'Watch Dogs 2' season pass includes story missions with familiar faces

By Gabe Gurwin Published November 7, 2016

The holiday barrage of new game releases is already upon us, and one of the most anticipated games for 2016, Watch Dogs 2, is less than two weeks away. Ubisoft has detailed what to expected if you decide to purchase the game’s season pass, and it includes the return of a franchise favorite.

Though fan-favorite character T-Bone — known for some of the craziest missions in the original Watch Dogs as well as the Bad Blood DLC — appears in the main campaign of Watch Dogs 2, you’ll have to pick up the season pass and its “T-Bone content bundle” to acquire his outfit, a new “Mayhem” co-op difficulty setting, as well as his custom truck. It looks more like a school bus from the depths of hell, with spikes running along the side and a massive bulldozer in the front. The pack will be available first to PlayStation 4 on December 13.

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The second pack, “Human Conditions,” includes three story missions featuring the characters Lenni and Jordi, the latter of whom was featured prominently in Watch Dogs as Aiden Pearce’s “partner.” Ubisoft said that these missions will each take about an hour to complete, and see protagonist Marcus going after nefarious corporations as well as the mafia. The pack also includes the “Elite” co-op mission, and will be available next spring.

The third DLC, “No Compromise,” is also available next spring and includes a new massive cooperative mode called “Showdown,” where “only the best players survive.”

The Watch Dogs 2 season pass will set you back $40 and also includes the cosmetic “Psychedelic Pack” as well as the “Root Access Bundle,” which includes an appearance by the infamous Zodiac Killer — or an imposter. The bundle will be released sometime this winter.

Watch Dogs 2 is out for Xbox One and PlayStation 4 on November 15, with a PC release following on November 29. If you purchase the $100 “Gold” edition of the game, the season pass is included.

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Gabe Gurwin has been playing games since 1997, beginning with the N64 and the Super Nintendo. He began his journalism career…

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Gaming

Gotham Knights’ great story suffers from this video game writing trend

Gotham Knights has a "we" problem.
WB Games Montreal's latest follows four of Batman's former sidekicks as they defend Gotham City and try to solve a case the caped crusader never could after Batman is killed. It's a bold narrative hook, and by far the best part of this newly released superhero game. Unfortunately, Gotham Knights' writing has one flaw that's become more prevalent in games as of late. Some game scripts, especially in multiplayer games or titles with more than one playable character, can feel impersonal, or even clinical, because they can't attribute any actions to a single character.
Gotham Knights is simply the latest game to encounter this issue. What should be a personal tale about four heroes coming into their own sometimes feels like it's following one conglomerate meant to replace Batman. The scripts of Watch Dogs Legion and multiplayer games like Destiny 2 and Marvel's Avengers also suffer from this issue, as they require story moments to be as general and widely applicable to all players as possible. That approach has created a challenge for modern video games, which struggle to balance mass experience with narrative ambition.
There is no I in team
"There is no I in team" is an old cliché, but it's something that the video game industry might want to give thought to. With an increased emphasis on both multiplayer and storytelling across the industry, more and more video game scripts find themselves having to account for multiple players doing the same things as different characters. Gotham Knights is an especially clear example of that. Players can tackle its missions as Nightwing, Red Hood, Batgirl, or Robin -- four entirely different characters with distinct personalities. As a result, the script must find a way to bridge those differences and find a way to treat every experience across all of the story's events equally.

Gotham Knights does try to account for that, as cutscenes and the dialogue in cutscenes change depending on which hero you're playing. But that only works on a moment-to-moment level; on a grander scale, everything happens to everyone. When a hero out on patrol calls others after a mission, they'll typically speak as a collective group of individuals rather than a single character. And when referencing past events, the heroes will use pronouns like "we" or "us" rather than naming the specific character who thwarted a supervillain's plan or resolved a crime.
This issue reared its head for me at one point in Gotham Knights when a character gets kidnapped by the Court of Owls. In my case, it happened to Robin, and the following segment in the Court of Owls' Labyrinth was one of the most emotional levels of the game. That's why I was thoroughly disappointed when the Bat Family spoke as if everyone got kidnapped in any conversations that brought the event up afterward, using pronouns like "we" or "us." It made a personal moment feel clinical as this vaguer dialogue exposed how the game was solving for any possible experience, solo or multiplayer, in a machine-like manner rather than a narratively satisfying one. I began to feel like it didn't matter what happened to specific characters because it would have happened to any character I chose, regardless.
That choice solves one problem but creates another by making some of Gotham Knights' more intimate moments feel notably less personal -- and that's not a problem that's unique to the Bat Family. Watch Dogs Legion allows players to recruit and control any old character off the street and turn them into a member of the hacking collective DeadSec. Due to that gameplay hook, the group itself was treated like the main character in and of itself, as the game references the actions of the group rather than those of individual characters. That setup will also be familiar to players of live service games with ongoing narratives like Destiny 2 and Marvel's Avengers, as the writing treats each individual character as a member of a larger idea in service of a shared narrative. It feels like the plot is simply happening to the player, not that they are actively influencing and affecting it.
We, the players
Writing games this way is the clearest way to ensure that all players get the same experience, but more personalization can go a long way. I'm a fan of Gotham Knights' story, but I wish I could have seen stronger character arcs from chapter to chapter, as opposed to a few lines of special dialogue within specific scenes. Watch Dogs Legion's gameplay innovations would've been even more impressive had the game's script built upon those foundations. Destiny 2's lore would be even better if more players left a lasting impact on it.

Gaming

Ubisoft and more offer ways to play purchased Google Stadia games elsewhere

The protagonist of Assassin's Creed: Valhalla shouting in battle and wielding two axes.

Google recently announced that it plans to shutter its cloud gaming service Stadia in early 2023, leaving players who used it as one of their primary platforms in an awkward situation. Google already promised to refund people for their Google Stadia hardware and software purchases, but people are still losing access to games they enjoyed and save files they possibly dumped hours into. Thankfully, some developers are working on ways to help Stadia players.
The most notable studio to help Stadia players is Ubisoft, which was Google's earliest partner for the technology via an Assassin's Creed Odyssey demo. "While Stadia will shut down on January 18, 2023, we're happy to share that we're working to bring the games you own on Stadia to PC through Ubisoft Connect," Ubisoft tweeted. "We'll have more to share regarding specific details, as well as the impact for Ubisoft+ subscribers, at a later date." Thankfully, the Stadia versions of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, Far Cry 6, Immortals Fenyx Rising, Tom Clancy’s The Division 2, and Watch Dogs: Legion support cross-progression, so players won't lose their save files.
https://twitter.com/UbisoftSupport/status/1575922767593078793
Ubisoft isn't the only developer to help. Developer Muse Games is giving Embr Steam codes to those who played its comedic co-op firefighting game on Stadia if they email the developer with screenshots of Embr in their Stadia library. Meanwhile, IO Interactive confirmed that it is "looking into ways for you to continue your Hitman experience on other platforms," as the World of Assassination trilogy was available on Google Stadia.
There's still the matter of the five Google Stadia exclusives: Gylt, Hello Engineer, Outcasters, Pac-Man Mega Tunnel Battle, and PixelJunk Raiders. So far, only one of those games seems like it will be saved. PixelJunk Raiders developer Q-Games said in a blog post that "we hope to find a way to continue to share the vibrant worlds of Planet Tantal in the future, and we’re open to discussing opportunities to find the right publishing partner to make it happen.. Tequila Works, tinyBuild, Splash Damage, and Bandai Namco Entertainment did not respond to requests for comment from Digital Trends.
While the shutdown of Google Stadia is disappointing for players like myself who enjoy cloud gaming, at least players will be get refunds, and in some cases get the game for a new platform.

Gaming

Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope has a substantial season pass

Mario, Rabbid Peach, and more characters pose in Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope key art.

Nintendo announced that Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope will get a Season Pass. The company also announced it will be part of the Gold Edition of the game.

The Season Pass, which will be packaged into the Gold Edition, contains upcoming DLCs that will introduce additional story content with new heroes, quests, and battles. Other things that come with the Gold Edition of Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope are the base game and the Galactic Prestige Pack, which includes three new stylish weapon skins for your team that can be unlocked immediately.