Does the story get better / characters less terrible?

[Super-Fly Spider-Guy]

Hi.

 

I picked up Watch Dogs 2 yesterday and I'm about an hour or so in and I find myself absolutely hating these people. And I wonder, does it ever get better?

 

I'm doing the mission wherein you hack the movie studio. That's what really pushed me to this point. Like, you're going to attack (cyber or otherwise) a movie studio for making a cheesy movie you don't like? Nope, you're an asshole. But before that too, I mean the entire first fucking mission is you breaking into the city's security grid thing and erasing your record. First of all, you wouldn't have a record unless you'd already done something, so that's strike one. Strike two is going in there to get rid of your record. And strike three is the bunch of people you "incapacitated" (because I want to say kill, but not 100% if the story agrees) on your way in there. The thing that fucks me off though, is that you can go around literally murdering people, then come home to your hipster hideaway and make jokes with your buddies. Sure, the story doesn't demand you kill people, no, but I'm an hour or so in and the story has demanded that I incapacitate a bunch of people and hack a motion picture studio because I didn't like their movie. And I'm not even an hour, I've been cruising around, I'm like 2 or 3 missions in the bloody thing

 

"But Dylan, you always go around killing tonnes of people in Grand Theft Auto, why's that any different?"

 

Because these Watch Dogs 2 assholes think they're the good guys. They're masquerading around town as being the rebellion to the evil empire. I'm not saying ctOS is perfect, not by a fucking mile, but as far as I can tell, nothing bad is happening (yet) because of it. In fact, it's helping people. I jacked a guy's car before and someone rang 911 and the person said they had them on ctOS and would be on their way. That's just speeding the process up and that's great. If the game wanted to actually deal with the ramifications of ctOS spying on people, instead of just declaring it evil and these assholes the good guys, then awesome, it could be a great cautionary tale of diving too deep into the digital age, but so far at least, it does not, all it does is show Google ctOS doing nothing wrong and getting a bum rap, while these "activist" (I think you mean, terrorist) people are acting like they're the fucking heroes of the story. 

 

I could go on further, but I'm having fun with the game believe it or not and want to get back in. It's a well made game and I am enjoying it greatly, but the god damn characters make me wanna return the thing and quit right now, they're teetering on being terrorists, and unless the game wants to throw a curveball and put them all in jail at the end or something, I don't like where it's going. So, I pull myself back to the initial question posed here, does the story get any better, or at the very least, do the characters grow into less terrible people?

[Taliesin_2943]

well first up you seem to have missed whats actually going on no marcus your character did not do anything wrong to have this record ctos pretty much compiled data and pulled a super racist minority report and said this guy is from a poor family hes black etc so he is a criminal and then it pretty much put all these bad and untrue charges etc on his record royally screwing up his life so he went in and erased it thus trying to get a semblance of his life back all of which has been explained probably more than 3 times by the point in the plot ur at so no ctos is not innocent its not helping its spying on and creating false files to get certain folks out of the way while building up a select few to bring them up in life so the system isnt just going to be corrupt it already is and in some cases getting people killed and btw marcus used a tazer and his 8 pall on a rope for the intro mission if i remember right so everyone survived 

 

as for breaking into that studio the movie is litterally making fun of and causing trouble for the group your a member of 

[HumanError101]

Watch_Dogs 2 makes Watch_Dogs (the first one) look good. Does the story get better? No! I ended up loathing the story and the characters. Ethical hacking with a side order of murder.

Easy platinum though. 

[Miles_Warren]

Unfortunately if you haven't warmed to the characters by now, it is unlikely you ever will be. The story is very good and what @Taliesin_2943 is saying is completely true - ctOS are not the good guys in this story at all. But then - neither are you?

 

I compare the Watch Dogs to the group Anonymous (which I think they are loosely based on). Some people view them as activists, other people view them as terrorists.

[FilmFanatic]

I really enjoyed the first Watch Dogs game and while I also liked the sequel, the first game is better. The storyline for WD2 started out pretty lacklustre but got more interesting the further I got into it. Aiden Pierce was a better protagonist than Marcus but the supporting cast was better in WD2, my favourite being Lenora Kastner (I also have the Season Pass where you get to see more of her). I would say play a few more hours of it and if you don't like it anymore there may not be much point in continuing unless you want the trophies.

[Lucas]

While I disagree with your post for the reasons @Taliesin_2943 gave, I do agree that there characters in this game were awful. The game improved on a lot of things in comparison to the first game but the characters were terrible in my opinion and the memes that were thrown at you weren't a welcoming addition either. I liked WATCH_DOGS's charcters much better.

[Cleggworth]

Take the drones and other cool hacking options out of 2 and put it in 1 and you'd have a good game. Everybody in 2 was a massive douche. I know you could go nonlethal but it was a massive pain in the ass most of the time and I just didn't see these millennial hipster types killing all these people. Aiden was a bit bland but he was a badass and it was believable that he'd hack a car and run a grunt over with it. Marcus not so much

[AloneBert-]

It's great to listen that not only me found first Watch Dogs much better than second game. While I really don't like Ubisoft open-world games I played it up to 100% on one feeling.

 

I didn't like the story or how it was directed, many chars were dull and some situations were silly. But except of that I really enjoyed that game and atmosphere which they ruined in WD2.

 

Your char is just like a usual student who (how?) already can "own" any companies security system. It's just out of logic.

 

While Aiden was a IT-specialist with a big background working in that sphere, so it was understandable. MOreover, he had outfit which makes him a shadow in the crowd. Cause he understood that he's doing Illegal things.

 

But Marcus outfits is just saying - hey, you can be hacker without any effort and if you hacker you can own anyone and even buy colorful clothes.

 

Moreover, LGBT flags in the game, transgender secondary characters and active lesbian makes me just hate the game because it's just Brainwashing. 

 

And even in terms of gameplay, Aiden had slowmotion, guns, C4 and other things, so you could do with missions in many different ways. Remember how you could set up C4 on the places where cars were coming, after that checking traps to paralyze enemies , or just use grenades. Or just do it stealthy.

 

The whole atmosphere of first game was right for that franchise. Now they fucked it up for 14-years old audition...

 

The new city is the only advantage of that game, but it's even not truly advantage, it's just different map and region. And nowadays, sadly, I have a feeling that (with the several exceptions like Valiant Hearts and Rayman Legends) the only thing Ubisoft can do cool is to make a big-size maps.

Edited September 5, 2017 by PlayAsGod

[Hanzoadam]

I found the game play fun enough but didnt really pay deep attention to the Story

[Babsimabuse]

26 minutes ago, Hanzoadam said:

I found the game play fun enough but didnt really pay deep attention to the Story

Yes, cutscene=toilet time

[Crispy_Oglop]

I am gonna be controversial here and say that I really liked the characters in this game. But I can definitely see how some people found them irritating

[QuentinCle95]

I steared clear of this game because I expected exactly this, based on the trailers: a game about a bunch of self-satisfied SJW's saving their city from tyranny that they themselves inflict upon others as well. No thanks, Ubisoft.

[One Jedi More]

Well yes and...No actually they are immature, It's true people didn't like Aiden cause he was the serious/no fun type of person but It was so much more of a character than Wrench (Apparently people's favourite) I liked the first one much more in terms of story and characters related. I wanted more of Aiden and by the looks of it.... we won't be getting more of him anytime soon...probably never, unless it's DLC in WD3. The only acceptable character was... Nah I won't spoil the fun for people that hasn't played the game.

[Super-Fly Spider-Guy]

Since it got bumped, I'll comment on my progress with the game.

 

Platinum'd it a few days ago, was a blast. Story was fucking terrible and honestly a drag to get through, I had every single trophy in the thing at one point except the last 10 story missions or so because I just didn't want to play them. I only finished the story because I already pretty well had the thing platinum'd.

 

I can't be bothered quoting y'all because, well, there's just so many to quote and a lot of the responses would be too similar.

 

First, to the guy who said that the system put Marcus on watch and that the hack of the studio was okay because they made fun of your group. Well,

 

I. No shit they had Marcus on their watch list, it's shown throughout the game that he was searching for DedSec and all sorts of shit like that, I'm sure the IRL governments monitor people who search up how to join ISIS as well. On top of that, he was known to posses at least one firearm, he was someone worth putting an eye on. What a shock too, he didn't like that shit and did a break and enter, far as I'm concerned, CTOS was right to watch him. No sympathy either because he tried to play the race card about as instantly as you could "they profiling me 'cause I'm black, not because of all the above reasons" and it's a recurring theme in conversations and in passing throughout the game, even when he's just joking with his buds. His use of the race card is fucking bullshit and just another reason he's a shit person.

II. So what, they made fun of DedSec. You saw a fucking trailer and you want to break and enter, and steal their prized car? That's so far beyond illegal and overreacting I can't even begin. These assholes deserve some serious legal trouble just for that, let alone all the worse things they've done. Also, yeah, it's a trailer, the whole movie could be a whole other story, you guys freaked out over a trailer, and I'm supposed to root for you? You guys are fucking five year olds.

 

Second, to the guy who compared DedSec to Anonymous. Well,

 

I. That's an obvious point of inspiration, I'd say they dead set ripped off a lot of what Anonymous is known for.

II. Anonymous at least generally only do things that matter, they don't go around hacking movie studios because they didn't like a trailer they put out, nor do they steal their prop cars and LITERALLY drive them on a rampage through San Francisco putting countless lives in danger.

 

Finally, to pretty well everyone else who said Watch Dogs 1 was better and / or Watch Dogs 2 / it's characters / story are shit. Well,

I. I agree.

II. Watch Dogs 1 has always been underrated due to the E3 bullshit in my opinion, but it deserved a lot of flack for that, I still feel the game was better than it was received though.

III. I fired up Watch Dogs 1 for the first time in years the other day and it's honestly really good. Better than I remember. The vigilante shit in it, the hacking shit, the guns, a lot of stuff is genuinely better in WD1. WD2 improves on a lot of things, but it ruins so many else it's no wonder I picked it up for 20 bucks only a few months after release, when they wanted a full hundred for it when it dropped.

 

____

 

And to everyone on here. Thanks for the responses, it's been a good dialogue, but I won't lie, it's a little satisfying to see the majority of people, on here at least, seem to agree with me in that this is a disappointing game, even after the first one. And in response to the initially posed question by yours truly, now that I've platinum'd it and seen most of what it has to offer, well

 

No, it doesn't get any better. The characters are just as shit, if not worse and less respectable as the story goes on. The plot doesn't really get any better whatsoever. T-Bone is wasted and I guess he's the best part but even that means nothing when he's just a useless background guy now. The whole this is just shit. And it's a shame too, because the driving and hacking mechanics are awesome and somewhere in here buried deep is a great game waiting to pop out.

 

Ironically, people were hyped as shit for Watch Dogs 1, and it was disappointing.

Then Watch Dogs 2 came out and also was disappointing, but for other reasons.

And somehow, after all the disappointment, I'm still sitting here thinking Watch Dogs 3 has a shitload of potential and I sincerely hope it comes out as a good game.

 

PS fuck it, bring back Aiden. I'm not gonna lie, the only time I was genuinely interested in what was happening in number 2 was the mission with him in it. That was fucking awesome. Bring on "Watch Dogs 3: Aiden was never that great, but he's a lot better than the assholes from number 2 so fuck it, let's just make Watch Dogs 1 again but better" in 2019.

[Miles_Warren]

24 minutes ago, Super-Fly Spider-Guy said:

Second, to the guy who compared DedSec to Anonymous.

 

I got a mention. Whoop whoop. ?

 

I agree with some of the stuff you say and disagree with other points. I actually like the characters in the game and thought it was an overall improvement from the first game. One thing I certainly agree with is that Watch_Dogs 3 needs to happen although maybe not with Aiden

Edited September 15, 2017 by Miles_Warren

[Super-Fly Spider-Guy]

43 minutes ago, Miles_Warren said:

 

I got a mention. Whoop whoop. 

 

I agree with some of the stuff you say and disagree with other points. I actually like the characters in the game and thought it was an overall improvement from the first game. One thing I certainly agree with is that Watch_Dogs 3 needs to happen although maybe not with Aiden

I'd have tagged but the bit at the end with me shitting on number two would have been a copy paste job to like 10 people so I just skipped the tagging all together.

 

I'm glad you like it dude. I just couldn't get into the characters. Aiden is a vigilante, his actions are questionable but he does whatever he can to protect people. DedSec in number 2 just want to destroy the system and don't care who gets hurt along the way, that's reckless as fuck at best. The thing I just really can't get on board with, is like, these guys seem like the kind of people who just won't be happy until they're running the show, and it's one thing to want to destroy the status quo if you have a plan to bring in a new one, but fucking with the system with no plan of betterment, only destruction, is a really bad idea. Even though CTOS was bad in a shitload of respects, there was a lot of things that were better because of it, and in terms of data mining and whatnot, EVERYONE takes your data every chance they can. Look at that Disney thing recently. If you've not come to terms with the fact someone somewhere is spying on you in some way or another, then maybe the internet isn't for you.

 

Even if these guys are in WD3, I'd still give it a shot. There's little redeeming value in their part of WD2 to me, but if Lost Legacy can make me think of Nadine as a decent character and a decent person, then I see no reason WD3 can't make the cast of WD2 into reasonable people. 

 

I think the game design, mechanics, gameplay, controls, visuals, pretty much everything was improved. Being able to move cars and shit wirelessly alone is going to be what keeps the game installed on my PS4 for some time. But then there's odd things like the lack of the weapon wheel, the god awful controls for changing songs, making certain things like traffic lights weirdly harder to trigger, and so on. It's just odd. 

 

But with the story, it's just. I haven't played number one, outside of the other day, in over 3 years now. I remember that your niece was killed, your sister or something didn't want you being a vigilante, I remember an old guy and sex traffic ring, I remember the darkish protag doing what he could to help people, I remember Cheng betraying you or something, I remember T-Bone's playground thing, Giggles or whatever her name was helping you out, and Blume and yeah, and that's about it. For 3 years with no replays, and only that one playthrough at all, that's a decent bit of memory there. I plat'd WD2 just a few days ago and all I remember of the story was waking up wasted on a beach, breaking into about a thousand buildings and either killing or immobilizing a tonne of guys, then straight up murder near the end, T-Bone popped up and did nothing to move the story along, hacking a movie studio, stealing a car from a movie studio, rampaging said car through the city and nearly killing countless people, and just being an entitled piece of shit the whole way through before finally ending it. Fuck, I don't even remember the end, how bad is that. What was it, I remember the bearded guy got arrested or something over the political dude and that shit, but that's it. Just wasn't memorable to me, wasn't really that enjoyable to me, and it just seemed like it tried too hard to be too many things that it was really none of them.

 

Again though, glad you like it. I've played worse games, and overall despite my opinion on the story I enjoyed my time with the game. Aiden or otherwise, I'll be down for Watch Dogs 3, but I'll probably do what I did with the first two and wait a fair few months for a reasonable price on it.