Like pretty much every other Ubisoft game ever, Watch Dogs: Legion received the unfortunate leak prior to its official E3 2019 reveal. The leak sourced from Amazon UK described everything from its setting to the "play as anyone" gameplay gimmick. One leak in particular that lead to some early speculation was the dystopian London setting, and the phrase "near-future" caught fans' eyes. This lead to a lot of discussion as to what a Cyberpunk-inspired Watch Dogs might look like.

Then with Ubisoft's official reveal during E3, players got some vague Cyberpunk 2077 vibes during the premiere trailer and gameplay. While Watch Dogs: Legion isn't as far into the future as CD Projekt Red's next game will be, the comparisons were obvious. Holographic neon advertisements, heavily armored military force with sci-fi technology, and an oppressed citizenry under martial law from a private military corporation. Even though Legion is honestly a bit more grounded compared to Cyberpunk 2077, there's clearly some overlap between the two upcoming titles.

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Emphasizing the Extremes in Cyberpunk 2077

For CD Projekt Red, the studio is aiming to encapsulate the genre of cyberpunk as faithfully as possible in Cyberpunk 2077. Mike Pondsmith's universe is pure cyberpunk through and through, and Cyberpunk 2077's world and aesthetic is embracing that vision wholeheartedly. Practically every character players can meet in Cyberpunk 2077 is riddled with cyberware and cybernetic enhancements. There's not a single city block or building that doesn't have some kind of neon sign, hologram, or video wall full of larger-than-life advertisements. And yet, even with all of this prospering technology, the dystopia for the people is very real.

The cyberpunk genre is all about "low-life and high tech" society, and Cyberpunk 2077 emphasizes that in its characters and environment. Night City has several derelict districts full of people and slums who've been beaten down by the greed of megacorporations. Cyberpunk 2077 is blatantly presenting players with the juxtaposition of extreme wealth disparity, in a futuristic America untethered from checks and balances. There's seemingly no restraint in its depiction of dystopia, and while it's overall aesthetic is not wholly unrealistic, it does evoke a feeling in players that this is what the distant future could look like if corporate greed supplants government in society.

Watch Dogs: Legion's Grounded Dystopia

Watch Dog Legion release date

Although the loose connection to Brexit honestly leaves much to be desired, Watch Dogs: Legion's depiction of the near-future does seem feasible. The overreliance on drones and automated surveillance technology emulates a lot of what's seen in today's metropolitan areas. Legion poses an interesting and grounded approach to near-future sci-fi that emphasizes a lot of today's current technology without dipping too far into unrealized territory like cyberware or ubiquitous flying ships. Characters don't have any absurd or unrealistic designs in Legion, as much of the NPCs' fashion senses are still based on modern sensibilities.

London's environmental design is the most familiar aesthetic of Watch Dogs: Legion, especially with the emphasis on lots of neon and holograms. Every building and major street looks like Times Square, and London's iconic red Routemaster buses have animated advertisements playing on projections on the outside of the vehicles. Taxis have videos displaying on them as well. The game never steps too far outside of its boundaries of realism, only taking minimal steps into sci-fi futurism without depicting technology that hasn't been invented yet. It's a unique and tame take compared to the genre it's borrowing inspiration from.

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Realism vs. Futurism

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In a world where increasing drone technology and advances in human convenience continue to be made, Watch Dogs is definitely closer to the world's current reality. But in a few ways the game's more absurd efforts, like Legion's villain Nigel Cass, feels like they're ripped directly from Cyberpunk canon. Nigel is literally the CEO of a highly militarized PMC, akin to that of Arasaka or Militech from Cyberpunk 2077. Although Cyberpunk 2077 does enter some uncanny valley territory with its cyberware that Watch Dogs: Legion's natural human characters don't even interact with.

Though depicted in slight deviations from one another, both Watch Dogs: Legion and Cyberpunk 2077 offer a flavor of dystopian society. It's in the circumstances where the differences lie between both games. London's militarized dystopia is fueled by a terrorist attack undermining the security and safety of citizens in Watch Dogs: Legion, based on an inciting incident in the short-term. On the other hand, Cyberpunk 2077's dystopia is the subject of a slow-burn of rapid technological advancement and corporate greed in the face of societal weakness.

While the outcome in Watch Dogs: Legion isn't exactly a realistic scenario on its own, the scenario presented to players represents a more grounded dystopia based on the known world only so far into the future. Cyberpunk 2077 dives deep into the genre of media it's based on, diving headfirst into the absurd dystopia that seems feasible only under the worst case scenario. Either way, both distill a disturbing dystopia that serves as the perfect opportunity for players to wreak havoc in their respective game worlds.

Watch Dogs: Legion launches October 29 for PC, PS4, Stadia, and Xbox One. PS5 and Xbox Series X versions are in development.

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