Alana Fearnall – Seaman

The Dreamcast is my favorite console. It is, arguably, the most innovative and best console we will ever see. I attempted to fit a list of great games that were all on the Dreamcast here, but it would of taken up the 2 paragraphs that are supposed to be dedicated to Seaman.

Seaman is creepy, frustrating, and one of the most awkward games you will ever play. Which is why you should all go pick up a copy and demand an HD remake… for everything. 3DS, PS Vita, PS4, Xbox One, Wii U, PC, I don’t care. If it plays video games, I want a Seaman remake on it. Make one for the NES and I would probably play it. But no, really, this game is very messed up and, chances are if a site is making a list about the weirdest games of all time, Seaman will be on it.

The idea behind Seaman is to raise these creatures through different stages of life. They start out as Mushroomers, which proceed to inhabit Nautilus like creature after they kill it. As they grow into Gillmen, you will be able to talk to the messed up little buggers all you want. Don’t expect them to understand much of what you are saying, though. It was released at just the beginning stages of voice recognition. You are in control of the air and heat in the tank, so you’d have to be sure to check in on your precious little Seamen everyday. Did I mention Leonard Nimoy is one of the voices in the game?

Totally worth it.

Reuben Williams-Smith – TimeSplitters 2

HD remakes are only really necessary when a game’s mechanical foundation is rock solid but the actual polygons could do with refreshing for the 1080p era. With this in mind, there can be no better candidate for a graphical upgrade than TimeSplitters 2. From the art style to the atmosphere, the character design to the multiplayer, everything about this game makes me happy. And it’s not just nostalgia talking either, I’ve played it very recently and it’s still as wonderful as ever. Hailing from an age when local multiplayer was the norm, the deathmatches are frenetic, fast paced and exhilarating, as a variety of colorful characters battle with a selection of ludicrous weapons across a wealth of exotic and very well designed locations.

TimeSplitters 2 is easily one of the best FPS ever made, from this or any other console era. And now, 12 years after its release the only thing stopping TimeSplitters 2 from enamoring a whole new generation with it’s ridiculous magic is the graphical fidelity. The art style might fit the tone perfectly but even the greatest sense of nostalgia can’t disguise the fact that graphics have come a very long way in the last decade. Since the TimeSplitters licence is owned by Crytek, makers of some of the most visually stunning games in the history of ever, the prospect of seeing Duckman Drake or R-109 (look them up) rendered in CryEngine 3 is enough to make my inner 10 year old giggle with delight.

Matthew Kline – MechAssault 1 and 2

I still want to see MechAssault and MechAssault 2: Lone Wolf brought back to life. I remember when I first got the original Xbox, MechAssault was one of the first titles I bought. I was so excited to get home and put it in the console. Being a huge fan of giant robots and things like Mobile Suit Gundam, I sat there and played it for hours, just running around and blowing up other mechs. I couldn’t get enough.

Being younger at the time, I didn’t keep up with much video game news. I ended up at GameStop one day and there I saw MechAssault 2: Lone Wolf; I had to pick it up. It was even better than the first, you could get out of your mech and get in other mechs, travel huge maps and it looked even better graphics-wise. Both really introduced me to the concept of destructible environments and I’ve been in love ever since.

Tony Chavez – Mega Man Legends

Thinking on it, there are so many games from every era of gaming that I could easily of tossed out into this feature. I’m going with Mega Man Legends, though, on the basis that it’s easily still one of my all-time favorite PS1 games. I’m also picking it because Capcom totally screwed us all out of Mega Man Legends 3 and I still haven’t gotten over it.

My own personal qualms aside, in my head the Legends series in general is rather over-ripe for a HD re-imagining. But let’s start slow and focus on the first game, as on it’s own it’s just the sort of visually colorful fare that would absolutely pop in a higher resolution. It’s also chock-full of wacky characters, cool weapons, awesome boss fights, and the villains are a goddamned rag-tag gang of airship pirates. Plus, I swear some of the underground dungeons in the first game went on literally forever. Or maybe I was running in circles, but considering that I had fun doing it, I think the point is that Capcom doesn’t enjoy me throwing my entire wallet at them, else this would already be a thing by now.

Chris Vellucci – The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask

Nintendo is not one to do HD remakes, in fact it’s not one to do any sort of remakes. So after we saw Ocarina of Time come to the 3DS every Zelda fan has been waiting with bated breath for the announcement of Majora’s Mask for the 3DS. Unfortunately, we’ve had no such luck.

We saw the capability of the Wii U and it’s HD prowess with The Wind Waker. The cel-shaded art style definitely aided in showing off the HD capabilities of the console. We haven’t seen a realistically styled Zelda installment since Twilight Princess and the upcoming Zelda for Wii U will follow the cel-shaded path that The Wind Waker and Skyward Sword paved. Majora’s Mask HD could be Nintendo’s chance, once again, to boast their artistic skills especially with the vast array of environments present in the game.

Majora’s Mask boasts a vast swampland, snow-capped mountains, a murky sea, and a creepy canyon. In the swampland you’ll encounter exotic animals and flowers that all bath in a poisonous purple pool. In this section you play as a Deku, who has to battle a colorful menace, Odolwa. In the mountains, you are a Goron bashing crystalline ice to fight the mechanical beast, Goht. In the sea, you swim through the water as a Zora to battle the giant fish, Gyorg. Finally, you traverse the canyon using all three masks to battle the gargantuan insect, Twinmold. After all of that is finally completed you then call upon the giants to stall the moon from destroying Clock Town so that you can enter the eerie, serene, land inside of the moon to battle Majora’s Mask, once and for all, in all its forms and colors.

All of these characters and environments would be truly majestic in HD. Nintendo creates some of the most creative and surreal locations known to gaming. If Majora’s Mask is never given a HD make over, there will forever be a sense of emptiness within my gaming heart that no other HD remake could ever fill.

Buddy Acker – Final Fantasy XII

Karl Dodds – Crash Team Racing

I’ve been a fan of Crash Bandicoot ever since the marsupial made his first appearance on the original PlayStation. I played every game in the series on the PS1 and still regularly go back to them on my PS Vita. Part of the reason that I can go back to these games again and again could very well be attributed to nostalgia, but the fact of the matter is they’re still incredibly fun to play. The one game that I keep going back to the most however is Crash Team Racing.

I’ve played CTR  for countless hours across every PlayStation platform it’s been available on. And while I have no qualms playing it in it’s original state, I’d still love nothing more than to see it recieve a HD remake. The Crash Bandicoot franchise has been left idle for too long at this point. A HD remake of CTR  would help bring in new fans to the dormant franchise and I’m sure it would please old fans alike. I couldn’t think of anything better for the franchise, barring a new entry entirely.

I was never big on Nintendo growing up. Instead of being blessed with countless iterations of Mario Kart, Crash Team Racing was all I had. For me, it’s the most iconic kart racer. I still know each track off by heart, where all the short-cuts are, when to boost most efficiently. Being able to whiz round the tracks in full glorious HD would be a dream come true. Deep down I know it will never happen, but if Abe’s Oddysee can get a HD remake why can’t Crash!?

Sean Mesler – The Operative: No One Lives Forever

I’m showing up with a late contribution: The Operative: No One Lives Forever. Though I don’t really want a HD remake as much as I want the original game with a full make over for current gen consoles. Made by Monolith, No One Lives Forever was highly lauded way back in 2000 when it released and for good reason. Not only was it an excellent FPS which had great stealth mechanics, non-linear level design and a great art style – set in the 1060’s with a satirical coat of paint – it was damned funny too.

Rumor has it a re-release is coming, but legal issues seem to be holding it back. Not sure if today’s audience would respond well to it, but I honestly don’t care. I just want to play this game again, damn it.

Let us know some games you’d like to see get a HD make over below!

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“If fans say, ‘Hey, we’d really like this on a next-gen console,’ well, we’ll think about that, but right now we’re concentrating on the consoles we know.”

You best bet to make your feelings on the matter known would be to tweet or email the respective companies working on the new title. So direct your tweets to: @GearboxSoftware, @2K_ANZ, @2K, and @DuvalMagic (Randy Pitchford, CEO/President of Gearbox).

Source: GameReactor

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Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel will release this October on PS3, Xbox 360, and PC.

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So, for this weeks SpawnStaff picks, I decided to ask the staff what their all time favorite indie title was:

Alana Fearnall – Terraria

The open world crafting genre is fairly new, with two major pioneers; Minecraft and Terraria. As much as I enjoyed Minecraft, I doubt any game could come close to beating Terraria‘s creativity and ability to get everything just right. Terraria added in NPC’s, customizable characters, different tiers or armor, dungeons, end game content, and most importantly: bosses. If you haven’t spent all of the night phase killing the ‘Eye of Chutulu’ just to see how many times you can do it, you are doing something wrong.

If Terraria has one problem it’s that the game can’t be enjoyed on your own. Although its a great multiplayer experience, most people are unwilling to pick up the game as they “Already have Minecraft“. Either way, it’s the type of game you will log at least 100 hours into. For only 10 dollars on Steam, that seems like a good deal to me.

Matthew Kline – Project Zomboid

Project Zomboid is the post-apoclayptic zombie survival-horror game you’ve always wanted, but more than likely not aware that it exists. While it is still an early-access indie title, it plays very much like a finished product. Taking a Diablo-like top-down perspective, you customize a character, with traits, and are dropped into one of two maps. You can do sandbox or survival modes at varying difficulties and with sandbox you are able to customize what type of zombies are in the world, what traits they have and even when water and electricity go out. What happens next is up to you.

You can travel the entire map, but there is no “main map” that lets you know where you are at. You have to remember each location and where you are going. You are limited sight wise to what your character can see, so you know the area around you, but you can’t see zombies or inside buildings unless you are looking in that direction. Every building can be entered, looted and made into a safe house. You can board it up, build wooden extensions and start a farm. You have to make sure you keep drinking and eating while getting enough sleep, and avoid getting sick while treating other injuries properly. In my opinion, it’s the best zombie apocalypse simulator and not to be missed for $14.99 on Steam. It’s available for PC, Mac and Linux.

Reuben Williams-Smith – Guacamelee

One of the best things about the indie gaming industry is the freedom from the rigid tropes of structure and genre that holds so many of the larger gaming companies hostage. This also tends to mean that games that get made are closer to passion projects rather than just a job given to a bunch of bored developers who’d rather make anything else. And that love shines through, in every game from Transistor to my pick for this week’s article, Drinkbox Studios metroidvania (or should that be mexicovania, am I right guys?) game Guacamelee.

Gucamelee just oozes joy and love and attention to detail, from the brightly colored world to the catchy and thoroughly enjoyable in it’s own right soundtrack, to the collection of colorful characters which populate it’s hub towns and boss stages to the knowing humor that adds another level of enjoyment to the already rather lovely backgrounds (Loco Lobo brand tequila anyone?). Beneath all of the great game design and delightful aesthetic there’s a solid foundation of gameplay to back it all up. Guacamelee is a 2D brawler at heart, its tight controls and simple but addictive combo system make it an absolute delight to play.

The argument about video games being art usually relies on games with limited interactivity and unlimited pretension. But Guacamelee is not just art, but beautiful art at that. The fact that it was made by a small team of people without the backing of a large corporate empire makes it all the more wonderful, if not surprising in that regard. Guacamelee is a great game, regardless of its ‘indie’ stats, and the stigma that might carry. Not just a great indie game, but a great game, full stop.

Sean Mesler – Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons

Anyone that knows me knows I’m super selective with the indie games I play. I’m way more of a AAA game guy, however, when I do play an indie game, it has to be something I find to have an interesting premise, a gorgeous non-pixelart style and provide me with a unique experience I can’t get from a AAA game. With those caveats in mind, my choice is Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons.

For me, no other game is as co-dependent on mechanics and story as Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons. What at first seemed like a novel approach to controls quickly becomes so inseparable from the story game director Josef Fares has told that it becomes nearly magical at the emotional climax. Few games have affected me the way Brothers did. I highly recommend this to everyone. It’s that good.

Brian O’Donnell – Broforce

Explosions, biceps, more explosions, and famous action heroes in majestic 8-bit glory. All of these things are what make Broforce my favorite indie game of all time. It crazy, simple, and fun to play, both by yourself and with your bros. The main premise of the game is that your bros have been kidnapped and its up to you to rescue them. Your army of bros is made up of action heroes from the 80’s, 90’s, and 2000’s, but with the word “bro” crammed into the name somehow. For example, the Broforce version of John Rambo from the Rambo series is named Rambro, and Will Smith from Men in Black is called the Bro in Black. Each bro has their own, character-specific weapon and ability; Rambro has a SMG as his primary weapon and throws grenades as his special, while the Bro in Black’s primary weapon is the Noisy Cricket and uses the Neuralyzer as his special.

As you rescue bros, they become playable and serve as your lives. When a bro dies, a new one gets tagged in, so you have to adjust the way you play depending on which bro you have out. This allows for great variations in gameplay throughout a level. The levels themselves are full-on sandboxes, allowing you blast new paths out of the platforms, which allows for infinite ways to approach a level. Oh, did I mention explosions, BECAUSE EVERYTHING EXPLODES AND ITS AWESOME! Who doesn’t love explosions?! I sure do! So if you like explosions, being an action hero, and crazy mayhem and fun, do yourself a favor and pick up Broforce NOW.

Tony Chavez – Flower

I never expected to be as in love with Flower as I currently am, honestly. It seemed at initial face value to be a little too simple for my tastes, and the sort of experience that would only hold my attention for a fleeting moment. But damn, does that game still have a fierce hold on me years after it was first released on PS3, and well onto it’s perfectly appropriate return when the PS4 launched last November.

Right off the bat, the game is easily and without question still one of the most visually stunning games currently available, and the gyroscope-heavy controls are still as fluid and easy to get the hang of as ever. While the basic idea behind Flower is still as easy to understand as you might remember (Restore the balance of nature! Environmentalism! Yeah!), it’s not that that makes me want to pick up the game so much, it’s the fact that it’s essentially become my go-to gaming happy place. Having a bad day? Go float around the first level for a while, and start to feel the zen flow in to your soul. Trust me when I say that after spending a little while riding the wind, you’ll feel way better afterwards.

So there you have some of the SpawnStaff’s favorite indie games, let us know what yours are!

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Source: Twitter

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This is NOT a screenshot of Mirror’s Edge.

Blue Estate  puts you in control of Tony Luciano for the first part of the game (as well as the final mission). He’s the son of L.A.’s most respected mob boss. Tony desperately wants his fathers love and approval—that is until his father tries to trade him for Blue Estate (Blue Estate is Tony’s father’s prized horse who has been kidnapped). After Tony skips town you take control of Clarence. He’s an ex-solider who in Tony’s absence has been hired to reclaim Blue Estate for the Luciano family. All of this is narrated to you by Roy Devine, a more than questionable private detective.

The game never takes itself seriously. It heavily features juvenile, borderline racist humor that it can get away with because in this game, in this world, with these characters, it fits. These characters are most certainly not PC, so to have them act as such wouldn’t make any sense. Sometimes the jokes fail to land, but there were more than a few instances that raised a genuine laugh. One instance being a low-budget John Woo homage that I won’t say any more about for fear of ruining the moment.

During one mission you can shoot beehives to momentarily distract enemies . We’ll see who brings in more honey.

This is not your traditional FPS game. For better or for worse, Blue Estate  is an on-rails ‘light gun’ shooter. The only caveat is that the light gun in question is your DualShock 4 controller. Aiming is handled by the gyroscope within the controller, so while you don’t have to have it pointed at the TV, it helps if you do, just so you can keep a better handle of where the crosshair is at all times. That said, if you lose track of the crosshair a quick tap of L1 or up on the D-pad will immediately re-center it. Remember that, because you will have to use this function a lot. That is unless you sit lifelessly staring at the screen and don’t move an inch while playing.

There is a bit of a learning curve as you get to grips with how the game controls. The gyroscope is quite sensitive and sadly you can’t alter its speed. Once you’ve got the hang of how it controls you’ll soon be moving from headshot to nutshot with relative ease. A yellow circle on an enemy will indicate the most immediate threat so be sure to take them down quickly, depending on how many enemies are on screen at the time though it’s easier said than done.

The game only features seven missions, each of which can be completed in around 20 to 30 minutes. You’re looking at less than three hours total unique gameplay. If you’re leaderboard crazy or an avid trophy hunter you’ll get a little more play time out of it. To be brutally honest, the on-rails nature of the game just seems gimmicky for the sake of having a gimmick, as do some other things in the game, like having to regularly sweep Tony’s hair off screen with the DualShock’s touchpad, or kicking a horny chihuahua off of Clarence’s leg.

If these things happened once or twice then I would say it added to the humor of the game and I’d consider them a novelty, but having them occur multiple times throughout each mission is just annoying. Especially in the heat of battle when you’re trying to line up your next kill, having Tony’s hair draped over the screen could mean game over if you don’t react quick enough to swipe it away. I can’t help but feel the game would have garnered more popularity if it ditched the on-rails approach and stuck with the tried and true FPS formula. That said, it’s a damn site better than the [similar] Rambo: The Video Game.

Definitely NOT the Death Star.

At the start of the first mission you get four lives to play with; after that it’s game over and you have to start the mission over from the beginning, no checkpoints, no nothing. However, if you do completely fail a mission you’ll get awarded a permanent extra life that will carry over across all other missions, which is a nice compromise. Luckily, I only failed the first and last mission once apiece, so by the end of the game I had a total of six permanent lives. It doesn’t seem like a huge deal to have to start a mission over as they are quite short anyhow, but I can see it being a pain in the ass on harder difficulties.

While Blue Estate  is certainly nice to look at, I don’t see it winning any graphical awards. The game is similar in looks to The Darkness 2. Cutscenes are presented in a graphic novel style and are quite short in length; you won’t have to worry about any hour long cutscenes here.

We’re in the summer drought of video games. It’ll be another couple of months before the holiday releases start coming in thick and fast, so if your stuck for something to play right now you could do a lot worse than Blue Estate, but at the same time I feel the asking price is a little steep for less than three hours of content. I would advise waiting until the price comes down a little before biting the bullet on this.

SpawnFirst Recommends…

Blue Estate  certainly has its moments. It’s a fun game that’s marred with more than a few moments of frustration. If you’re a fan of classic arcade light gun games then Blue Estate  should be right up your alley. However, its short nature should make you think twice before you part with your cash.

The post Blue Estate Review appeared first on SpawnFirst.

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Alana Fearnall – Donkey Kong

For any Nintendo fan, I certainly hope that Donkey Kong would be pretty high up on the non-human protagonist scale. Although Donkey Kong was initially seen as an antagonist, throwing barrels down a ladder towards Mario as he tried to rescue Pauline, Nintendo quickly turned this around by giving Donkey Kong his own game series, Donkey Kong Country.

Throughout the years Donkey Kong has become a front runner for Nintendo, and rightfully so. He’s an ape, for Pete’s sake! Let me clarify: an ape driving a cart, beating up electric mice over rushing rivers of water, and blowing people away in party settings. Donkey Kong has found a special place in everyone’s heart. Whether its out of love or hate. (For bonus points be sure to sing the Donkey Kong 64  rap whenever you are winning as Donkey Kong. It really helps. I swear.)

Reuben Williams-Smith – Crash Bandicoot

The tradition of anthropomorphic animals as characters in video games is a long and storied one, from Sonic the Hedgehog to Spyro the Dragon and whatever that lizard thing was in Bubble Bobble. But for those of us who remember the golden age of 3D platform games, when the original PlayStation was king and developers understood that there were colors other than brown and grey they could use to fill their games, one name stands above all others, a name that even now brings a sense of childlike excitement and tingling nostalgia to even the most stony hearted Xbox fanboy. I’m speaking, of course, of Crash Bandicoot. Born alongside the aforementioned purple dragon as a mascot for the PlayStation console, Naughty Dog’s original adventurer is possibly the greatest character ever who also happens to be a genetically engineered anthropomorphised marsupial.

The original Crash Bandicoot title was a colorful explosion of personality and charm. Crash would jump, spin, and head stomp across a small pacific island chain in an effort to stop the nefarious Dr. Neo Cortex and save his lady love. The second game opened up a whole world of possibilities to our hero as he teamed up with his ex-nemesis to save the world from cataclysm. And in Crash Bandicoot: Warped, the final act of the original and greatest games he battled across space and time to save us all. Granted, some of the games after that were a little iffy to say the least, but Crash Team Racing  was awesome, and Crash Bash  wasn’t terrible for the most part. But, for me at least, those first three Naughty Dog titles will always be some of my fondest gaming memories. And damn, if that music isn’t catchy as hell.

Tony Chavez – Yoshi

Yoshi started off as Mario’s trusty new sidekick/steed when he debuted way back in the now classic Super Mario World  (also known for a number of reasons as one of my favorite games EVER), and in the years since has become one of my favorite characters on Nintendo’s overall roster. Why? Well, besides the many well-deserved and often creative opportunities Nintendo has given him to shine on his own, including the totally great Yoshi’s Island series, numerous cameos in the Mario Kart and Smash Bros. series, and the upcoming (and totally adorable-looking) Yoshi’s Woolly World, I guess I have a soft spot for giant friendly lizards. I mean, look at him! How could you not fall in love with that face?

Yoshi is also so memorable because he’s easily one of the more useful companions in gaming. Period. This comes not only in devouring my turtle-shelled enemies and spitting them out again in a number of ways—including as fireballs, eggs, or a nice pair of shiny wings for himself—but because he always does it in a way that never feels completely intrusive or actively forced. Plus, if you haven’t noticed yet, even without saying a word, he has insane amounts of lovable charm just oozing from him. Oh, and did I mention that he has his own island and comes in an almost rainbow-like variety of colors? There’s a Yoshi for every occasion!

‘King’ Buddy Acker – Amaterasu

When I think of non-human protagonists, many names come to mind. None of them measure up to Amaterasu from Okami. Amaterasu is unmatched in her awesomeness. She’s a sun goddess who saves the world in wolf form. And she does it all by painting with a “Celestial Brush” that is located on her tail.

Okami  is very simliar to The Legend of Zelda; both even include a silent protagonist which helps prove that fact in a sort of way. But forget Link, even in Twilight Princess, when you can play as a wolf the whole damn time (sorry Link; Amaterasu still comes out on top). Plus, did I mention Amaterasu is a SUN GODDESS?! Oh yeah, I did. She is truly the epitome of cool.

Brian O’Donnell – Fox McCloud

My personal favorite non-human protagonist has always been, and always will be, Fox McCloud from the Star Fox series. As a huge Star Wars fan, Star Fox 64  gave me the opportunity to engage in epic space battles, just like my hero Luke Skywalker. However, the more I played Star Fox, the less I saw it as a knockoff of Star Wars, and more of its own fandom entirely. For me, Fox went from a wannabe Jedi, to his own awesome entity. While there are some parallels between Fox and Luke, like a dead father, and being the best pilot in the galaxy, Fox’s charisma and understanding of the galaxy set him apart from his Jedi counterpart.

As the leader of his team, Fox has to deal with a lot, like picking up the slack for incompetent team mates. Somehow he never becomes annoyed with them constantly begging to be saved. Unlike Luke, Fox has had to fight giant monsters while piloting his Arwing, as well as navigate crazy enemy bases and asteroid fields. Fox has also had to save the galaxy WITHOUT the help of some mystical super power, and instead has to rely entirely on skill. So ask yourself: is Fox a knock off of Luke Skywalker, or is Luke Skywalker a wannabe version of Fox McCloud?

Karl Dodds – Abe

No list of great non-human protagonists would be complete without including Abe from the Oddworld series. In the beginning of Abe’s Oddysee  he is a slave worker at Rupture Farms. He soon begins an effort to escape when he learns of the lovely folks at Rupture Farms plans to start harvesting his race, the Mudokons, for a new meat product they intend to sell. You can’t help but be entertained by his journey as he clumsily makes his escape, and humorously interacts with fellow members of his race as he tries to save them from their impending, but oh so tasty, doom.

Although the subject matter of the game is very mature, you don’t have to play it that way. I spent countless hours getting into slap fights with my brethren then sheepishly apologizing so they’d once again be friendly with me. Not only that, but I would purposely lead my fellow Mudokons through clouds of laughing gas, just because. I’m sure Abe hated me for it.

When all is said and done, Abe is a great character. He always has the best intentions at heart. He tries to avoid violence if possible. In fact, Abe technically never harms anyone himself throughout the game, although he does have the ability to possess the guards in the game and make them explode… but that’s just semantics. Regardless, I can’t wait to get to control Abe again later this year when Oddworld: New ‘N’ Tasty  launches.

Let us know some of your favorite non-human protagonists in the comments below!

The post SpawnStaff Picks: Top 6 Non-Human Protagonists appeared first on SpawnFirst.

“My hat and trench coat are more memorable than my personality.”

1. A Better Protagonist and More of Jordi Chin

If I’m being honest I think the character of Aiden Pearce was a little bland. Aiden’s motives for his actions during the game were clear, but that didn’t make him an interesting character. Noam Jenkins’s delivery often left something to be desired. Ubisoft took a risk choosing Jenkins as the voice of Aiden, don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying that Nolan North and Troy Baker should voice every character ever, but Jenkins voice acting talent was unproven as this was his first game role. If you’re looking to launch a new franchise with a memorable lead at least use someone who can effectively convey an array of emotions; don’t just pick a generic, gruff, macho sounding guy.

I found myself more interested in the character of Jordi Chin than Aiden Pearce. Chin was criminally underused throughout the game. I wouldn’t mind a spin-off or a sequel starring him.

2. Better Driving

The driving in Watch Dogs was pretty bad to say the least. There were a few select cars that handled somewhat decently, but more often than not you’d find yourself swerving all over the road, crashing into things and accidentally running over pedestrians. If you were trying to play the game with a good reputation then obviously accidentally running over pedestrians is counter-intuitive to that goal.

Motorbikes handled quite well for the most part, but you shouldn’t be forced to use them if you want a smooth driving experience. They should be there as they were first intended—an option. When you create a game that relies heavily on driving from point A to point B then driving should be fun, not a chore. This needs to be fixed for the sequel.

“I’m just going to take this corner up ahead nice and slow… and yep, I swerved into a ditch.”

3. In-Car Shooting

Numerous times throughout Watch Dogs  you’ll find yourself having to either chase down an enemy in a vehicle, or find that you are the one being chased. During these portions of the game you feel particularly defenseless because you can’t shoot while driving. This feeling of defenselessness is especially true during the early portions of the game, before you unlock some of the advanced hacks that allow you to blow up steam pipes and raise the city blockers to take down your pursuing enemies. More often than not when I was in a car chase I would resort to getting ahead of my enemy, leaving my vehicle and shooting them on-foot. In-car shooting would make these encounters much more gamer friendly.

I don’t see a real reason why hacking and shooting while driving can’t co-exist. While it may have been a conscious decision on Ubisoft’s part to omit in-car shooting, I still feel its absence hinders gameplay. I understand they wanted to have the focus on hacking but providing the player with more choice is never a bad thing.

4. A New Location

Chicago was a great location and I enjoyed exploring it for the most part, but I think if they stick to the same city for the inevitable sequel it will get old real quick. Ubisoft should mix up the location, Assassin’s Creed  style, to keep things fresh. There aren’t many open world games set in England anymore, especially after The Getaway  fell off the face of the earth. Perhaps a Watch Dogs  set in London would be a good idea. Ubisoft have already had a game set in London recently, ZombiU, so they are no stranger to the city.

I’m sure Aiden would have a hack to lift up that bridge… Somehow.

5. Drivable Aerial Vehicles

In the context of the game and the story it doesn’t really make sense for Aiden Pearce to be an expert pilot. Regardless it was a real shame not to be able to take to the skies of Chicago in a plane or helicopter. Especially seen as the police could pursue you in helicopters, which was the ultimate tease. For the next game, if a new protagonist is introduced then perhaps ‘pilot’ could be part of his (or her) skill set, or possibly make it something you can learn in game a la Grand Theft Auto.

Those are just a few of the things I’d like to see in a Watch Dogs sequel, let us know if you agree or disagree and share some of your own ideas in the comments below.

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