Watch Dogs Legion gameplay premiere: Taking the “N” out of “NPC”

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  Sure, ride an oversized drone like you’re the Green Goblin. [credit:
  Ubisoft
  ]

LOS ANGELES—The rumors and leaks are true: the next Watch Dogs video game is titled Watch Dogs Legion, it’s set in near-future London, and it lets you play the game as any of the characters you encounter in its GTA-like open world.

What we didn’t know until this week is exactly how that works in action. But a 45-minute hands-on demo with WDL‘s E3 alpha version filled in a few gaps on what to expect when the game launches on March 6, 2020. In short: yes, even sweet British grandmas can become killing machines, but it’s not as simple as “haxoring” their brains.

Grateful (to) Dedsec

WDL‘s “control anyone” twist works in a twofold manner. First is the incredible claim that its “heroes” are so distributed that, according to game director Clint Hocking, “there is no ‘main character’ or guy on the box cover art who stars in all the cut scenes.” In fact, every voice-acted sequence, including “60+ story missions,” can play out with any of the game’s characters as lead actors (hence rendering the usual gaming acronym of NPC, or non-player character, a bit moot.)