God no, its better in every possible way. But it lacks a structure, an actual game that was designed. It just has better mechanics in everything, but they just left it at that, they didnt use those mechanics to form a game. It just feels like a random sandbox level. Its like they got the best ingredients for a meal, but they forgot to make the actual meal with those fine ingredients. So you're just left with tasting the individual ingredients, but you'd like to have the actual meal
Nah, I can't agree with that at all. Going from the first game to 2, it really felt like the mechanics and gameplay as a whole took a big hit quality wise. The first game pretty much perfected the art of gunplay and stealth in the context of a sandbox game, which is something that even GTA V couldn't pull off nearly at the same level (and I love V, it's a better game for sure). In the sequel, those aspects aren't nearly as satisfying. Marcus is supposed to be more green and vulnerable than Aiden, so he goes down more easily and is thus more reliant on a stealthy approach, yet the stealth is worse and you're far more prone to being seen by the enemy. And then when you are discovered, you've got to rely on shoddy gunplay mechanics that feel nowhere near as tight or punchy as they did in 1.
People say that the story and cast is a marked improvement over the first, but I can't even concur with that sentiment either. The story in 2 is crap, and it lacks any kind of narrative hook to engage the player. It can basically be summed up as 'This company is bad, let's form a band of hacktivists and fight back at the CEO in a series of missions until he's sent to jail.' No wonder the pre-orders weren't rolling in. And that's not even mentioning the severe ludonarrative dissonance. As gaming lexicon goes, I hate that term, but it sure is apt in regards to WD2. Marcus is more likeable than Aiden sure, but nothing about his character is believable or makes sense. He feels like he should be somebody who doesn't engage in fisticuffs or gunfights whatsoever when viewed upon in cutscenes, but when you're actually playing as him, you've no choice but to go full-on Trevor when the alarms are raised and you're pitted against a wave of security guards with a license to kill.
I think if there ever is a third Watch Dogs game, they should try to match the tone of the first game more, as it's far better suited to the kind of GTA-esque game that Ubisoft insists on making. Make Jordi the protagonist, insert more black comedy so as to avoid the po-faced self-seriousness of Watch Dogs 1, and bring back the excellent combat/stealth mechanics (gang hideouts and convoys were so good). Don't go the more light-hearted, hipster route, because it just doesn't gel.
Hopefully they go back to the style of the first Watch Dogs. They needed to improve what was already there and try to get it the level of the reveal demo. Not tear the whole thing down.
Exactly.