‘Watch Dogs: Legion’ Finally Got the Driving Right
Earlier this year, I wrote an article about games with terrible driving mechanics and highlighted 2014’s Watch Dogs as one of the most infuriating examples. At the time, I described trying to navigate the game’s fictionalized version of Chicago behind the wheel as “so unforgivably egregious that it makes the game almost impossible to play.” I’m happy to say that the third entry in the series, Watch Dogs: Legion, finally got driving right.
Driving done right: The first-ever Buick Encore GX
What is Watch Dogs?
For those of you who aren’t familiar with the series, Watch Dogs places you in the role of a hacker trying to take down a corrupt big tech corporation. You take over security cameras, use remote gadgets to infiltrate enemy bases, download sensitive data, and more. You can even swap traffic lights to try and stop your pursuers at an intersection. In short, it’s a lot like Grand Theft Auto, but with hacking and a presumed moral purpose.
Baby steps
Following the unmitigated disaster that was driving in Watch Dogs, Ubisoft Montreal — the studio behind the game — went back to the drawing board vis-a-vis cars. According to PCGamer’s Andy Chalk, it tapped sister-studio Ubisoft Reflections — best known for creating the Driver series — to completely redesign the system for the sequel, Watch Dogs 2.
The result was a marked improvement, with the handling being tighter, the steering more responsive, and the overall feel much less arcadey. It wasn’t perfect, though, as I still felt like any vehicle I drove tended to slip all over the road in a way that made car chases more difficult than necessary. There was also a bizarre issue where pedestrians on the sidewalk would jump away from my car in terror, even if I was firmly in my lane.
A legion of improvements
While there hasn’t been much in the way of press regarding the driving mechanics in Watch Dogs: Legion — potentially due to the fact that it launched on Oct. 29 and it’s currently Oct. 30 — I’m thrilled with the result. Cars, trucks, and motorcycles all have a satisfying weight to them, and cornering at high speeds is fun rather than infuriating. Trying to hack while you drive is also more streamlined, meaning you can disable enemy drones or activate roadblocks to stop cars following you with the press of a single button.
I’ve only played Watch Dogs: Legion for five or six hours at this point, but much of it has been spent driving. Even with limited exposure, I feel comfortable saying that Ubisoft Montreal has finally, finally, cracked the code and made one of its most important mechanics accessible, intuitive, and enjoyable.
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