It’s getting around to that time of year again when the gaming market picks up and the nights are dark and dank enough to justify staying in.
Throughout lockdown, I’ve been playing Grand Theft Auto almost exclusively. GTA Online gives me the chance to chat to friends and play a host of different types of game, from car racing to golf. It’s the go to choice in an evening, but it is about to find that it spends some time on the sidelines.
There are two games coming out that I’m really keen on, but the one I want to talk about today is Watchdogs Legion. Now, I played the first Watchdogs way back when the PS4 was released and it was hugely underwhelming when compared to GTA V. The second title wasn’t a commercial success as such, but I felt Watchdogs 2 got everything spot on; the characters were great, San Francisco was a superb setting for a game and the mechanics worked well. It left me really excited for the third title, but after reading up on it, I’m a little concerned.
My first concern comes with the description of the setting: a fictionalised representation of near future London. I can live with London, the gaming industry has been crying out for something set over here since Assassin’s Creed Syndicate, but I’m worried about ‘near future’. The game cover has a guy in a pig mask (or maybe a girl, I’m woke), and I got strong Saints Row The Third vibes. Back on the 360 I loved Saints Row, the over-the-top gang game that rivalled GTA in my eyes. It had a wicked open world and was loads of fun, I even took a day off when the third game came out. Boy, was I disappointed? It had descended into some sort of md chaos, completely at odds with the fun the second one gave me. My fear for Watchdogs Legion is the same; surely fans of the series want to be playing with cool gadgets, but the dystopian future setting and game art has me worried.
One worry around a game might not be too serious, but I have a second, more grounded fear. The game apparently lets you take control of anyone you encounter, but crucially does not have a lead character. Now, this could go one of two ways. Firstly, and I imagine this is Ubisoft’s aim, it could lead to a vastly different experience for everyone who plays, increased replay factor and a giant leap forward for game styles. Alternatively, it could smell worse than six-month old brie.
My issue is with narrative. The very best games, the ones that grab you and stay with you, have a narrative and character you can identify with, or can enjoy experiencing. I’m thinking Assassin’s Creed again (yes, I love the series). The second, third and fourth games were all set in Italy and the story of Ezio Auditore was rich and full of feeling. I loved Ezio, I loved playing as him and living his life through the controller. The Witcher 3 had you in control of Geralt, another masterpiece of storytelling. Even Days Gone made you care about Deek and his search for Sarah (no spoilers here). Take away the central character, and what do you get?
Well, you might get GTA IV, with the instantly forgettable Niko Bellic. That game was a critical flop in my eyes (probably not the serious game press eyes) because the character was boring as white noise. I struggled with AC Syndicate too, a game which trialled two central characters who were largely interchangeable. Odyssey just about got it right, but I still didn’t feel as much for Alexios as I did for Ezio. In fact, in writing that, I had to look up his name and if a character and game really grab you, that shouldn’t be necessary.
I think I’m most worried about the fact I’ll still buy the game. I haven’t paid for a full-price release since RDR2, and yet I’m on the cusp of doing just that twice in a month. Ever since Marcus infiltrated buildings across San Fran back in early 2017 I’ve looked forward to Legion (or the theory of Legion, obviously it wasn’t announced when I first played the last game) and yet I have this horrible feeling that come the start of November, I’m going to be left more disappointed than when I played the first game or, even worse, Saints Row 3.
