options. 

Watch Dogs 2 asks the pertinent questions about privacy and rebelling against the “Big Brother” but, at the same time, doesn’t compromise on fun and hilarity either. On a whole, this game has a strong storyline, brilliant gameplay and a seamless multiplayer. Watch Dogs 2 is available on PlayStation 4, XBox One and PC.