5 great gameplay mechanics in Watch Dogs 2

Despite being over eight years old, as of this writing, Watch Dogs 2 still remains a great open-world game, even by today's standards. With a colorful visual palette and a vast and detailed open-world map based on San Francisco's Bay Area, the title is worth replaying. However, what truly sets it aside from other open-world games are some of the mechanics it employs.

Despite falling short of sales targets and having a forgettable story, the second entry in the series was praised for some of its unique approaches to gameplay. Below are five great gameplay elements from Watch Dogs 2 that make the gameplay experience rather enjoyable.

Note: The contents of this article are subjective and solely reflect the writer's opinions. The list is not ranked.

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Five gameplay features in Watch Dogs 2 worth mentioning

1) A variety of apps on Marcus' phone

The in-game phone in Watch Dogs 2 has a variety of "downloadable" apps, adding to the realism (Image via Ubisoft)

At the start of the game, you will be introduced to Marcus' phone. However, you will find the phone's home screen to be rather barren and empty, with just a navigation app, the camera, and the app shop available to be accessed. It is inside this shop that various apps can be "downloaded", with a small fee to unlock each.

The "download" process will simply deduct the cost of the application from Marcus' account and make it accessible on the home screen. There are a number of available ones, such as ScoutX and the Driver SF, which can start some mini-games that can be played.

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2) A media player accessible at all times

The media player in Watch Dogs 2 can be accessed at any time via Marcus' phone (Image via Ubisoft)

Arguably one of the series' best features, the songs in the game and the radio stations can be tuned in to at any time via Marcus' phone. Simply, pull up the Media Player app, and tune into a radio station of your choice. Additionally, you could select from the various songs being played around different parts of the map.

In addition, pair this with "Songsneak," which is a Shazam-like application that remembers all the songs you have listened to while in the game, and adds it to a collection based on its genre. Whether on a sailboat, on foot, or wherever you desire to take Marcus, tunes of your choice are just a few button presses away.

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3) Driving cars without having to be inside them

In Watch Dogs 2, cars can be driven remotely with the press of a button (Image via Ubisoft)

The title also allows you to drive vehicles of all kinds, remotely. Doing this can make it possible to traverse the entire map while simply standing on a car, though we're not sure how enjoyable of an experience that may end up being! The vehicle can be moved and turned in all directions.

This feature is best used when hostiles are in pursuit of Marcus. Simply look toward the enemy's vehicle, and when the option shows up, stop them in their tracks or have them turn in the direction opposite to yours. This can be done with any car, so you can also use this feature on NPCs who are not hostile.

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4) Planting fake evidence to make clearing restricted areas easier

Planting forged evidence on hostiles can make it easy to clear out a restricted area in Watch Dogs 2 (Image via Ubisoft)

Throughout the map, restricted areas are places with a strong hostile presence. Marcus is not allowed inside, and neither is his quadcopter or remote-controlled drone vehicle. These regions may feature as part of a mission, while those found in the open world can reward you with some hidden cash bags, and more.

To clear out these areas efficiently, you can upgrade your hacking skills to plant forged evidence on a hostile. You also have the option to choose between forging the evidence to alert the authorities or to alert a nearby gang. In any case, you can expect the hostile to be taken out of action, and depending on the situation, this may also result in other nearby hostiles being taken out.

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5) Distracting hostiles with a phone call

A simple phone call can have an unalerted enemy stop in their tracks (Image via Ubisoft)

If forging evidence isn't up to your speed, you can simply distract the hostile by having them receive a phantom phone call. While they are distracted, you can use the time to stealthily attack them and take them out of action. Enemies will keep checking their phones when they ring, which can be great for strategy if you are looking to be completely stealthy.

That said, this method is only useful if the enemy is not in an alerted state, as should they be alerted, they will not react to the call. This feature can also be used on almost any NPC in the game, which can result in some harmless fun while traversing the map.

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Read more Watch Dogs 2 articles below:

• 5 most underrated Ubisoft games
• 5 reasons to revisit Watch Dogs 2 in 2024