Watch Dogs Legion is an action-adventure game that promised fans that they'd be able to hop into the shoes of any NPC they could see in the game, and whether that worked out for the game or not is a matter of opinion. But when Watch Dogs Legion released, it was very much in a base form. Ubisoft has since plans to keep providing content for Legion in the form of several updates between this Spring and late Summer, and likely for some time after that as well.
The most recent update came June 1st and released the Legion of the Dead standalone game mode, which adds zombies into a post-apocalyptic version of London. It's more akin to the first Red Dead Redemption's Undead Nightmare DLC than a regular content update. This new mode features the player in the role of a survivor trying to make it in the apocalypse by scavenging supplies from Albion soldiers and getting to the extraction point before being overrun by the hordes. Currently, Watch Dogs Legion of the Dead is only available on PC as it is still in its Alpha Phase.
Left 4 Dead Style Gameplay
In Watch Dogs Legion, the players will have to go on supply runs to gather or steal supplies before leaving. Just like in Left 4 Dead, players will be dependent on their squad to watch their back, as it will be extremely hard to survive alone. Each supply run will be dependent on the team working together to steal the supplies from Albion, who decided that they are better used in-house. After the players steal or find as much as they can, they'll head to the extraction point in order to escape with the goods.
This is reminiscent of most missions in Left 4 Dead, which see a random group of people stuck together in the apocalypse. The missions are structured in the same way, with players following a linear set of objectives that ends with them evacuating the area. There is also no true open world like in the Left 4 Dead series, as each new game starts and ends with those objectives.
Four Player Co-Op
Like in Left 4 Dead, and most of the squad based games that followed, players will be placed on a team of four survivors. Unlike in the original Watch Dogs Legion, players won't be able to choose which survivor they get to play as. Each new supply run will feature a random survivor with a random piece of gear. This forces players to adapt to the new situations each time and adds an extra challenge to boot. It is admittedly different from Left 4 Dead, as players have a choice between four pre-determined characters in each campaign.
This adds a unique feature that won't be found in Valve's series, because each character will have unique strengths and weaknesses to exploit. While there will also be power-ups spread across the map, each character also gets a piece of gear that will give them a specific advantage over the undead.
Until it released, Watch Dogs Legion of the Dead was a well-kept secret. While many fans were waiting for the next tactical op or character to release, Watch Dogs Legion had been developing a surprise game mode unlike anything the franchise has done before. It's a big swing, and while it's still in development, it seems like it will provide plenty of fun for those on PC. While there's no word of when fans can expect Watch Dogs Legion of the Dead on consoles, it will likely come once the game enters a further state of development.
Watch Dogs: Legion is out now for PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.