Watch Dogs 2 Cans Aiden, Is This A Mistake?
Ubisoft announced the upcoming title Watch Dogs 2 and to my dismay, series protagonist Aiden Pearce will not be returning. For many, this is a welcome change but I found myself having reservations about the change. Aiden was not well received by fans, but I argue that his unpopularity is not a symptom of himself, but rather being ahead of his own time. I wholeheartedly felt that Aiden deserved a second chance instead of being cast aside.
When developing the personality of a character there are two key factors any good writer will look at: the exposition and the subtext. Exposition is the “information dump”. What do we know based on what we are told specifically? Aiden Pearce has an adult sister, a niece and nephew. He is a skilled hacker, and the combination of his family and “professional” life has lead to the death of his niece, leaving him vengeful and full of guilt. We learn early on that he can be quick to anger, but he knows that anger will not solve his problems. So far so good, we have a decent starting point for a character. The flaw then relies in a simple poor decision at the hands of Ubisoft: the over reliance on the subtext of Aiden Pearce as a person.
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“The flaw then relies in a simple poor decision at the hands of Ubisoft: the over reliance on the subtext of Aiden Pearce as a person.”
It’s not like Ubisoft is new to this touch. Keen eyed players of Assassin’s Creed Syndicate will notice that Evie Frye constantly carries a pocket watch. This is not only to reflect the time period of the game but also a reflection on Evie as an expression of her father who is precise, methodical, and cunning. It’s a nod to both her connection to her father and the teachings she so devoutly believes in. It’s a small touch that tells us more than we need to know, but gives it that little something extra.
The game is peppered with narrative from Aiden about his views on certain people, targets, jobs, even the ease of use of the ctOS. What is easily mistaken for one-off comments is actually a subtle sprinkling of information on his views of the world around him, and with each bit of information he speaks, the player should find themselves understanding him just a little better. The problem here lies in our expectations of what a hero should be. We have the brooding hero in Batman, we have the brutal hero in Kratos, the cunning Evie Frye. These are archetypes that we accept because we understand them as a blue print for who the hero will be, the dominant yet subtly outlandish trait to make them a character.
In Aiden’s case, he doesn’t actually have any one particularly strong archetype because – beyond his abilities with a cell phone – Ubisoft has made him believable as a normal human being. He may be in an extreme situation, but he isn’t superhuman. A few bullets will kill him, an explosion will kill him. He can’t run up walls or do incomprehensible things. Aiden might very well be one of the closest examples to an average person we get in an open world, and for some that seems to be what ruins it. Most people don’t play games to be normal, so playing a game as someone who can’t take a full clip of bullets to the chest and walk away might lose a lot of appeal.
Enter Marcus Holloway. Ubisoft is clearly no stranger to creative movement and parkour in video games. Aiden’s lack of physical abilities was a commonly criticized blow, especially knowing just how good Ubisoft is with the Assassins Creed series. I admit I was resistant to the idea of change in protagonist. I felt that Aiden was under appreciated for reasons beyond his control, and if he were simply more flushed out he could carry the series. But the more I learned about the sequel, the more Marcus has made sense as a logical evolution in the series. His motivations are more complex. The plot puts a heavier emphasis on surveillance and tackles the idea of secret government control in a much more intriguing view. Indeed Marcus’s physical abilities for traveling and combat are night and day compared to Aiden, and given the setting of San Francisco – what I hope to be a nod towards the roots of Cyberpunk origins – I only find myself a little more enthusiastic the more I think about this title.
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“Aiden might very well be one of the closest examples to an average person we get in an open world, and for some that seems to be what ruins it.”
Aiden Pearce is a vigilante. He (sadly unimaginatively) goes by the titles The Vigilante and to a lesser extent, The Fox. With what we know about him (his guilt, his morality, his understanding of the world around him,) coupled with how Ubisoft portrays him physically (scruffy, long coat, popped collar, hiding his face) Aiden Pearce, to me, is a modern homage to classic radio-noir heroes like The Shadow. He is a vigilante for justice in a corrupt police state, helping people who need him. His personality is a product of his environment, a manifestation of the cyber world so many people didn’t know or understand. Speaking exclusively from the viewpoint of Aiden as a character and not Watch Dogs as a whole, I firmly believe Aiden Pearce deserves a second chance at flushing out who he is. In my opinion, he deserves to be a recognizable anti-hero remembered and appreciated for his unique style.
That being said, it’s safe to say we all expect great things from Marcus Holloway going forward. I may be the only one, but fingers crossed Aiden can at least make a cameo. What do you think? Do you agree Aiden has the potential to be flushed out as a character and brought back later? Do you think he should be forgotten? How do you feel about Marcus Holloway?
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