STACK #144 Oct 2016

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GAMES FEATURE Fly Wall on the

After Watch Dogs launched to critical acclaim in 2014, Ubisoft decided they needed a follow-up. Watch Dogs 2 is set in a new town, with a new protagonist, and a GO-GO-gadget belt’s worth of new toys.We caught up with senior producer Dominic Guay to find out what to expect. Words Alesha Kolbe

could plan or improvise with it to create their own unique moments in game. We also felt that the seamless online gameplay from the first instalment opened up an exciting space for innovation, to change the way multiplayer experiences could be integrated in an action game.

Watch Dogs 2 , you play a new character, Marcus, a young hacker that fights a corrupted establishment that exploits technology for control. This lets us develop a storyline that is

What did you take away from the first Watch Dogs ? Dominic Guay: Making a new IP is a great opportunity. The team felt we had accomplished many things, but at the same time we felt we could take it to a whole new level with a sequel. After shipping the original Watch Dogs , we listened to what players had to say. In

directly linked to our game’s fantasy. Hacking is obviously a core element

of the game and we wanted to give it more depth, more flexibility, so that players

We wished to give players more freedom in their play style. While we embrace stealth, action and hacking as viable styles, we feel game challenges should leave the player free to find their own solutions. They should decide how they want to play the game: guns blazing, as a ghost or as a trickster who manipulates people and

We wished to give players more freedom in their play style

systems.

Why San Francisco? Obviously it is a beautiful area with inspiring, diverse locations and people. It is also the birthplace of the tech revolution, notably in Silicon Valley, the place where many of the technologies that will change our lives

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