Watch Dogs Legion Hands-On: Play-As-Anyone Opens A World Of Wild Possibilities

At its core, Watch Dogs: Legion is trying to tell a story about a people's uprising. It's not about one hero saving the day or a protagonist who has all the answers to single-handedly enact change in the world. In London, the hacker collective DedSec is composed of anyone. Nearly every NPC on the street can be recruited to join the cause as a playable character and put their own strengths, weaknesses, and perks to use. And based on my four-hour hands-on demo with the game, I see the "play-as-anyone" system as a thematic fit, and also a fascinating take on a class-based system. It offers a variety of playstyles, and it's pretty damn impressive how well it works.

For a more detailed breakdown of the game's narrative and political backdrop, be sure to read my Watch Dogs: Legion story-specific preview.

After a brief prologue, I was jumped to about 10-ish hours into the game. I had a handful of characters to choose from, but focused on using my construction worker since he was equipped with a big-ass wrench for stronger melee attacks and a rideable flying drone to summon on-demand. And luckily for me, this eventually led to a strong illustration of just how character variety can affect your experience.