San Andreas cemented itself as the measuring stick for all open world games. Especially those in an uninhibited urban environment.
Sure. It wasn't the first. GTA 3 was ground breaking and Vice City added some well deserved flavour. But San Andreas realy set the bar in terms of what an open world game should be like. Even GTA 4 and 5 just seem like sequels with extra features trying to cash in on the classic that was San Andreas.
There were others. Saints Row was rubbish. So were all of the sequels. Trying way too hard to come across as a new and creative spin on open world games only to feel too exaggerated and unnecessary. It felt more absurd than fun.
There was this too. Sleeping dogs. When I played it I immediately thought it was better than GTA 4. I loved the new mechanics especially the hand to hand combat feature. Great Fun. PLayed it till the end. But the game lacked the same appeal for replay-ability that San Andreas is famous for.
Then there was Watch Dogs. It was a completely new concept. It didn't try to be real either. It felt more like a comic book where the illustrations had a realistic feel. The mechanics were good. Very good. Definitely better that the arcade fun box feel that San Andreas was famous for. But it lacked the crisp enemy engagement of your modern first person shooter. Not a fair comparison sure. Most first person shooters have a far more refined engine which is far more focussed on gun battles. But we've come such a long way in terms of modern games. I remember thinking how some games had this subtle but satisfying sound when a bullet struck. How enemies reacted to being shot etc. Things I felt Watch Dogs should have been capable of. But somehow directed its focus on the new hacking concept that set it apart. Ironically losing some of its lustre because of it.
The game itself also felt repetitive and once you've gotten the hang of things, the only way the game becomes harder as you progress is by putting time limits on the complicated puzzles. And snowballing you with enemy waves. Both of which could be worked around somehow if you were smart enough. The campaign itself was captivating enough for me to keep going. But I hardly did any side missions. Perhaps a few to get myself leveled up or if the rewards were worthwhile. When I completed the campaign (which is only 25% of the game) I wasn't interested in any of the side missions and just uninstalled the game. San Andreas I kept playing. Over and Over.
Now though. I'm playing the sequel.
Watch Dogs 2 is without a doubt, hands down the best open world game I have ever played.
The gunfights are definitely better. Some of that crisp enemy engagement that was missing in part one is being pulled off here. I also like the social aspect of enemy engagement. Gangs vs gangs and Gangs vs Police and how Marcus deals with being in the middle of it all. Another aspect I can appreciate is how they've managed to integrate civilians. Not only while roaming around between missions.
But they don't just magically disappear when you enter a restricted area or an area reserved for play during a mission. In San Andreas for example once you start a mission no civilians will be inside the building. Just enemies you're supposed to shoot. Once the mission is complete and the area is open to exploration. Suddenly its flooded with civilians. Not very realistic or engaging. But Watch Dogs pulls off integrating characters more seamlessly. The AI could be better. Sure, once the first shot is fired civilians run like mad. But while you're sneaking around in plain sight taking out security quietly. The roaming civilians can either work for or against you. Often you're having to take them out quietly using non lethal force so they don't call the cops or alert other enemies. I love how their presence is this plausible hindrance when in the middle of a mission. Forces you to be more tactical in your approach.
The puzzles are next level and solving them often means using a drone or jumper. It expands on the geometrical hacking puzzles found in part one and integrates it into the world itself. Even for a 3rd person game I often find myself panning the camera for doing different things. Its not very often when a game (especially a 3rd person game at that) forces you to play outside the perspective of the protagonist. Seeing the world from your own uninhibited perspective is far more important to the games progression than the perspective of Marcus himself.
Its simply brilliantly pulled off. It can feel a little overwhelming to begin with. Unnecessarily complicated at first. But you soon get a grip on everything and realise that you will eventually use every option at your disposal.
The parkour is also a nice touch. It feels like something that should have been in urban world games from the start.
But the world and surrounds could be deigned better to allow its functionality to be used more seemlessly.
The music is terrible. The Campaign isn't as compelling as the of the previous Watch Dogs and I'm still not entirely sure what the primary object is. Beyond taking down Blume. I don't really understand why its that important at all. It just lacks urgency. I don't feel compelled to watch the story unravel. Which is surprisingly a good thing when I think about it. As a result I tend to find myself more interested in side missions. Because playing the objective is just down right addictive.
Then finally why I hope this game see's me coming back in a decade is that despite it being a relatively new game.
It definitely proved its worth in terms of replay ability. Sometimes I just roam around and cause mayhem to see how long I last.
Haven't enjoyed doing that repeatedly since San Andreas
