Back in 2014, Ubisoft released the first title in itsWatch Dogsfranchise. After years ofAssassin’s Creedgames, Ubisoft brought its open-world formula to a more modern setting. The series puts players in control of various hackers in fictional versions of Chicago, San Francisco, and London, fighting against corruption. Each title has been received decently, but Ubisoft never figured out what it wants the series to be, andrumors have begun circulating thatWatch Dogsmay be shelved.
Unlike a lot of video game series, each title in theWatch Dogsfranchise is different from the last.Watch Dogshad a darker tone than later installments,Watch Dogs 2decided to make the series more light-hearted, andWatch Dogs: Legiontook a huge step by letting players control everyone in the world. Ubisoft has usedWatch Dogsto experiment with different gameplay systems. Even if the series never found its identity, each title was a lot of fun, and the franchise does not deserve to be pushed aside.
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Each Watch Dogs Game Has Its Own Charm
AlthoughWatch Dogsseems to have an identity crisisthroughout all three entires, it is still fun to play. It had all the usual tropes of an Ubisoft game, but with interesting protagonists and the hacking mechanic to help set it apart from other open-world titles. It let players control almost everything remotely and cause a lot of chaos. They could turn off traffic lights, remote control cars, take over drones, and even explode sewer grates.
EachWatch Dogstitle also had an interesting story.Watch Dogsfollowed Aiden Pearceacross Chicago on his quest for revenge against the people who killed his niece.Watch Dogs 2took the series to San Francisco, and told the story of Marcus Holloway and his hacking group DedSec’s mission to take down the surveillance system known as ctOS.Watch Dogs: Legionthen put players in the shoes of the entire London branch of DedSec with a story followed their mission to liberate London from a private military company.
The sandbox playgrounds that Ubisoft makes for theWatch Dogsseries are a lot of fun to cause havoc in. The hacking mechanic let players cause even more mayhem than in games likeGrand Theft Auto. Each city felt unique from one another, and it’s one of the fewvideo game franchises that has been set in Chicago. While their stories were heavily critiqued, the game worlds were usually well-constructed.
The series also offereda unique take on multiplayer. Players could take on missions and explore the game world cooperatively, or they could participate in modes like invasions. Players could choose to invade another person’s single-player game and try to remain undetected while installing a backdoor into their network. The other player would have to hunt them down and stop them.
Watch Dogs Deserves a Place in Ubisoft’s Lineup
Rumors have begun circulating that Ubisoft is planning onquietly shelving the entireWatch Dogsfranchise, but that would be a mistake. While theWatch Dogsfranchise was never perfect, and Ubisoft could never quite figure out what it wanted to do with it, the series did offer up unique gameplay and settings. Other large modern open-world franchises likeGrand Theft AutoandSaints Rowdo not offer a mechanic similar to hacking, and neither franchise has visited a fictional version of Chicago or London in their mainline titles. On top of that, there has not been an open-world title quite likeWatch Dogs: Legion.
TheWatch Dogsfranchise has seen a lot of successboth financially and with fans, and some tie-in novels that have further built out its lore with an animated series currently in development. Fans are clearly interested inmoreWatch Dogslore, so it would be a shame just to cancel the franchise and move onto something else.
It seems Ubisoft is becoming increasingly interested in live-service titles, and has begun exploring that option with its largest franchises likeAssassin’s Creed. Even with this new direction,Watch Dogsdeserves a place in the lineup. The franchise has been fun for fans and innovating its formula every new entry, so a fourthWatch Dogsgame could be the best one yet.
