Watch Dogs is a joyless experience

The Something Awful Forums > The Finer Arts > Imp Zone > Watch Dogs is a joyless experience

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FactsAreUseless: Feb 16, 2011

Y-Hat posted:

"hmmm do i trash Watch Dogs by saying that it's a joyless AAA FPS game with glitches out the rear end, a main character named Aidan, and no qualities that distinguish it from other AAA FPS games?

nah i'll just play the "white dudes" card, that'll go over better" -OP

It's not an FPS, your white privilege is showing.

# ? Aug 24, 2014 21:00

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# ? Apr 26, 2024 03:55

get that OUT of my face: Feb 10, 2007

FactsAreUseless posted:

It's not an FPS, your white privilege is showing.

drat you're right

the neoliberal cabal of white males will be on my rear end for this

# ? Aug 24, 2014 21:01

Concordat: Mar 4, 2007; Secondary Objective: Commit Fraud - Complete

White people are far worse than this game, let's be honest here.

# ? Aug 24, 2014 21:03

get that OUT of my face: Feb 10, 2007

Concordat posted:

White people are far worse than this game, let's be honest here.

this is the Imp Zone, leave your politics at the door

(you're right but let's focus on the fact that this game is bad)

# ? Aug 24, 2014 21:07

Eye of Widesauron: Mar 29, 2014

This is getting mighty close to a riot

# ? Aug 24, 2014 21:10

Eye of Widesauron: Mar 29, 2014

Better disperse

# ? Aug 24, 2014 21:10

FactsAreUseless: Feb 16, 2011

I look forward to the hacking mechanic appearing in a better game, like whatever lovely mobile cash-in constitutes the next Deus Ex.

# ? Aug 24, 2014 21:12

Vitamin P: Nov 19, 2013; Can't post for 6 days!

The alone digital trip was pretty legit

# ? Aug 24, 2014 21:27

Endorph: Jul 22, 2009

watch dogs is a pretty white-rear end game though

if it was a person it'd go to the other side of the street when it saw a black guy

# ? Aug 24, 2014 21:36

MarioTeachesWiping: Nov 1, 2006; by XyloJW

Endorph posted:

watch dogs is a pretty white-rear end game though

if it was a person it'd go to the other side of the street when it saw a black guy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hC83kY3rywE

# ? Aug 24, 2014 21:49

MarioTeachesWiping: Nov 1, 2006; by XyloJW

I Don't Think You Deserve Redemption, Aiden Pearce

by Patrick Klepek on July 17, 2014

Watch Dogs didn't leave much of an impression during my 20 hours with it, but I can't stop thinking about the game's final choice.
(We're going to talk spoilers for Watch Dogs. Fair warning.)

At the end of Watch Dogs, Aiden Pearce and the player are presented with a choice. A man is tied to a chair, openly weeping and begging for his life. Want to pull the trigger? The player can end his life or walk away. The game doesn't comment on your choice, either. After, the interrupted credits keep rolling.

You kill hundreds, if not thousands, of people in Watch Dogs. Though it's a game themed around hacking and technological subversion, most problems are solved much faster with a bullet. If you run over a civilian in Watch Dogs, it slightly alters how the citizens feel about you, but despite (accidentally) running over many Chicago residents, it didn't impact the game. The act of killing is routine, and Watch Dogs doesn't spend time humanizing the people around you. If anything, Watch Dogs deliberately dangles one-note stereotypes to ensure the bullets are spraying.

That's not true for the character at the end of Watch Dogs, though. The man in the chair is Maurice Vega. Watch Dogs opens with Aiden and his partner, Damien, during a virtual bank heist. But the two stumble upon a mysterious file, which alerts a nearby hacker, and their identities are discovered. Aiden tries to flee with sister, Nicole, and her two children, Lena and Jackson. A hitman, who we eventually learn is Maurice, is sent to take out Aiden. The attack ends up crashing the car, which sends Lena into a coma that she never wakes up from. Watch Dogs then follows Aiden tracking down those responsible for her death.

But Aiden is an rear end in a top hat. I haven't violently disliked a character this much in a long time. Ignoring how the game never, ever tries to explain how Aiden is a master hacker who's also a gun expert, he constantly put his family and the citizens of Chicago in danger. Need to escape a building? Don't worry, just shut down power at a major sports game attended by tens of thousands of people. Cops on your tail? Bah, trigger a bridge while traffic's crossing! Aiden is directly responsible for Lena's death because he's a criminal. As the storyline in Watch Dogs plays out, the cycle repeats. He's responsible for hitmen going after his nephew, and he's responsible for his sister getting kidnapped. Aiden was not randomly targeted by an unjust system; he was being a dick.

Watch Dogs is not a game about players living with consequences, either intended or unintended. You're following a linear story set within an open world, and you're meant to accomplish objective A, B, and C while moving from D to E. Watch Dogs does not give the player many options when it comes to roleplaying. It's possible to make Aiden a bit stealthier and kill slightly fewer people along the way, but it's pointless. Aiden's arc has been determined by the game's writers, and players have little input.

Yet, eventually, you are given a choice. That's what makes the final sequence with Maurice so interesting.

Aiden deserved to be punished for his actions. The ending tries to portray Watch Dogs as Aiden's origin story, events required to produce a hacking superhero that will use his powers for good. But nothing suggests Aiden earned redemption. He's not a hero.

When I play video games, especially ones with player choice, I'm Han Solo, the renegade with a heart of gold. I'm always trying to do the right thing, though unafraid to crack a few eggs along the way. But that wasn't an option in Watch Dogs. Aiden was going to act a certain way, no matter what. Destined to dickitude. Even if your version of Aiden tried to show restraint, that was never, ever reflected in the story. He was always an rear end in a top hat walking around with blinders, oblivious to the chaos created in his wake.

And that's fine! Not every game needs to give players influence over character development, but Watch Dogs doesn't hand over the keys to Aiden's heart and mind until its final curtain call. It's an odd choice. If the game wants to tell the story of an everyman whose noble intentions go horribly awry, do it. (I'm not sure this is even true. The ending's tone points to writers sympathetic to Aiden's decisions.) But have the balls to make Aiden's final choice, too. Asking the player is an M. Night Shyamalan twist, a cop out.

To fully understand what's happening, we need to rewind to its opening moments, too. Watch Dogs begins with Aiden pointing a gun at Maurice, hoping the man will spill who ordered the original hit. Your first action in Watch Dogs is firing a gun. But the game subverts expectations, revealing there's no ammo.

Being confronted with Maurice a second time is Watch Dogs coming full circle. My Han Solo gut was telling me to let Maurice go. As with any criminal conspiracy, he was one pawn among many. Who needs more blood on their hands? But that's not what Aiden would have done. Up until this point, Aiden has killed without a trace of guilt, doubt, or hesitation. Me? I wouldn't pull the trigger. But Aiden would. Aiden wouldn't be able to resist ending the life of a person who had caused him so much pain, misguided or not.

So I made Aiden pull the trigger, and Maurice was dead.

It felt satisfying. Not because I was happy to see Maurice's body slump to the floor, but I'd subverted the game's storytelling. The ending wants you to believe Aiden to be good, and gins up a happy ending. But Aiden doesn't deserve one. He's a bad guy. In trying to do the right thing, he constantly did the opposite.

Screw off, Aiden. Good riddance.

# ? Aug 24, 2014 21:50

Liquid Penguins: Feb 18, 2006; by Cowcaster; Grimey Drawer

Cyra posted:

I Don't Think You Deserve Redemption, Aiden Pearce

by Patrick Klepek on July 17, 2014

Watch Dogs didn't leave much of an impression during my 20 hours with it, but I can't stop thinking about the game's final choice.
(We're going to talk spoilers for Watch Dogs. Fair warning.)

At the end of Watch Dogs, Aiden Pearce and the player are presented with a choice. A man is tied to a chair, openly weeping and begging for his life. Want to pull the trigger? The player can end his life or walk away. The game doesn't comment on your choice, either. After, the interrupted credits keep rolling.

You kill hundreds, if not thousands, of people in Watch Dogs. Though it's a game themed around hacking and technological subversion, most problems are solved much faster with a bullet. If you run over a civilian in Watch Dogs, it slightly alters how the citizens feel about you, but despite (accidentally) running over many Chicago residents, it didn't impact the game. The act of killing is routine, and Watch Dogs doesn't spend time humanizing the people around you. If anything, Watch Dogs deliberately dangles one-note stereotypes to ensure the bullets are spraying.

That's not true for the character at the end of Watch Dogs, though. The man in the chair is Maurice Vega. Watch Dogs opens with Aiden and his partner, Damien, during a virtual bank heist. But the two stumble upon a mysterious file, which alerts a nearby hacker, and their identities are discovered. Aiden tries to flee with sister, Nicole, and her two children, Lena and Jackson. A hitman, who we eventually learn is Maurice, is sent to take out Aiden. The attack ends up crashing the car, which sends Lena into a coma that she never wakes up from. Watch Dogs then follows Aiden tracking down those responsible for her death.

But Aiden is an rear end in a top hat. I haven't violently disliked a character this much in a long time. Ignoring how the game never, ever tries to explain how Aiden is a master hacker who's also a gun expert, he constantly put his family and the citizens of Chicago in danger. Need to escape a building? Don't worry, just shut down power at a major sports game attended by tens of thousands of people. Cops on your tail? Bah, trigger a bridge while traffic's crossing! Aiden is directly responsible for Lena's death because he's a criminal. As the storyline in Watch Dogs plays out, the cycle repeats. He's responsible for hitmen going after his nephew, and he's responsible for his sister getting kidnapped. Aiden was not randomly targeted by an unjust system; he was being a dick.

Watch Dogs is not a game about players living with consequences, either intended or unintended. You're following a linear story set within an open world, and you're meant to accomplish objective A, B, and C while moving from D to E. Watch Dogs does not give the player many options when it comes to roleplaying. It's possible to make Aiden a bit stealthier and kill slightly fewer people along the way, but it's pointless. Aiden's arc has been determined by the game's writers, and players have little input.

Yet, eventually, you are given a choice. That's what makes the final sequence with Maurice so interesting.

Aiden deserved to be punished for his actions. The ending tries to portray Watch Dogs as Aiden's origin story, events required to produce a hacking superhero that will use his powers for good. But nothing suggests Aiden earned redemption. He's not a hero.

When I play video games, especially ones with player choice, I'm Han Solo, the renegade with a heart of gold. I'm always trying to do the right thing, though unafraid to crack a few eggs along the way. But that wasn't an option in Watch Dogs. Aiden was going to act a certain way, no matter what. Destined to dickitude. Even if your version of Aiden tried to show restraint, that was never, ever reflected in the story. He was always an rear end in a top hat walking around with blinders, oblivious to the chaos created in his wake.

And that's fine! Not every game needs to give players influence over character development, but Watch Dogs doesn't hand over the keys to Aiden's heart and mind until its final curtain call. It's an odd choice. If the game wants to tell the story of an everyman whose noble intentions go horribly awry, do it. (I'm not sure this is even true. The ending's tone points to writers sympathetic to Aiden's decisions.) But have the balls to make Aiden's final choice, too. Asking the player is an M. Night Shyamalan twist, a cop out.

To fully understand what's happening, we need to rewind to its opening moments, too. Watch Dogs begins with Aiden pointing a gun at Maurice, hoping the man will spill who ordered the original hit. Your first action in Watch Dogs is firing a gun. But the game subverts expectations, revealing there's no ammo.

Being confronted with Maurice a second time is Watch Dogs coming full circle. My Han Solo gut was telling me to let Maurice go. As with any criminal conspiracy, he was one pawn among many. Who needs more blood on their hands? But that's not what Aiden would have done. Up until this point, Aiden has killed without a trace of guilt, doubt, or hesitation. Me? I wouldn't pull the trigger. But Aiden would. Aiden wouldn't be able to resist ending the life of a person who had caused him so much pain, misguided or not.

So I made Aiden pull the trigger, and Maurice was dead.

It felt satisfying. Not because I was happy to see Maurice's body slump to the floor, but I'd subverted the game's storytelling. The ending wants you to believe Aiden to be good, and gins up a happy ending. But Aiden doesn't deserve one. He's a bad guy. In trying to do the right thing, he constantly did the opposite.

Screw off, Aiden. Good riddance.

*is offended by video game character*
*records a podcast every week with rapist max temkin*

# ? Aug 24, 2014 21:51

ur in my world now: Jun 5, 2006; ^{Same as it ever was}
^{Same as it ever was}
^{Same as it ever was}
^{Same as it ever was}; Smellrose

Cyra posted:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hC83kY3rywE

the comments on that vid are more entertaining than the game

# ? Aug 24, 2014 22:00

Vitamin P: Nov 19, 2013; Can't post for 6 days!

*makes game with vague counter cultural imagery*

*has CCTV cameras be an absolute positive for the player*

*lies on floor for hours trying to lick own feet*

# ? Aug 24, 2014 22:15

Chelovek-Govno: Aug 11, 2014; Zamorozhenaia Zhopa

Vitamin P posted:

*makes game with vague counter cultural imagery*

*has CCTV cameras be an absolute positive for the player*

*lies on floor for hours trying to lick own feet*

It's the mediocrity of licking one's own feet writ large. [Licking your own feet isn't difficult and is therefore a mediocre act; attempting to do it for hours writes it large.]

# ? Aug 24, 2014 22:26

Fellis: Feb 14, 2012; Kid, don't threaten me. There are worse things than death, and uh, I can do all of them.

Cyra posted:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hC83kY3rywE

this video was pretty funny till he killed the "avid video gamer" then it was really hosed up

Chelovek-Govno posted:

It's the mediocrity of licking one's own feet writ large. [Licking your own feet isn't difficult and is therefore a mediocre act; attempting to do it for hours writes it large.]

shut the gently caress up idiot

# ? Aug 24, 2014 23:35

VideoGames: Aug 18, 2003

so is sex with ur mother!!!

joke, id rather play watchdogs

# ? Aug 24, 2014 23:44

Zoq-Fot-Pik: Jun 27, 2008; Frungy!

Vitamin P posted:

It's a modern white male power fantasy in every way

Concordat posted:

White people are far worse than this game, let's be honest here.

Endorph posted:

watch dogs is a pretty white-rear end game though

if it was a person it'd go to the other side of the street when it saw a black guy

HEll yes. It's motherfreaking LF time bitches!

# ? Aug 24, 2014 23:46

01011001: Dec 26, 2012

I, for one, am glad that someone on the something awful forums finally took a stand against white people.

# ? Aug 24, 2014 23:49

Knuc U Kinte: Aug 17, 2004

White Pride Worldwide.

# ? Aug 25, 2014 00:01

grate deceiver: Jul 10, 2009; Just a funny av. Not a redtext or an own ok.

the correct term is 'parentfreakin', pls be more sensitive in the future

# ? Aug 25, 2014 00:23

CAPT. Rainbowbeard: Apr 5, 2012; My incredible goodposting transcends time and space but still it cannot transform the xbone into a good console.; Lipstick Apathy

Watch Dogs is pretty noir and nobody likes that poo poo anymore. How am I expected to remember what's going on?

# ? Aug 25, 2014 00:39

Chelovek-Govno: Aug 11, 2014; Zamorozhenaia Zhopa

Fellis posted:

this video was pretty funny till he killed the "avid video gamer" then it was really hosed up

shut the gently caress up idiot

This is the rudeness of the white male writ large.

# ? Aug 25, 2014 00:54

Chelovek-Govno: Aug 11, 2014; Zamorozhenaia Zhopa

CAPT. Rainbowbeard posted:

Watch Dogs is pretty noir and nobody likes that poo poo anymore. How am I expected to remember what's going on?

It is noir writ large.

# ? Aug 25, 2014 00:55

LaTex Fetish: Oct 11, 2010

Cyra posted:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hC83kY3rywE

hahahaha 9/11 survivor

# ? Aug 25, 2014 00:56

ur in my world now: Jun 5, 2006; ^{Same as it ever was}
^{Same as it ever was}
^{Same as it ever was}
^{Same as it ever was}; Smellrose

i like tits, large

# ? Aug 25, 2014 00:56

Great Joe: Aug 13, 2008

CAPT. Rainbowbeard posted:

Watch Dogs is pretty noir

I like noir, please tell me more. :allears:

# ? Aug 25, 2014 11:06

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# ? Apr 26, 2024 03:55

CAPT. Rainbowbeard: Apr 5, 2012; My incredible goodposting transcends time and space but still it cannot transform the xbone into a good console.; Lipstick Apathy

Great Joe posted:

I like noir, please tell me more.

Everyone in this game is an rear end in a top hat except the little kid. Nobody wins.

You always have to wear a coat and iconic cap.

# ? Aug 28, 2014 21:53

The Something Awful Forums > The Finer Arts > Imp Zone > Watch Dogs is a joyless experience

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