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Why Watch Dogs 2 is ditching Aiden Pearce:a story of youth,racial profiling,hacktivis

Crossing Eden

Hello, my name is Yves Guillemot, Vivendi S.A.'s Employee of the Month!
The idea
Aiden Pearce steps off the plane at San Francisco International. He checks his phone, because that’s all he knows how to do. It’s 80°F. Suddenly, a trenchcoat seems like a silly wardrobe choice. The summer sun undoes the knots in his brow, and he struggles to remember what he was feeling so grumpy about. His East Coast manners, born in the red brick alleys and oppressive density of Chicago, are out of place. He loosens up.

Then, poof: just like that, he’s not Aiden Pearce anymore.

Once Jonathan Morin had visited San Francisco, he knew Watch Dogs needed a new hero.

“San Francisco’s about wide open, huge vistas, a lot of colour, and eclectic groups of people who really don’t give a shit about how stuff should work,” says the creative director. “I kind of relate a lot to that. I like that.”

Related: the 14 best sandbox games on PC.

Morin and his team talked to the companies in Silicon Valley. They “listened to all of the vibes” of the Bay Area. And it quickly became obvious they needed a younger hacker.

The differences
Aiden was a brutally violent Batman figure who had already paid a nasty price for his career in heist hacking by the time Watch Dogs opened. Which explained the attitude, but was at odds with the promise of the game - the inherent glee of manipulating the traffic lights and bridges of the urban world around you.

Marcus Holloway wears the bandana and the cap. Like the Assassin, he keeps the key signifiers of his series. But everything else has changed. Born in San Francisco and gentrified out to Oakland, he grew up racially profiled by ctOS - the same surveillance database that powered Chicago - and linked to crimes he had no involvement in.

“He’s the kind of guy who had all the qualities to do anything he wanted,” says Morin. “But for some reason profiling decided that that was not for him.”

Now 24, he runs with DedSec, Watch Dogs’ hacktivist collective. He’s not tortured; he’s having the time of his life.

“I wanted to bring [in] this ‘everything is possible’ type of attitude that happens in California,” Morin elaborates. “For the first time he’s with other people who understand what he wants, who understand how these things work. They see an opportunity in exposing the truth to people and making a difference.”

Other characters
Sitara - the artist and DJ who picked the particularly fine piece of hip hop that accompanied Marcus’ E3 reveal mission - is perhaps keener on ethical debate than Wrench, the anarchist who sports a ski mask that blinks emotes. The player decides where Marcus sits along that spectrum, and now that Ubi have stripped out Watch Dogs’ reputation system, the game doesn’t judge.

“The world responds to what DedSec becomes,” says Morin. “But it’s never going to be, ‘They should be banned’. It’s just going to be a debate, and that’s what I like about it.”

A lot more at the article on gameplay systems and such.

EDIT:Couldn't fit that full article title. (._. )
 

Corpekata

Banned
It's simpler to say nobody really liked him and for the most part his story would not make much sense going to a new city.
 
I was kind of hoping he would still be in the game as a mentor type of figure. Seems odd to cut him out entirely when this game exists in the same universe.
 
So Aiden Pierce would give up being a vigilante if he took a vacation? What? I didn't really like Aiden, nobody does, but come on just say what it is.
 

Crossing Eden

Hello, my name is Yves Guillemot, Vivendi S.A.'s Employee of the Month!
So Aiden Pierce would give up being a vigilante if he took a vacation? What? I didn't really like Aiden, nobody does, but come on just say what it is.
No no that's just a little humorous idea from the article writer that kinda goes with how out of place Aiden would be compared to Chicago.

wish they made that a part of an early quest and be done with it.
They could but that happened before the events of this game.
 
Aiden Pearce steps off the plane at San Francisco International. He checks his phone, because that’s all he knows how to do. It’s 80°F. Suddenly, a trenchcoat seems like a silly wardrobe choice. The summer sun undoes the knots in his brow, and he struggles to remember what he was feeling so grumpy about. His East Coast manners, born in the red brick alleys and oppressive density of Chicago, are out of place. He loosens up.

Then, poof: just like that, he’s not Aiden Pearce anymore.

It's okay to just admit Aiden Pearce was an awful character that no one liked.
 

suikodan

Member
The only good thing about Aiden was his look. The trench coat and cap were awesome.

But he was an asshole. Anybody with kids who played the game will agree.
 
This would've been a perfectly satisfactory explanation too:

EAOoMHs.jpg
 

wvnative

Member
Are they saying that racial profiling will play a part in the story?

Cause if so, that seems... dangerous...
 

taoofjord

Member
He’s not tortured; he’s having the time of his life.

So he's not tortured, instead he's having the time of his life... mass murdering criminals and endangering/murdering innocents. Aiden was awful but this change isn't much better. Still seems tone deaf.
 

Crossing Eden

Hello, my name is Yves Guillemot, Vivendi S.A.'s Employee of the Month!
So he's not tortured, instead he's having the time of his life... mass murdering criminals and endangering/murdering innocents. Not sure I care of the change.
?? It's been confirmed weeks ago that you can play through the entire game without killing a single individual. They even made a point of this at e3 by playing the mission nonlethally. It's up to the player to decide.

Are they saying that racial profiling will play a part in the story?

Cause if so, that seems... dangerous...
Part of Marcus's motivation is that he was wrongly profiled for a crime he didn't commit by the CTOS system due to his ethnicity.
 
The only good thing about Aiden was his look. The trench coat and cap were awesome.

But he was an asshole. Anybody with kids who played the game will agree.

I don't know why they didn't just make his "niece" his daughter and the rest his family as well. It would have made the story and his motivation at least make a little more sense. Guess it all ties back to the general identity crisis the game has as a whole.

Aiden's look is my favorite thing about him too. I like that he doesn't look overly fancy or "badass" like most other modern day stealth games. No fancy goggles or skeleton mask, no ostentatious robes or skin tight suit. Dude is just this dumpy looking average white guy in his early 30s with a ball cap and a coat. Makes great sense for a guy whose entire shtick is keeping a low profile.
 

KingJ2002

Member
No no that's just a little humorous idea from the article writer that kinda goes with how out of place Aiden would be compared to Chicago.

That's what I took from it.

Aiden would have been out of place in this setting and it's clear his character isn't memorable. WD's hacking mechanic was the best part of the game... he just dulled it with his styrofoam-like personality.

With that said... Aiden being replaced with a more upbeat hacktivist in Marcus makes for a better product.

Here's hoping he becomes a memorable character for this gen.
 

DOWN

Banned
This game's attempt at youth appeal has stylistically turned it into a millennial hell hole
 
It's unfortunate that the story and characters in this game look like they're going to be just as bad as the first, just in a different way. It's like old people trying to make a game about what they think young hacker kids are like.
 

Fury451

Banned
It's simpler to say nobody really liked him and for the most part his story would not make much sense going to a new city.

Correct. He was also hard to sympathize with because he was basically a selfish career criminal whose actions caused all of his own problems that he never took responsibility for.
 
It's unfortunate that the story and characters in this game look like they're going to be just as bad as the first, just in a different way. It's like old people trying to make a game about what they think young hacker kids are like.

The main character seems fine, but the guy with the LED mask is pretty, uh, stupid.
 

kiguel182

Member
I feel like every message the game might try to convey is lost the moment it allows the player to pick up an assault rifle and just shoot their way through the game.

It's a good idea that the current AAA design mentality kinda kills.
 
I haven't played the game so maybe I'm wrong, but I feel that they went too far in the opposite direction in terms of the protagonists personality.

We need to play as a Tyrell Wellick type, in the next one.
 

pablito

Member
So he's not tortured, instead he's having the time of his life... mass murdering criminals and endangering/murdering innocents. Aiden was awful but this change isn't much better. Still seems tone deaf.

You can beat the game without killing anyone. So I'm guessing for the story it's the same. Otherwise yeah that's kinda weird.
 
Jonathan Morin said:
Aiden was a brutally violent Batman figure who had already paid a nasty price for his career in heist hacking by the time Watch Dogs opened. Which explained the attitude, but was at odds with the promise of the game - the inherent glee of manipulating the traffic lights and bridges of the urban world around you.

Heh, I remember posting something very similar to this a year ago:

BrassDragon said:
In particular, they should drop the angsty Batman-angle... just let us fight the corrupt and help the downtrodden in the style of Leverage and Person of Interest. The spirit of hacking is gleeful anarchy and revenge of the underdog, not brooding over the summary execution of crime lords.

Probably coincidence but I'll keep pretending my GAF posting influence design decisions like everybody else. :)
 
Aiden was sooooo bad. And the way Ubisoft describes Aiden like he's a compelling character gives me little hope that the new protagonist will be any better.
 
It's like old people trying to make a game about what they think young hacker kids are like.

You also gotta look at it from the perspective of French-Canadian developers making a game about what they think Americans are like. They couldn't be more wrong... I've never seen anyone in America walking around with a studded vest and mask.
 

Mesoian

Member
I know it's not true, but I feel like the narrative for Watch Dogs 2 seems fueled by someone who watched Mr. Robot and found the anti-establishment message of it incredibly sexy while completely ignoring how doing these things can ruin your life and the lives of those around you forever.

But that being said, it still looks 100 times more appetizing than Watch Dogs 1.

You also gotta look at it from the perspective of French-Canadian developers making a game about what they think Americans are like. They couldn't be more wrong... I've never seen anyone in America walking around with a studded vest and mask.

Interestingly enough, I saw a lot of that in japan.
 
I feel like every message the game might try to convey is lost the moment it allows the player to pick up an assault rifle and just shoot their way through the game.

It's a good idea that the current AAA design mentality kinda kills.

Depends on how good the "you don't have to kill" mechanic actually is.

If it's mechanically lesser than the "kill" option, or not made with as much care or polish, yeah, fuck this game.
 
I know it's not true, but I feel like the narrative for Watch Dogs 2 seems fueled by someone who watched Mr. Robot and found the anti-establishment message of it incredibly sexy while completely ignoring how doing these things can ruin your life and the lives of those around you forever.

But that being said, it still looks 100 times more appetizing than Watch Dogs 1.



Interestingly enough, I saw a lot of that in japan.
Obviously not the mask being worn but everything these guys have on can be found in America as well
 
It's simpler to say nobody really liked him and for the most part his story would not make much sense going to a new city.

It's better to see that they understand why Aiden was a bad characteristic fit for what they were trying to do mechanically. The explanation they gave gives me more confidence that they "get it" this time around from a story perspective.

I enjoyed Watch Dogs 1 mechanically but the story took me out of it too often. Hoping this time around that the story is more enjoyable and it works well in the new setting!
 

Muffdraul

Member
So he's not tortured, instead he's having the time of his life... mass murdering criminals and endangering/murdering innocents. Aiden was awful but this change isn't much better. Still seems tone deaf.

If a player chooses to go against the tone of the game, that's their business.

It seems like a lot of people are completely unaware that WD1 did have consequences for playing like a murderous asshole. The more negative your reputation meter was, the more often NPCs would call the cops on you, the more cop units would come after you, the longer it would take to lose them, and the more often you'd be a target for online invasions. The bigger asshole you were, the bigger of a pain in the ass playing the game became. I'm sure WD2 will have similar stuff.
 
If a player chooses to go against the tone of the game, that's their business.

No, it's the games business because the developers believed that being able to go against the story is more important than the story. If the devs want to make a story about a guy who was falsely accused of a crime, you can't allow people to do (likely) worse shit than what he was accused of. Either have that story and make it a linear game, with no lethal options, or don't make the motivation for the character something that falls apart the second I can drive on a sidewalk and mow people down.
 

Mesoian

Member
So he's not tortured, instead he's having the time of his life... mass murdering criminals and endangering/murdering innocents. Aiden was awful but this change isn't much better. Still seems tone deaf.

Honestly, if that doesn't play into the plot, there's something wrong here.

No, it's the games business because the developers believed that being able to go against the story is more important than the story. If the devs want to make a story about a guy who was falsely accused of a crime, you can't allow people to do (likely) worse shit than what he was accused of. Either have that story and make it a linear game, with no lethal options, or don't make the motivation for the character something that falls apart the second I can drive on a sidewalk and mow people down.

I mean, you can. That's sort of what submarined GTA4 in the end. It just creates that pesky pseudo narrative dissonance that so many games that offer the illusion of choice have.

What I think is more likely is that, regardless of how you choose to solve missions or what you do in the sandbox, the intentions and motivations of characters will be set in stone in such a way that it doesn't matter if you go renegade or paragon, because the same core actions will still result in the same core result.

TL:DR - don't expect much from the plot.
 

Muffdraul

Member
No, it's the games business because the developers believed that being able to go against the story is more important than the story. If the devs want to make a story about a guy who was falsely accused of a crime, you can't allow people to do (likely) worse shit than what he was accused of. Either have that story and make it a linear game, with no lethal options, or don't make the motivation for the character something that falls apart the second I can drive on a sidewalk and mow people down.

It's basic open world/sandbox game design philosophy. Let the player do what they want, but let their actions have consequences.
 
It's basic open world/sandbox game design philosophy. Let the player do what they want, but let their actions have consequences.
From the article:

now that Ubi have stripped out Watch Dogs’ reputation system, the game doesn’t judge.

Maybe there's a different system now, but they are outright saying that there won't be the negative consequences that WD1 had, even though it may make more sense in this one.
 

Mesoian

Member
Maybe there's a different system now, but they are outright saying that there won't be the negative consequences that WD1 had, even though it may make more sense in this one.

Empathy, catharsis and their antitheses are hard to do in video games. It's why there are so few games where you're ever actually the villain.
 

Muffdraul

Member
From the article:



Maybe there's a different system now, but they are outright saying that there won't be the negative consequences that WD1 had, even though it may make more sense in this one.

Well, it sounds like they're getting away from the binary "send kitten to college vs. set kitten on fire" morality system that lots of people love to bitch about how pointless and obvious they are. I'm sure there's going to be something to take its place. I just think player freedom is a good thing. I'm always a white knight fucking saint when I play these types of games, and I'm guessing you are too. But if someone wants to go the other way, why in the fuck should that bother me??? It's none of my business.
 
Aiden only existed to get revenge. He got his revenge which means he no longer needs to exist.

Yeah.

I think the dude gets shit on way too much, especially they way people stroke their loins over batman, but the fact is, his story is concluded.

Shame they seem to throwing the baby out with the bath water though. I would of like to see more of t-bone.

But whatever. I'm going to be playing a game about a black guy, who so far looks talks and acts like a black guy would, dealing with a very black problem in a Videogame.

Even in watch_dogs 2 is totally shit, It's already won me over on that premise alone. Day 1 and at full price.
 
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