If last year was about Grand Theft Auto V, this year would be about Ubisoft’s much-awaited open-world game Watch Dogs, which is set in a world where your data is being fought over by warring tech groups. It’s a game where the idea of privacy has no place and everything is controlled through a mainframe computer, which in turn is administered by corporations. The hero of the game is Aiden Pearce, who wants to get back at the corporation that runs the system.

The brains behind the game take on a few questions from t2.

What was the starting point for Watch Dogs?

Jonathan Morin (creative director, Ubisoft Montreal): Our primary source of inspiration comes from the real-life intersection of technology and security where our citizens, our government and the infrastructure of our cities are increasingly networked. Now imagine that someone can hack those networks and manipulate both the layers of data buried inside and the real world systems dependent on that data. This is the world of Watch Dogs.

We also had to imagine the kind of morally ambiguous figure that would do such things. Who would use this technology for their own gain, even if it means hurting fellow citizens? We live in a time where people are more open to anti-hero protagonists. Recent TV shows have brought more shades of grey into our popular culture and we believe it is important to be as relevant in video games. There’s no such thing as a black-and-white society.

Watch Dogs is more grounded and plausible than science fiction or fantasy. The team draws their inspiration from who they are as individuals and what their society represents. I believe this is why it is so hard to clearly depict what Watch Dogs is exactly.

Watch Dogs involves Aiden Pearce hacking into electronic devices. Does the game also target players who want to shoot their way through enemy lines and not depend on stealth?

Danny Belanger (lead game designer of Watch Dogs): We are building an AI (artificial intelligence) that supports stealth and shooting with the transitions required between the two states. This means that the player can take advantage of not being seen to engage gunplay when he decides.

With this angle, using technology becomes a core component of our game. The player can, for example, use the camera network to spot the enemies beforehand to set up an ambush from the position he feels is most advantageous. He can also take time to identify all the technological opportunities to gain an advantage; like modifying cover or spotting vulnerabilities in the electrical system to take down unsuspecting enemies.

That being said, players who prefer a more direct approach can totally run in and take care of business using a more action-oriented approach. We strongly feel that imposing a style of play on the player is less fun than letting the player explore the game systems and enjoy the game as he wants. Luckily, we have a lot of expertise in many genres.

For the fighting itself, we are trying to have a more realistic tone where enemies feel more like real living people than “game ingredients”. Within the Watch Dogs universe, we have multiple types of enemies, ranging from mobsters to the police force and these allow us to create interesting challenges without feeling too “unrealistic”. We also have a full range of weapons at the player's disposal –– from basic pistols to grenade launchers, these can be used anywhere and it can create quite the mess when a fight breaks out in downtown Chicago.

What are some of the side missions in the game?

Danny Belanger: There are many, many types of side-content for the player to engage in. These are split in multiple categories: mini-games and augmented reality games (chess, drinking game and so on). Side Missions (gang hideouts, fixer contracts, criminal convoys) which are based on the core mechanics like hacking, stealth, combat and driving. There are also Digital Trips (special side content), which are special gameplays that bring a crazier and lighter side to the game. We also have many collectibles that can be found and are based on exploration and observation gameplays. I also have to mention online activities as well because they merge in the experience at any moment the player is in free roaming (move with other online players)!

How many hours does a player need to put in to unlock everything?

Jonathan Morin: The game is very big and dense in content. I would say a normal player who does some free roaming as he plays the main path will easily hit 35-40 hours to finish it. But a player who really wants to do 100 per cent of its content will reach 100-plus hours easily.

The multi-player concept where other players can hack into your gameplay.... What made you introduce that element?

Jonathan Morin: When your console is connected online you are automatically in a “session”. There could be millions of these occurring at once. What we are able to do is to dynamically merge and unmerge those sessions seamlessly. Players can free roam normally, going about their game and at some point they can either accept a contract or provoke a monitoring scan so that the next thing they know their objective seamlessly involves another player. Once the situation is resolved, we are then able to unmerge both players, and they’re able to go about their game to pursue their objectives as they were. The beauty behind this is that we can control the pacing at which this occurs and we can give you tools to also control its flow.

The game is set in a Chicago-style city. What are the elements of the real world that get featured in the game?

Jonathan Morin: It was fundamental for the team to deliver a credible reflection of this fascinating city. The atmosphere of Chicago is something we took very seriously. We went there several times to take pictures, record our citizens’ dialogues and chat with the Chicago police department to better understand the place. In the end, people on the streets will talk like real Chicago people. Even the weather is a real representation of the place!

Another key element for us was to have an accurate depiction of landmarks and architecture. If you’ve been to Chicago, you will have many deja-vu moments. We also made a lot of research on news facts about Chicago and its inhabitants.

How different are the graphics and the gameplay on, say, PS3 and PS4?

Yan Charbonneau (computer graphics producer, Watch Dog): It’s the same storyline, same gameplay, all the same mechanics and innovations. What’s different is that we’re scaling the dynamism of the simulation and the details of the city and the gameplay. So it’s stuff like the amount of details in buildings, the amount of civilians and cars in the street, the details in the animation or how sophisticated some reactions are to some of your actions.

Privacy protection in the real world

Think twice before sharing personal information. Before allowing a website to gather information, learn how it intends to share the same

Don’t share details about your whereabouts

Never give your accountnumbers or passwords

Use an Internet firewall and get the latest security patches

Use a phishing filter that warnsyou of suspicious websites.

Try the SmartScreen Filter in your Internet Explorer

Watch Dogs

Developer: Ubisoft Montreal

Platforms: Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One

Hero: Aiden Pearce, voiced by actor Noam Jenkins, best known for roles in Rookie Blue, Saw II,

Earth: Final Conflict and

Covert Affairs

Release date: May 27

Mathures Paul

Watch Dogs will be the game of the year because... Tell t2@abp.in