Watch Dogs Legion has in-depth RPG elements

E3 2019 - Just like with Assassin's Creed: Odyssey, Ubisoft is infusing deep RPG mechanics into its next big Watch Dogs game.

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Watch Dogs Legion lets you recruit anyone in the entire game. Anyone you see walking around the dystopian sci-tech city of London can be recruited as a DedSec member. Once folded into your team, these characters can be managed, buffed, and assigned specific roles. Like party members in an RPG, your DedSec squad can level up, equip weapons, and unlock new perk bonuses to boost efficacy in missions and combat scenarios. The beauty of Legion is that everyone in the entire game can join your party.

Every single character in Watch Dogs Legion has their own randomized skillsets and passive bonuses that tie neatly into their personalities and backstory. Each profile has been dramatically expanded with various RPG-level buffs.

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Ubisoft is very creative here and pulls out some cRPG-level trait action that reminds me of the original Fallout. For example, a character who specializes in pyrotechnics will get an explosive damage bonuses, and someone who overdosed on adrenaline will do more damage with less health, but overall has less HP. Using this system players can mix and match their squad at will, cherry-picking their favorite characters to try dynamic and always-changing teams.

"Every character in our game comes with a bonus called a trait. Some people good at punching or melee, some people are good at guns, some people are good at stealth or good at hacking," said Liz England, lead game designer. "It's sort of like an encouragement to go and explore the world."

"Once you bring someone onto your team you can continue to customize them. We have a full progression path for each character, you level up, you earn EXP, you install perks to change your gameplay abilities," said Ubisoft's Kent Hudson

"So your world in DedSec is the people you've recruited. My game is not going to be the same as your game, it's not going to be the same as anyone's game. Everyone's going to have a different team,"

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DedSec squads in Legion consist of 20 members. Teammates can die, and when they do players have an opportunity to fill that blank spot with someone else. This fuels a kind of constantly evolving gameplay that fits perfectly into Ubisoft's penchant for engagement-driven games.

Every character has their own internal life; they have friends, they react to your decisions, and they even remember what you make them do. Ubisoft is pushing their character tech to a whole new level with Watch Dogs Legion. NPCs or enemies will react to decisions like slaying their allies.

"There's this sort of cascading effect as you do actions and people remember them and they remember the things you do about other people," England said.

Legion is definitely an action game in practice, but there's a lot of methodical planning that can go into how you execute your chaos in post-Brexit London. You'll be able to strategically plot out your team and equip them with specific weapons for maximum carnage, and fluidly adapt to harder missions that require you to use high-skill hacking or perhaps go in guns a blazing with an ex-special forces operative.

There's a very real anarchist feel to Legion and Ubisoft has tapped into something special here. The idea that anyone can become part of DedSec fits perfectly into the anti-establishment and anti-authority theme of rebelliousness with Legion.

Watch Dogs Legion sounds incredibly ambitious and I hope it actually works out the way Ubisoft intends. London will become a huge playground for our delight on March 6, 2020 on PS4, Xbox One and PC.

Check below for a ton of info about the game:

In the near future, London is facing its downfall: the people are being oppressed by an all-seeing surveillance state, private militaries control the streets, and a powerful crime syndicate is preying on the vulnerable. The fate of London lies with you, and your ability to recruit a resistance and fight back."

TAKE BACK LONDON

SHOW THE CITY WHAT YOU'VE GOT.

Explore a massive urban open world and visit London's many famous landmarks - including Trafalgar Square, Big Ben, Tower Bridge, Camden, Piccadilly Circus, or the London Eye.

PLAY YOUR WAY

FIGHT FOR THE FUTURE.

A brand-new melee system and a wide range of weapons and abilities means that the way you approach combat has real consequences. If you use non-lethal force, the enemy will attempt to subdue and arrest you. If you shoot to kill, you risk having your characters permanently killed.

GET THE GANG TOGETHER

BRING YOUR FRIENDS INTO THE MESS.

Giving London back to the people doesn't have to be some heroic solo jaunt, ya know. Bring the fight online to join forces with up to three friends as you take on entirely new co-op missions and challenging end-game content.

PLAY AS ANYONE

RECRUIT YOUR RESISTANCE FROM LONDON'S POPULATION.

Every Londoner has a unique backstory with a special skillset and a distinctive personality. Recruit anyone from an MI6 agent to an illegal street-racer and customize them with killer outfits and iconic masks.

RECRUIT ANY CHARACTER

FIGHT BACK WITH ALL OF LONDON.

Anyone you see on the street can become a resistance fighter by your side. Each person you encounter - whether a brawler, a fashionista, or even a DJ - has their own story with their own set of skills and perks. Choose wisely. You only get one shot at rebellion.

PLAY YOUR WAY

YOUR RECRUITS. YOUR RULES.

Everything is up to you - who joins your resistance, what missions you take on, where you pick fights; all of it - as long as it gets London back in the hands of the people. Make critical decisions and ultimately hack, infiltrate, and detonate your way to a liberated London.

CUSTOMIZE YOUR RECRUITS

MAKE YOUR HEROES YOUR OWN.

Personalize each member of your resistance and level them up by building out different skill sets, from hacking to stealth moves to all-out assault training. Customize further with unique outfits and iconic masks. Take back the city and look sharp doing it.

HACK INTO LONDON'S TECH

CONTROL DRONES. DEPLOY BOTS. BLOW IT ALL UP.

Hack your way to victory by weaponizing London's tech infrastructure. Hijack armed combat drones, deploy stealthy spider-bots, or use your techie know-how to rig the system with explosions. It's up to you how to use the tech dystopia against itself.

GO IN GUNS BLAZING

LONDONERS HAVE BEEN WEAPONIZED.

Your plan of attack is up to you. Crash the party with a brand-new melee system and a wide range of weapons and abilities. Go non-lethal if you'd like, or kick open the doors and blast away. Just remember, your assault style brings different consequences.

THEY CAN'T ARREST WHAT THEY CAN'T SEE

USE AR TO GO INVISIBLE.

As fun as it is to crash through a skylight, there's not always a need to be noticed. Use the resistance's most secretive hack - an "invisibility" cloak. Thanks to the advances of augmented reality, you can sneak around without detection and covertly take down your enemies.[/quote]