New details have emerged today about Ubisoft’s highly anticipated high-tech adventure game, Watch Dogs.
In a video diary posted on the official Playstation blog, developmental staff from the publisher’s Montreal studio outlined their vision for the game and extolled the virtues of Sony’s next-generation console.
Although noting that the game’s engine will be scalable across multiple platforms, it’s clear the team are firmly intent on providing a particularly immersive experience for early adopters of the PS4. Community developer Nik Schmidt said: "By working in close collaboration with PlayStation, the team is working to harness the full power of the PS4. This gives them the opportunity to create a truly uncompromised experience with high-resolution environment textures and advanced special effects."
In Watch Dogs, players assume the role of anti-hero Aiden Pearce, an ostensibly malevolent hacker who is able to exploit his technological skills to progress in the game. It’s this technology, and – more specifically – the connectivity involved that is at the heart of Ubisoft’s vision for the game.
Senior producer Dominic Guay said: "One of our core pillars is connectivity. The first layer of it is that the main character can connect to the whole environment; he can control the city, hack into any computer.
"We’re also applying it to the game itself; the game is connected. We want the player to be able to connect to Watch Dogs even through their mobile; be able to play directly with people who are on their console, even when they’re on the bus… basically being able to be attached to our game world, even when they step out of the living room."
Ubisoft promises that the game experience, much like the city you’ll get to play in, will be "rich, deep and detailed".
Guay added: "We wanted a lot of density… to make sure the city reacts to everything you’re doing and that we preserve that detail that is so unique to a modern city in North America."
Watch Dogs is set for release on November 19 for the PS3, Xbox 360, and PC; with the PS4 version expected to be a launch title for the console.
