I had so much fun in Watch Dogs Legion! Not only did I get to revisit streets I’ve actually walked before in London, but I do think the storyline is very relevant.

It probably sounds like I’m shilling the game here since it’s made by Ubisoft. But I’m not at all involved in that project. I did get the game for free as a Ubisoft Employee though.

So in October of 2019, I went to London for a press event. I was alone when I visited the more major tourist attractions and I did mostly everything by foot. So I spent a lot of time in-game just walking around “new” London and showing my boyfriend all the places I visited! I was genuinely delighted to realize my memory and the game aligned so well that I could retrace my footsteps! It made me want to visit again for sure—if only things there weren’t so expensive. And I guess there’s Covid too.

Reason 2 why I loved this games: I can be an Asian grandma. So one of the selling points of this game is that you can be anyone you want in-game. The premise of Watch Dogs Legion is that in the near future, London gets taken over by private military groups while crime organizations are terrorizing citizens. As a member of DedSec, you’ll have to help take back London.

If you haven’t played the first two Watch Dogs, DedSec is a hacking collective aimed at exposing corporations or key leaders with dirt to hide. In Legion, you don’t play as one single member of DedSec: you can recruit Londoners you see on the streets who are also unhappy with the current state of things. I remember the E3 trailer showed the fact you can recruit grandmas around London!! And I knew I wanted an army of grandmas. I was so happy to find out there were Asian grandmas in game!

Each person you recruit comes with a different loadout and different perks, as well as weaknesses. The unfortunate thing about my grandma is that she can die at any moment from old age, and she also cannot sprint. She does however have a taser, and a neat bail out ability where she can talk to the police to release your other team members out of jail.

It’s worth noting that even amongst different Asian grandmas, you’ll get different perks and disadvantages! It’s really cool how unique the characters feel. Playing with permadeath on, you can help but feel responsible and a little sad when a team member you’ve had around for a while dies on a mission. You’ll likely never be able to find someone like them again during your play through.

Last thing I enjoy is definitely the plot. In reality, some cities around the world are currently putting on masks and fighting against corrupt governments. Facial recognition scanners exist and are used to reprimand civilian protestors. And there’s no doubt that amongst government and civil unrest, there are big companies benefiting off the chaos and uncertainty. Is the world of Watch Dogs Legion that far from our own?