Watch Dogs Preview – E3 2012
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SpectralShock
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One of the bigger surprise announcements of E3 2012, that miraculously didn’t leak before the show, is a new title from Ubisoft entitled Watch Dogs. The themes in Watch Dogs are built around the concept of information warfare, all data being interconnected and essentially providing unlimited details about any single person. Set in a fictional version of Chicago, the game poses a question of how one would deal with having the power to know everything about everyone, and potentially control all aspects of a city.
It’s an intriguing concept, and one that we saw in action during the show. The demo being shown behind the scenes didn’t differ much from the one we saw during the Ubisoft Media Briefing. Once again we entered the world of a supercomputer known as a “ctOS” (Central Operating System), which controls all aspects of the urban environment, from street lights to subway trains and cellular communications. Players take on the role of Aiden Pearce, a man said to be familiar with violence and who has a hunger for revenge. We aren’t sure yet on his full motivations, and the developers wouldn’t divulge any more information on our anti-hero.
The gameplay demo focused on Aiden’s attempt to assassinate a man Joseph DeMarco, who had been wrongly acquitted on charges of murder. One of the first things we noticed is that the game looks very good – compared to the usual low-resolution textures found in E3 demos, things looked very sharp. Running on a new engine, there is rumour that the game may be a cross-generation title, set to appear on the next console cycle alongside the current hardware. Or maybe it was simply because the game was running on a PC.
We walked the streets of the city as the sun was setting, making our way to the club where our target was said to be putting on an art show. To get inside, a variety of solutions were available, akin to Deus Ex, and we saw our hacker use his phone to temporarily shut down communications in the area – prompting the guard to leave his post searching for a wireless cell signal. As we entered the club, our contact on location approached. Following a curse-filled dialogue, we receive a weapon and also note that one of our target’s assistants is on the phone. Aiden hacked her conversation, and it was confirmed that DeMarco was on his way to the gallery showing after he heard that Aiden is there.
It was time to get outside. As we made our way to the back of the club, we could see everyone’s names, information, and darkest secrets, offering an unsettling atmosphere of the digital age. Guards, now on high alert, attempted to stop us from leaving but thanks to Aiden being an apparently skilled figter, the guard was dispatched and we left the building. Outside, it was now dark and raining.
An indicator appeared, notifying us that the target was on approach. It wouldn’t be a good idea to let DeMarco reach the building, where he could get potential reinforcements. So we hacked the street lights at just the right time, and caused a series of car crashes at the intersection. Putting on a face mask, it was time for action. We first made our way to the top of a nearby railway, and began taking out the bad guys from above – proving that this was a live demo and different from the one shown at Ubisoft’s conference.
After clearing a few bad guys, we returned to street level and continued the firefight. The civilian NPCs that remained in the area were actively engaged in the situation – we saw them run, or be shot in cars, or watched as they attempted to help their wounded friends. It looked highly realistic, but perhaps scripted. After shooting some more foes with pistols and rifle, in slow motion no less, we finally made it to the target’s car.
Pulling DeMarco out, a cutscene played as Aiden pulled the trigger. Now, instead of a multiplayer reveal (which we still have very little details about), we saw Aiden get in a car and attempt to escape the incoming police forces. Driving through the open world and hacking headlights to ensure a green signal all the way, while causing crashes behind us. Approaching a bridge, we hacked it to rise and sped on; getting a huge jump over the river as the cops didn’t dare follow. That’s where the demo concluded, with many in the audience seeing the game for the first time still in awe.
The Press Conference demo also hinted at co-op play, as focus shifted to a second character who was given orders to protect Aiden from police, for now. But there wasn’t any new info to be found from the developers. Even with so little information and no release window, Watch Dogs was easily one of the most pleasantly surprising titles at E3 2012, and we can’t wait to see more in the future.