For example, Jackson has grown up since meeting him in the first game, and his reunion with Aiden makes it immediately evident that he has paved his own way into adulthood away from the tragedy of his sister’s death and his mother’s kidnapping in Watch Dogs 1. I appreciate getting to see the older versions of characters from the previous games. That chemistry made their interactions engaging and important, it also made progressing through each mission a joy just to see how they continued to interact. Aiden represents balance and responsibility, whereas Wrench is an ironic blend of shy-chaos and freedom. For example, Aiden’s Focus, which allows him to slow time to line up the perfect shot, is the perfect antithesis to Wrench’s Ninja Balls secondary ability, which essentially means he can throw flashbangs. From Aiden chasing Wrench through an infiltrated building to Wrench looking out for Aiden’s safety when the danger hits a little too close to home, Bloodline delivered a robust story in a way that Legion did not.Īiden and Wrench’s chemistry is more than just how they interact, it involves how their skills and abilities play off of each other.
The two don’t have a solid start, but the narrative intertwines the pair’s experience so they are both playable, which makes their continued growth believable and enjoyable. However, during a mission, Aiden soon comes across evidence that another hacker has beaten him to the punch, a hacker we later learn is Wrench. He sees a chance to reconnect with his nephew, so he dives back into the life he left behind. There are still some times where players will need a specific type of character, but most of the missions can now be completed by characters with a built-up backstory rather than a procedurally generated passerby.The story begins with Aiden reluctantly taking a dangerous job in London. Recording unique mission dialogue for both characters means that Legion suddenly feels much more like a proper entry in the series.
Not only does Bloodline manage to connect the dots and deliver a satisfying character arc for Aiden Pearce, but it also saves the main campaign from mediocrity simply by dropping the familiar Watch Dogs protagonist into the story.
The locations and some of the characters are also recycled from the main game, although there is a brand new tech CEO to defeat in typical Watch Dogs fashion. There are a host of side missions that provide further upgrades for the characters, but they are definitely not required to get through what is ultimately a pretty breeze set of story quests. Both Wrench and Aiden are souped-up characters compared to the average London citizen, which does make the grind of hacking, sneaking, and shooting a little more palatable. Players not interested in Watch Dog's ongoing franchise maintenance will find that the gameplay itself hasn't changed much from Legion's main campaign. It feels like equal parts referendum and redemption for Aiden's adventure, and against all odds, Bloodline succeeds in that goal. Jackson stands up to Aiden when they meet, making him finally own up to his life up to that point as an egotistical anti-hero going up against the world for his own selfish ends. Aiden heads to London partially to reconnect with his nephew Jackson, a now 26-year-old rebel hooked up with the local resistance. It may be hard to believe that a game starring Aiden Pearce could be worth playing in 2021, but it seems that Bloodline fully understands the true nature of the vigilante that tore up the streets of Chicago back in 2014. Related: How Watch Dogs: Legion Compares To Watch Dogs 2 Both characters have also aged considerably since their first appearances, and that's a major part of Bloodline's satisfying narrative, helping to provide players with a look at how they've grown. Splitting its time equally between Wrench and Aiden, Bloodline manages to connect both characters in a real way while honoring the wildly disparate games they came from.
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Not only do players get to bring these two iconic characters into the main story, but Bloodline presents a 6-8 hour prequel campaign that feels like the follow-up that series fans have been waiting for. The release of Watch Dogs: Legion - Bloodlineadds the character focus that the main campaign sorely needed with the help of a grizzled Aiden Pearce and Wrench from Watch Dogs 2. It was fun to explore the different ability sets, but the missions across London never felt like they were anything more than endless side activities stripped out of another open-world adventure. Watch Dogs: Legion's procedurally generated group of hackers pulled off something unique at launch, but they didn't really make for compelling protagonists.