When it was revealed at E3 2019, Ubisoft’s Watch Dogs Legion wowed people with its ambitious “play as anyone” premise. However, this doesn’t mean that the game won’t have a central narrative. In fact, Ubisoft has confirmed that Watch Dogs Legion will still focus on story, with the game having five distinct storylines to follow.
Unlike the previous Watchdogs titles, Legion will not have an Aiden Pearce or Marcus Holloway for its story to revolve around. Instead it will let players recruit and play as any NPC in the game. This move has raised questions of whether the game will still have stray away from having a central narrative.
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In a recent interview with Spiel Times, Kent Hudson, Game Design director for Watch Dogs Legion stated that storytelling was still a key focus for the game, despite its lack of a central protagonist.
“I know ‘play as anyone’ is kind of a crazy technological innovation with the simulation we’ve done, but story is still a huge part of the game,” stated Hudson. “It’s a huge part of the franchise and this game is no different.”
As part of this, Hudson confirmed that the game would have five different storylines, handled as distinct quest lines in game. Each of these storylines ties into one of the game’s “thematic pillars.”
One such storyline that Hudson talked about focused on England’s transformation into a surveillance state in the world of Watch Dogs Legion. This will focus on the nation’s spies now turning inward and spying on its own citizens. Another story line he hinted at instead focuses on various private military contractors who’ve taken the place of the police in London.
Of course, whether or not these storylines can deliver the same kind of impact as a traditional one focused around a central character is still up in the air. Perhaps Ubisoft still has more to reveal about the game’s take on life in post-Brexit England. Hopefully, the company reveals more about this before the game launches early next year.
