Watch Dogs: Legion Is Unmistakably Political, And It Needs To Follow Through

After a string of bombings across London, the enigmatic entity named Zero-Day claims responsibility by contacting the first of many operatives you control, before sending in drones to kill that character. Series-long hacker group DedSec is framed for the attacks and London quickly descends into a police state where a private military corporation (PMC), called Albion, takes over law enforcement while organized crime flourishes like never before.

In a presentation, game director Clint Hocking made the point very clear that Watch Dogs: Legion is political. Instead of skirting the topic, Hocking stated this version of London is "inspired by the current times we are living in." He continued, "Social inequalities are growing, partisan politics are stoking the flames of division, nationalism is on the rise, unemployment is up," describing the high-tech dystopian setting. He goes on to point out that Albion are perpetrators of police brutality and abuse, and that DedSec has grown from its hacker roots to a full resistance movement that fights for the common people.

These are bold words, and from a follow-up conversation with Hocking, I get the impression that he and the team are well aware of the context they're working within. But it's one thing to hear them speak on it and another to see how the game itself handles this. I had the chance to play Watch Dogs: Legion in a four-hour hands-on session, and I'll say this: Although I'm hopeful it can deliver a strong message, that doesn't come without its concerns.

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