A Thorough Look At Watch Dogs

[@martinhendry2683]

"Grandma, what poor labour practices you have!" Fuckin' A Noah: 10/10, good stuff.

[@davidh9354]

"All the better to deliver exciting pre-order bonuses to you my dear!" That shit hit hard

[@zcritten]

@@davidh9354 Noah has this amazing tone where you're just like "ah he's kinda doing a serious review rn" and then he comes out with some of the best jokes I've seen on youtube

[@nate567987]

@@zcritten and the joke points out a serious flaw in the game or the world

[@zcritten]

@@nate567987 No doubt, it can be told on its own away from the video about the game industry in general

[@scientificbrony]

@@zcritten legit he will say the deepest shit, then juxtapose it with a perfectly timed joke

[@seth5362]

The Evolution of Noah's look through the years is something else: from part time worker man, to uncle, to dad, to biker, and now to a cult preacher from far cry 5. Its been a journey.

[@michimatsch5862]

There was also the Confederate General look.

[@Nobody7720]

@IntrepidTit jslatr|fť

[@blackzodiac22]

@@Nobody7720 you said it man!

[@Churbas]

As looks go, I think this one is more "Preacher you meet in a video game who has a rifle and is fundamentally good(if a little odd)".

[@PsychadelicoDuck]

Timestamps (an attempt): *Watch_Dogs* 00:00 - The One Button Hack, introduced - KZbin, Big Tech, and your drapes (4:30) - Aiden Pearce, and an analysis of Batman (7:45) - Being Vigilante rank, or: Batman in a GTA world (11:03) - Aiden part III: The main plot (13:36) - Voyeurism (17:30) - The meaning of privacy (20:20) - Voyeurism continued: Multiplayer (21:08) - Aiden part IV: Shopping for furniture as a Keyboard Cowboy (25:50) - Chess, Space Invaders, and Love Island (28:57) - Bad Blood (31:59) *Watch_Dogs 2* 35:41 - The sequel _Hackers_ deserves - Jiving justice in the land of Neverwas (38:30) - The brick of domestic terrorism (42:50) - Watch the ants fight (48:20) - DLC part I: Weird Naked Things (51:20) - DLC part II: Oh, Ubisoft (55:00) - Lenny, and the venal morality of corporations (57:14) - Tonal (in)consistency:

[@karola4018]

i always appreciate timestampers

[@hayk3000]

This is great. You should add the spoilers.

[@weirdcatastrophebykodycava]

Thumbs up for the Jim Sterling reference.

[@sphealingit222]

Boy that furniture shopping euphemism is doing some legwork. good stuff

[@NightWanderer31415]

What a saint, thank you!

[@aldovicente4705]

"The amount of traffic deaths I caused is greater than generally the Joker would even dream of, and I did it casually, while trying to balance a bong between my knees and hold the Playstation controlled at the same time." 😂😂🤣

[@CoercedJab]

Aldo Vicente later makes a dig at “dab dens” tho smh lol

[@TheSoulHarvester]

Fuck, this was such a visual! Money extremely well spent.

[@pvtpain66k]

This is like, half the reason I switched to an oil ring and mininail. No more juggling, just hit, cap & game.

[@chrislamdry5737]

@@Dwarfplayer this is an assumption that it was consumed illegally

[@232mumboy]

@@Dwarfplayer ??? Lots of states have legal weed and ethical grow ops.

[@Humorless_Wokescold]

"The amount of traffic death I caused is higher than generally the Joker would ever dream of in his schemes and I did it casually. While trying to balance a bong between my knees and hold the playstation controller at the same time. I'm still a hero because of an arbitrary point system" no, sir, you are a hero for that successful balancing act!

[@LuffyBlack]

He has a way with words, even his humor packs a punch.

[@RenegadePronoun]

I like how, in addition to the critique and analysis, you're like "let's talk about Black Mirror / Batman / V for Vendetta / etc, because those, unlike Watchdogs, actually have something to say about dystopias".

[@m.a.k.dynasty4504]

Watch_Dogs has plenty of things to say about dystopias, especially with Legion. The problem is that they never seem to go all the way with it or just leave that information as a backdrop for the world. - The first game set the basis, but focused more on a revenge plot rather than the actual premise that the game was marketed towards. - The second game did focus on said premise through the eyes DedSec and delivered a more grounded depiction of modern corporations, but lacked any sort of meaningful consequences or stakes to the narrative, causing all of your efforts to be essentially meaningless. Especially when the events of Legion occurred. Not to mention that it's overly cheery tone toke away from the severity of the situations that our characters were placed in. - Legion is the closest that the series had come to depicting a proper dystopian world by putting you the player in the position as the average everyday man instead of a super hacker with God-like hacking abilities. However, the games greatest strength also became it's greatest weakness when playing as anyone amounted to everyone that you play as being relatively shallow in terms of character. Not to mention that almost everyone was good everything which repeats the issue of being a God-like hacker again but on a larger extent. Watch_Dogs is a good franchise, but it has always struggled to find it's sense of identity and balance out it's gameplay with it's narrative in a meaningful sense. It seems as though the franchise still has a long way to go before it can truly ever become as big as other Ubisoft titles. At least the games do that is. If you want more out of the Watch_Dogs universe, check out the comics and tie in novels as they do a great if not better job at flushing out the universe.

[@TheZacharias333]

If a game consistently fails to follow through on the themes it sets up, can it really be said to be saying much of anything about those themes? It’s like giving someone a birthday card with nothing written in it.

[@m.a.k.dynasty4504]

@@TheZacharias333 Not a good analogy. For one, Watch_Dogs unlike other dystopian media is much closer to home simply because most of the things accomplished in the games are actually possible in real life even now as we speak. Hacking technology such as vehicles, traffic lights, etc with a phone? All possible and done before in real life. Not exactly like the game of course, but that's to be expected. Watch_Dogs is relevant because it focus' on the present not an distant future with the obvious exception of course being Legion. I did say that the franchise didn't always follow through with it's themes that it presents, but that is not to say that it has nothing to say at all. The first Watch_Dogs game specifically very clearly touched on the nature of Ctos and Big Brother as well as why DedSec shouldn't be trusted. The conflict with Ctos is that people feel as though it is intrusive and a complete invasion of privacy which it very much is. But people's justifications for pushing it further is because it yeld's great results when it comes to predicting and stopping crimes. That's why it was initially utilized in Chicago to stop the rampant crime rate. The problem with this though is that the system and people in charge of it are allowed to frame anyone the see fit of being a menace to society even of they haven't committed a crime yet. There's a lot more that can be said on the matter, but here is a KZbin how can express that much better than I can. kzbin.info/www/bejne/gZyVeGmwmJqjgdE

[@tecb2301]

Unfortunately the game is cringey as all hell. As an Englander, I find the voicr acting to be beyond terrible.

[@MerlautJones]

@@m.a.k.dynasty4504 Wow, thanks for this breakdown mate.

[@timcosgrove707]

I actually really like the “Alone” digital trip. It highlights how paranoid and misanthropic Aiden is becoming. People are literally cameras in the trip, he’s obsessed with being watched despite watching others.

[@freetothink284]

It's explained from audio logs through his obsession with observation, Aiden was able to develop his focus bullet time skill!

[@itcouldbelupus2842]

@@josegordo488 The moment to moment dialogue between characters, especially Jordi, was top notch in the first game.

[@steveosk8s]

The bloodline dlc in legion really showed how broken Aiden is as a person and is some story content that really would have helped make him a bit more sympathetic in the original game.

[@OpreRoma]

@@josegordo488 i loved the game too and some aspects of the story, but it really was despite Aiden as a protagonist rather than because. He could have worked better if they'd done more to unravel his flaws and have him go on some sort of growth, becoming a better person by the end of the game, or some sort of descent into an even more paranoid and avoidant mindset that leaves you questioning everything you have done the entire game, but instead he just ends where he started. He is Batman if he killed people, with less money, and now he's killed the Joker

[@maxmfpayne]

​@@freetothink284how is that supposed to work?

[@WritingOnGames]

God, it's only when you say it like that, that I realise how... _old_ the whole Shkreli/Wu Tang thing feels now. Wild.

[@rocknrolan7371]

The New vsauce video deals with that exact concept, check it out !!

[@renaigh]

@@0uttaS1TE for people born 4 years ago it was

[@bogmanhimself4656]

he's still in jail tho lol

[@jacksonelh]

still cant believe we have to want 82 more years to listen to it

[@DrEcho]

Holy shit Hamish I love your videos

[@deadringer6759]

God, I loved the first Watch Dogs multiplayer. Any game could be genius or comedy. Want to hack stealthily? Blend in at a street vendor and buy things repeatedly, hide in a dumpster, blend in with a group of NPCs... or steal a taco truck and play the Mexican music over the PA (which literally never gets played by anyone but a player, adding to the hilarity of getting away with it stealthed). Or you could just completely avoid all the intentions of the game and ram into the player you're paired with repeatedly as they cluelessly try to escape the carnage thinking the AI has gone haywire, as there's no multiplayer objectives that require doing something so completely stupid.

[@robertvangooff8506]

It's so underrated. We really need more oddball multiplayer game modes. You could really tell they designed the layout of Chicago just for hacking invasions. All the trash bins, or garbage pileups to hide behind and tiny little spots you could squeeze into really makes it feel fun to explore. I spent so much time just trying to see what cool spots I could get to because of that mode.

[@yushothu201]

@@robertvangooff8506 Its sad that no one talks about this games multiplayer. Friends that didnt play video games loved watching me hack someone. its sad that everyone hates this game because i only have good memories from it

[@caidurkan2916]

Haven't played that but always appreciate games or even just gamemodes that let you do stupid/silly things that are harmless in-game but that still require some skill or ingenuity, feels like a lot of ideas in games have been shoved aside or reduced to the press of a button. It works don't get me wrong, who wants to have to master a 5 button combo to grab a ledge? But I do miss silly dynamics in multiplayer maps/gamemodes that can be useful or just really funny

[@habadasheryjones]

Still active in 2023. I rewatched this vid and got sold on the mp modes and had to try it. You do have to unlock multiplayer but if you just rush the 5 missions needed you'll unlock mp in at least 1-2 hours.

[@jonalen4217]

"Right, I totally knew that you're not supposed to actually eat these!" _Slowly puts down gigantic, novelty sandwich..._

[@bennygerow]

Post workout, I'm eating that tho.

[@metallsnubben]

Honestly monster burgers that JUST didn't have multiple patties would be great. They're the boring part of a burger anyway!

[@jonalen4217]

@Withnail that actually sounds amazing!

[@LasherTimora]

I had to pause the video at that point. Never thought of it that way, and now I can't get over it.

[@shmunkyman33]

This isn't a criticism of the video at all, but I did just wanna say something about the point near the beginning: I've been a professional coder for almost a decade, so I can attest that depending on the person there are absolutely people who almost never use a mouse. It's usually Linux people, as if you set up your machine right, you can do just about everything with key commands, and at that point a mouse actually slows you down. That said, with a GUI heavy OS like Windows, it can become a lot less viable to do everything via keyboard and a mouse can be more efficient, but most "hackers" aren't going to be using Windows in the first place. So it's not necessarily ridiculous to portray "hackers" as people who never use a mouse, but you're right that almost every other aspect of portraying hacking in media isn't exactly accurate to life haha Editing this after finishing the video to say that the video itself was still phenomenal Noah!

[@Solinaru]

This 100% The interface greatly affects the speed of getting something done. It takes me less time to make changes to a Dell BIOS that's setup with keyboard in mind compared to a HP one that wants to look like a Windows8 safe mode screen. What's funny though is that for me, it's more believable "hacking" if someone hits the 'enter/return' key six times in a row. lord knows how many people need to make sure their commandline is clear and responding before typing something out. lol

[@harrisonfackrell]

Agreed. _ratpoison_ has entered the chat.

[@EldritchAugur]

@@Solinaru I'm a cybersecurity student with a few certifications and know how to do some basic external hacks. You're right on the money. Getting a shell in real life is probably the least interesting thing to a casual spectator that you could possibly see. There's a reason why movies feature people typing 300 wpm on a fancy graphical interface. The only thing needed to perform real hacking is a near reflexive understanding of complicated technical details like ports, protocols and which exploit works for what. And that process isn't very thrilling. Sometimes for no fault of your own you just have to run metasploit like 5 times before it actually works lol. Not to mention all the waiting around for Nmap scans and other exploits.

[@kevinwillems8720]

Huh. Ya learn something new every day.

[@mousasha-]

Movie hackers are all big vim ppl

[@binnocorp]

Noah, you are the most unpretentious, considered, thoughtful and humble game critic on KZbin. I love your work

[@willmk4042]

Whitelight would like a word...

[@JoeBloggs42069]

@@willmk4042 I enjoy Whitelight videos, but unpretentious and humble are not words I would use to describe him.

[@pandutney171]

He’s back! The wait is over, what a New Year’s Eve!

[@tsartomato]

it's 0100 here already (and first news was mf doom)

[@thehomiethin4790]

@@tsartomato rip MF DOOM

[@QUAD00DLE]

@@thehomiethin4790 this comment is how I found this out....

[@thehomiethin4790]

@@QUAD00DLE :(

[@fhopedude]

Oh man, your profile picture. I haven't thought about armored core nexus for awhile, might fire up an emulator later. thanks for the nostalgia!

[@deathdoor]

"very hackery, much technical" Not even 5 minutes in and I'm already laughing. A good way to end this cursed year.

[@colin-campbell]

*Jingling keys*

[@nathanielhaven3453]

I gotta find that program he talks about in the beginning of the video

[@dumdum407]

@@nathanielhaven3453 hackertyper.net/

[@shitpostingstevebecauseall6279]

*clickity clack clack* I'm in.

[@emulation2369]

Dead memes.... 😌

[@CatCheshireThe]

I feel like the big problem with Legion is that the "play as anyone" feature is really cool on paper, but hamstrung by the need to still follow the same basic structure of a Ubisoft open world game. It's a feature that belongs in like, a AAA version of Dwarf Fortress, where there is no set narrative, only a bunch of systems designed to allow players to build their own story. A pure sandbox that is able to respond to your actions in more long term ways than just immediate feedback of "you are now in combat, things are exploding!". But that's not the way that AAA games are made - you need cutscenes to put in the trailers, big "cinematic" moments that make people go "oh, shit!", and a drip feed of mission objectives to give players direction. I get why it happens - a lot of people feel lost in pure sandboxes; it's why games like Dwarf Fortress are still mostly a niche genre (the ascii graphics don't help either, but even Kenshi, which is a full 3D sandbox RPG, is still not even in the same universe as a mainstream AAA release in terms of sales), but it also means that the systems in Legion are never really going to be able to realize their full potential.

[@runningcommentary2125]

Ubisoft keep trying to copy the Nemesis system without realising that it needs personality to really work.

[@MrAsh1100]

Its a compare a d contrast to Breath of the Wild. Even the developers expressed the same sentiment that to truly make a game, well, play how the player wanted as a huge sandbox, they have to write the story in such a way that it feels non-guided. Compared to past Zelda titles. So yeah.....I still don't know why Ubisoft, after knowing all that and thinking they could write it in a more focused way, think they could accomplish better....well....at least they tried.

[@KenTWOu]

In an ideal world Legion would be like this: collect evidences, find the name of the 2ry villain, find the place he would visit with his bodyguards, scan him, deep profile him, see his schedule, choose the best time and place to strike. Do this with all 2ry villains to get the main villain's attention to get him back in town from abroad, again find the place he would visit, deep profile him, see his schedule, choose the best place to strike. But we're not in that world that's why, just like with the Nemesis system, engaging with Legion systems and engaging with its story is like two separate things.

[@michimatsch5862]

I could actually hear Noah say the „you are now in combat, things are exploding“ part.

[@kaptenlemper]

Sounds like Kenshi tbh

[@kaleidoscopickait]

“Grit with no substance.” This. Absolutely hit the nail on the head and describes why all of Ubisoft’s games feel so vapid.

[@timgimmy609]

100% why are so many games obsessed with this nihilistic edginess? it’s so exhausting despite saying nothing

[@Blackreaper95]

@@timgimmy609 low effort maximum profit.

[@kaleidoscopickait]

@@timgimmy609 yeah i wish games that ventured into "edgy" territory weren't so afraid to say something but i guess to attract the most people, they choose to not say anything at all :/

[@MrDueltube]

@@kaleidoscopickait I guess it's about the shallow, looking cool rebel without a cause kind of stuff that can actually look stylish despite saying really nothing in the end.

[@lepersonnage371]

Idk it felt like it showed enough substance, the main focus of the game is not revenge or anything like that, it's about domination in the digital/informational war, it's about people who know something they shouldn't know, also the sequence where we see women being sold on an auction makes you want to actually destroy all the ones who are involved in this, same with Rossie-Freemont place. The game is not very very long, it doesn't show everything that can be shown in that setting and concept, but it had enough in it. Also gotta remember that quite a few games back in 2013-2014 had the problem like AC Unity, which is spending a lot of years creating a very good immersive city and gameplay mechanics, and as a result not having enough time to put all the story in the game for the release date. Unity got 3/4 story parts cut out from it, i imagine WD wanted to show more as well.

[@NegitoroIsBestShip]

As a single loner, this is *exactly* what I need on new year's eve. Noah delivered this one for the homies.

[@hayk3000]

I hope everyone in this community is doing well. I share your loneliness. Let's enjoy this great piece by Noah, together!

[@edwhite7798]

Happy new year buddy, I hope its a damn good one

[@NegitoroIsBestShip]

@@edwhite7798 Same to you friend

[@officernarc]

Hey buddy, you're never alone when you post online

[@SoldierHawke]

Dude same here. You said it. What a great new years gift!

[@harrisonfackrell]

I've only ever played WD1, but despite the poor reception it got, I actually really enjoyed it. Aiden is a shitty guy roleplaying Batman, and on some level, he's self-aware of that, but he buries that awareness in all but his least lucid moments. And in the end, he doesn't even redeem himself: his curt hostility gets his sister kidnapped, and though he rescues her, his actions put them at odds; his poor communication gets Clara killed; literal scores of people die at Aiden's hands and in the chaos of the ctOS disturbances; and Blume just makes a more invasive ctOS 2.0 after Aiden demonstrates how exploitable the first one is. And yet, everyone _loves_ him. It's only the people he's close to who see past the fantasy. I think I value the way WD1 refuses to break Aiden's unwavering faith in himself--it makes for such a bleak story about social disintegration and urban vigilantism, with a nihilistic, 'people can't change' theme. I think I value the sheer, unflinching juxtaposition of conflicting worldviews and Aiden's resolution thereof with grandiose narcissism. In the eyes of Aiden Pearce, _Aiden Pearce is God,_ and no matter how many people die, that never stops being true--it's never even called into question, except during Aiden's lowest points taking digital trips. "Jesus, Aiden, just leave it; it's fine. How do you know what he thinks? I can handle this on my own; we do *not* need your help. Okay, look, Aiden, _god,_ you have not changed at all--Aiden, we *do not* need your help. Stop trying to fix our problems; every time you try, you just make things worse." -Nicole, in _Big Brother_

[@CT_Phipps]

Aiden Pearce is deliberately written as a hypocrite. The author seems to miss that Aiden is still associating with a professional Hitman (Jordi), stealing cars, robbing ordinary citizens with your phone, and more. I don't think the people who ever reviewed this game ever suspected, maybe we're supposed to not LIKE Aiden. Especially since a huge chunk of the game is about how he's ruined all his personal relationships.

[@jsade]

@@CT_Phipps I am fascinated by the way this author completely looked past the fact that Aiden is not a hero and is not portrayed by the game as such at all.

[@edwarddorey4480]

You have an abundance of correctly used semicolons after the colon in your first paragraph! 😍

[@dappermaverick]

This. This is what I wanted to say in the author's section of the first WATCH_DOGS. Everybody has a different taste in what a well-written character is (if it isn't completely nonsensical) and I think Aiden is well-written in his own regard. The game never refers them him as a downright hero (at least from the first thing I can think of), but rather just... the vigilante.

[@Maggerama]

I think you're filling the blanks left by the game's writers with your head canon, guys.

[@TililioChaosLord]

The focus of this game about "mocking others people private life" is especially disturbing considering the relatively recent revelations concerning the abuses and harassments at Ubisoft... Clues were always here, we were just blind to them =/

[@LevityRhodes]

"The driest part of a soiled diaper" I'm sorry but I'm stealing that one, I had to pause I was dying, good god you eviscerated it.

[@augrajadhikari9976]

I read your entire patreon announcement regarding feelings about depression and impostor syndrome and everything and I hope that from one depressed person to another, you inspire me, your videos are the highest quality videos in regards to the literary content and I hope that you keep making the content you want and know that a lot of people will support it even if it's a book or a novel and not necessarily a video game critique and analysis

[@waslovsky3616]

Noah, you are the most sincere person I know.

[@ataridc]

You're the most sincere person I know keezlovsky

[@waslovsky3616]

@@ataridc You are the second most sincere person I know :)

[@holygon]

Thanks!

[@trashpanda5869]

@@holygon you are the second most sincere Noah I know.

[@mrdrprof8402]

Noah saying "'Moooo' end quote" gives me life

[@Spicypuff]

Regardless of what anyone says to this day watchdogs, has been the only game to give me that jonh wick/punisher type of gameplay and vibe and for that alone is enough for me to consider it one of my favorite games. It's the type of game I'll gladly go back to anytime and just have a blast playing.

[@cool64378]

Yeah I loved the gunplay in the first one. For some reason the gun play in Legion feels a bit awkward and a lot less fun..

[@KenTWOu]

@@cool64378 There are two main reasons for that. First of all, Legion doesn't have slow-mo focus ability that made gun fights more tactical. Second, in WD1 you have four weapon slots and you could change them on the fly, in other words, you always have access to all weapons in the game. Also no sniper rifles in Legion.

[@johnoneil9188]

I sometimes wonder what Noah would make of the Yakuza games but then he would probably need two lockdowns and an extended vacatin to finish all of them and then make an over four hour long video.

[@BasedPeter]

Exactly what I was thinking lol

[@Alkadius1993]

It would be totally worth it though

[@timcosgrove707]

I don't think there's much to say about the series on a whole. You play one Yakuza, you've played them all.

[@Alkadius1993]

@@timcosgrove707 The newest game, Yakuza: Like a Dragon is actually pretty different. It feels fresh, and I ended up liking it even more than the originals

[@brandon8045]

@@timcosgrove707 honestly you could 100% convince Noah to do this as he made an entire video on Gears of War, a franchise he took a similar sentiment from, and made a big long video/love letter to the franchise. If “easy fun that doesn’t differentiate much through titles” describes Yakuza, and I know it does because I love them, it would definitely be up his alley

[@adambowman3399]

Noah Caldwell Gervais, I have been watching your video essays for a long time. I really appreciate the calculated, well thought out writing for each of these in depth dives into this medium we call video games. It's clean, concise and your effort to present as an objective analysis still with a touch of your own subjectivity is welcomed. I particularly enjoyed the travelogue videos, so thank you. Really plainly thank you, as empty as an internet KZbin comment is usually, I cannot express how much your work is truly valued by not just myself, but those like myself.

[@couchpotato2222]

HORRAY FOR INDVINUALITY IN HOW WHILE WHEN YOU THINK OF HUMANITY ON A MACRO SCALE YOU SEEM LIKE A SPECK OF DUST ONLY TO REALISE THAT THE CONNECTIONS WE MAKE WITH OTHER SPECKS OF DUSK ON THE MICRO SCALE IS WHAT KEEPS US BONDED TOGETHER THROUGH TIME AND SPACE!!!!!

[@sunnysideup137]

shoutout to marcus' threat probability being 42% with 0 criminal record

[@Sentay0]

56:00 Used disestablishmentarianism in an actual sentence, my dude.

[@bennygerow]

What I came here to say as well. Cheers

[@TheSoulHarvester]

Folks, you absolutely love to hear it.

[@movement2contact]

why "dis-" and not "anti-" though..?

[@keshav3479]

This is such a brilliant essay. That analysis on Legion just blew everything else I've read about the game out of the water.

[@Preda.Y]

Good time to remember Ubisoft spent years defending and covering for abusers and rapists and that the company has faced zero consequences for this

[@TheOrginalGir]

If anything it has only gotten more successful

[@ZanderEzekial77]

The video covers this in the Watch Dogs 2 portion.

[@SirSpence99]

But it is fine because leftists will buy their games because of trans representation.

[@nnk_ll2]

@@SirSpence99 it is fine because liberals with no actual beliefs aren't able to do the bare minimum to enforce consequences and boycott Or the reactionaries who actually work against consequences saying with full mouths how they'll now buy more copies because sjws are ruining the industry You clearly see leftist game critics refusing to buy and engage with these companies on the other hand You see also leftist viewers refusing to buy their games at least directly from the company and opt for used copies and such Don't twist the world so it fits your own biases

[@SirSpence99]

@@nnk_ll2 I have yet to see a leftist boycott a Ubisoft game. I've seen leftists who *said* they would, but then when it came out that there was trans representation they bought it. No twisting here, just what I've seen. I have however seen people stick to their guns and boycott it *because* of the trans representation. Funny that. And yes, even pirating the game means that you aren't boycotting. *Especially* if you then go and tell people about how good it is because of representation.

[@MrSpikebomb5]

saw a post about your depression/imposter syndrome, I sincerely look forward to your content and think you are one of the best content creators out there. you provide actual analysis from different perspectives while putting into words what everyone thinks but can't articulate. as someone that doesnt laugh or cry very often you've managed to do both. as a chronically depressed person myself, just know that life is worth living and your content helps make it a little better.

[@altaccout]

The "No using mouse" aspect of programming is somewhat true, if you ever look at a 50 yearold programmer using VIM it looks like flying text.

[@Aggrofool]

Emacs is better anyways

[@thirdvect0r]

weird way to spell ed but ok

[@ofcrgry]

set mouse=a

[@ofcrgry]

@Dale Twokey oh yeah vim aint just for oldsters the plugins can make it a better editor (though not IDE) than the leading VS Code also, vi? not vim/neovim?

[@user-lk2vo8fo2q]

@@ofcrgry vi is a more common default install, so i'll also tend to use it more than vim since on personal systems i mostly just use emacs. neovim is nice though.

[@orijimi]

"They still sell flip phones and property in Nebraska" is such a good line.

[@ProfesserLuigi]

I don't quite understand that line still...

[@darklsn]

​@@ProfesserLuigi They still sell flip phones = you can opt out of a smartphone if you REALLY wanted to property in Nebraska = cheap, isolated, and generally a bit further away from other states in terms of "big-tech" modernity.

[@KeithBallardA]

It's about going "off the grid," though less in an electricity sense and more of a surveillance state sense.

[@BKSF1]

I think my favorite thing about your videos is that even when I disagree, I tend to go off in a pretty articulate way that helps me understand why I like something you dislike or vice versa. Your videos put me in a frame of mind where I find myself capable of that level of discussion, and it's refreshing for me.

[@BKSF1]

Also, V for Vendetta was cool. Read it as a result of this video.

[@sunainahussain]

"I forgive you if that's too many surreal scandals back now to remember." Laughs and then cries in still remembering that.

[@monkviolence5055]

I love how the thumbnails are consistently and charmingly awful. Never change!

[@kevinrohman1464]

Dude, same! He's such a goddamn fantastic essayist that the thumbnails and occasional sound issues are in just endearing

[@flexkuntsmash3053]

Noah can do whatever he wants with the presentation, because the substance underneath is always AMAZING. If only the same could be said for more than 0.00001% of youtubers.

[@SoFarSoGoodSoWhat14]

It's the Noah aesthetic™️ and we love it

[@timothymclean]

I suspect he just picks one of the default thumbnail options KZbin extracts from the video-that is to say, one of a few random frames that the algorithm thinks would make decent thumbnails for God-Machine-knows what reason.

[@budgethornet7498]

I was only just thinking about how our Noah was due an upload.

[@majik5194]

It's always like that for some reason

[@zyrkugilgamesh]

?

[@Bassist-Beneath]

Even though he didn’t like VTMBL, I still love him. ❤️

[@okawesome2746]

Just going to put it here because I haven't seen it mentioned on this video yet: your video editing has hugely improved over these past few months. This one in particular is, I would say, your best edited video so far. Keep up the good work!

[@armonj2296]

Hearing you read all those names just makes me happy cause I know you're getting the support you deserve.

[@alesa351]

The segment on Legion shows how Noah (imho) blows most other KZbinrs out of the water. He goes so much deeper while everyone else just goes "well, by playing anyone, you aaackshually end up playing as no one"

[@GreebusBleeb]

Errant Signal did a great video on it too!

[@KenTWOu]

@@GreebusBleeb I wouldn't call Noah's Legion gameplay analysis particularly great. Chris (Errant Signal), on the other hand, analyzed most of the game systems, including NPCs related ones. But it seems like both guys don't care much about stealth, that's why they ignored its one of the most important features - enemies don't shoot first - and didn't find the game as special.

[@vdeetz5573]

i iterally JUST finished the Red dead 4 hour video, and i take a look to my right and see you post this 15 minutes ago............ I haven't even played any of these games, yet you've got me feeling so many emotions. Thank you so much, and may 2021 bless you with many well deserved treats

[@Pranaynaynay]

Came for a breakdown on ubi games I've never played Stayed for the deep dive into hacker/anarchic ideology, a great interpretation of V for Vendetta and its message, and how technological growth has impacted us You are really one of a kind

[@Derlaid]

I've always enjoyed your intros, but your last few you've done really capture the essence of the game you're talking about.

[@GreebusBleeb]

Yeah he's getting better I'm glad to be along for the ride

[@edentyler-moss1157]

Anyone got an ID on the tune?

[@uwu_smeg]

really wanna find the track as well

[@TheSoulHarvester]

They all do, even if only in small ways like the (hilariously, relatably bad) hand-written font choices. An absolute masterclass in minimalist symbolism.

[@FIDEL_CASHFLOW_]

I've never played a second of watch dogs yet I was gripped this entire video. Noah, you have a real talent for presentation, writing, metaphors, analysis, and substance.

[@ObiJohnKenobi67]

My favorite part of the game was after you kill the main antagonist, to which Aiden fourth wall breakingly states “You know this is supposed to make me feel empty, but actually, I feel more free”. That kind of encapsulates Aiden and makes everything, from the fact hacking phones and stealing cars doesn’t decrease your status (and killing civilians and cops barely does) to the side missions where you help criminals commit acts that you would have shot them in the back for any other time, make sense. Aiden only cares about being free to do what he wants. Throughout the game, we see him cause his niece’s death, his partner’s death, his sister’s kidnapping, the complete destruction of a city’s power supply, and various thefts from and deaths of random civilians, but by the end, Aiden doesn’t change at all. He still acts like he is some sort of Punisher for the city that should be free to kill, steal, and break into whatever he wishes in order to administer his version of justice. He even refuses to help the actually altruistic hackers by the end, because in his mind only he can be trusted with the power to stop the bad guys. I disagree that Aiden isn’t a deconstruction, he is the perfect analogy to what a real world Batman would be. A guy who just because he can fight crime will fight crime, even if no one asked for him or need him and even if they would have done better without him. Because at the end of the day, Aiden is just an ego driven narcissist who needs to feel like a god.

[@raulfernandez57]

Me too. I feel that the game developers wanted also to deconstruct GTA's police and interaction mechanics, you can clearly see this with the karma-popularity feature: if you don't give a shit about the citizens like how people typically play an open world game, they'll most likely call the cops on you and you'll be disliked in the ending. But if you do give a shit, everyone will think you're actually a hero of justice. It's just that I can see what Noah is saying. It's more like how a social network measures your popularity. Heck, maybe the Chinese government's fun-fun Social Credit bullshit, first developed by Western companies. Just imagine how much tonally consistent the games would be if the citizens of Chicago/San Francisco/cyberpunk London went through the same karma system as you... Or if the game actually cared at all about, let's say, consequences. Supposedly Aiden is bad (when he's not being protrayed as good) in part because he finances his activities by stealing money, including working class people if you're not careful. So, if I hack away all of little Johnny's money off from his account: how about I see him later on as a beggar on the street? You wouldn't even need a karma system for that.

[@johnarmstrong5533]

The in-depth look at the games' mechanics & themes was comprehensive, and the digressions about other dystopian media were entertaining and a welcome pacing tool. This video essay had an excellent flow; it seemed to fly by much faster than its over-ninety-minute runtime would indicate. Good stuff.

[@e2rqey]

21:00 A lot of the stuff in the original Watchdogs starts to make a lot more sense when you think about what has come out in regards to Ubisofts work environment in the last year or so.

[@ludicrousfool7953]

The police in the first Watch Dogs can’t pursue you if you ride in a subway or drive a boat out to the ocean - so once you figure that out, they’re actually really easy to evade.

[@john-jamesoreilly5013]

Brilliant as always Noah. I just wanted to thank you because this video, and particularly the section on Legion pushed me to read V for Vendetta for the first time. I loved it and found it so engaging i finished the series in one sitting. You are consistently one of the most interesting critics on youtube and you have my thanks.

[@MS-du8di]

Have y'all noticed the thoughtfulness and downright devotion Noah puts into his Patreon subscriber thank you's? He actually scribes their very names into that book of his to read them to us, physically committing them to his own mind and the weight they carry with him. Thank you for your effort in all things, Noah.

[@curiousjapan]

I really enjoyed the discussion of “one button liberation” in this video and the idea of commitment to a cause - I think there’s a strong tie to the critiques of “clicktavism” that were all the rage a few years ago (might still be, too). Thanks Noah - hope you have a great 2021.

[@richardking8109]

Oh my god, “the VIGILANTE!, instead of the temp who makes us all uncomfortable.” Idk why I found that so hilarious.

[@Krypto137]

Happy new years Noah. Thank you for your hard work buddy! Love your content 😄

[@evgenyivanov6311]

It is the best written video game essay I've ever seen. You're getting better and better at it, Noah. Thank you so much for your work.

[@THATGuy5654]

When I saw the title, I assumed I was going to be watching a thorough analysis of the story or gameplay. Instead, I get a socio political analysis of the entire series. I'm digging it!!

[@theminer49erz]

Watching this and some of your other essays again makes me think about something "Mr. Plinket" says; "you may not have noticed, but your brain did" . Its one of the things that Inreally like about them. You seem to be able to isolate and explain why I feel a way about games. I appreciate that! It has actually allowed me to enjoy some games again after understanding those feelings better. Thanks

[@spiros81]

That rival feature in Watch Dogs 2 was my favourite way to solve things. At one point I started a gang war that lasted about half an hour and took place across several streets of a gang disctrict. It was such a joy to look at it from the drone's perspective.

[@classclown6ya]

one last ounce of wit before the year ends. Perfect

[@a1tpseud0nym30]

Not the notification I was expecting but if Noah is making a video on this he has to have interesting things to say

[@anm1872]

This was a fantastic video - I love the way you approached the topics of surveillance from all the different perspectives. Also digging your sense of humour! This got me through a long day of editing - thank you so much for sharing!

[@HQ_Default]

Damn, you really can't get a more brutal insult from Noah than "I feel like I wasted my time for 3 games."

[@frostsoul4199]

there's something so utterly ironic about Deadsec in the first game being anti-corporate and aiming to demolish the big names and wealthy elite of Chicago, and then pull a 180 to the point of where they have their own clothing brand and even treat their recruits in Legion like employees rather than people. essentially shopping for names with talents behind them that ultimately benefit the great conglomerate of Deadsec rather than garnering the trust of the masses in an attempt of protest against authority.

[@lobaandrade7172]

I’ve been waiting for a Watch Dogs Franchise review ever since the Far Cry and Wildlands videos. Cheers and thank you

[@LucGendrot]

It's so strange how despite agreeing with everything Noah says here, I still fracking love these games. I wonder if we'll get an addendum once the online content drops for Legion.

[@KalleVilenius]

But Rorschach isn't Batman, he's riffing on The Question and Mr. A. He's a critique of two heroes created by someone (Steve Ditko) with a highly dualist sense of morality based on his objectivist philosophies. Or maybe I'm just being an insufferable nerd again.

[@FranzKafkaRockOpera]

I think it's almost the other way around, in fact: _Watchmen_ was so influential on mainstream superhero comics that later incarnations of Batman have exhibited Rorschach-like traits even though the character didn't possess them at the time.

[@vaclav4435]

You're right, but if we go by archetypes I'd say that Batman can be seen as a mix of Rorschach and both the Nite Owls, and Batman can express different aspects of those three characters depending on the era and who's writing him.

[@CT_Phipps]

He also seems to never realize that Aiden is presented as a hypocrite who ruined his family's life. I mean, this is textual in the game.

[@scottegnor194]

Literally jumped when I saw this video in my notifications

[@mtftpigeon]

the stars must have aligned, i was actually rewatching the baldur's gate video when i got the notification for this one!

[@jacksonduruy4303]

"Moving to Akron and opening a Cell Phone Repair store" Lol, that line reminded me of this trope that I've always hated in crime and action movies. They'll be some assassin or crime boss who is "the bad" and the good guy will ask them "why are you doing this???" and they'll reply "TO SURVIVE!". Dude, if you want to "survive" learn to code and get some boring ass job in Omaha, save up and buy some property and guns and provided society doesn't collapse TO dramatically you probably have an over 90% chance of making it to very old age. I don't think taking a job that constantly puts you in harms way for, what I image is at best an upper middle class income, is really the best way to live as long as possible.

[@derekmensch3601]

The "to survive" line makes sense in certain contexts. But it got so over used that it really doesn't work

[@ADDNoah]

Everything you have written for these videos have always been informative, entertaining and down right fuckin' great Noah 😄 Anytime I see a notification that your channel has posted, it just makes my day better. It's always a trip down memory lane or an amazing tour down a road that hasn't been traveled yet. Thank you for your work and your efforts Noah 😄

[@Rain-King]

I can't recall whether I've ever commented on a video of yours before, Noah, but some things stand out to me about this one that serve as as good a gateway as any to praising your work in general. Right out of the gate, this has been one of your most explicitly funny videos. While it's not my favourite register for critical videos (maybe because so many KZbin videos try for and fail hard at comedy), but you legitimately do have a wonderful talent for comedic writing and delivery (you really do have quite a magnificent voice). This essay, particularly the last third focusing on Legion and dystopian themes, also expertly demonstrates your incisive nature and ability to distil complex ideas elegantly and poetically, turning wonderful phrases like the bit about "pressing 'square'". What I've also come to appreciate more and more as your video editing skills have improved is how you generally tie the footage you are using to the points you are trying to make. This may seem like an obvious point, but it astounds me how often video essays simply use imagery as something to occupy your eyes with while you listen. By contrast, you substantiate your use of the video essay format as opposed to just putting these out in writing. More generally, let me just say that I love your work and appreciate the warranted depth and academic rigour with which you analyse games. It always leaves me with something to think about and your path in getting here and deliberately "DIY" aesthetic are as endearing as they are inspirational. A very happy new year to you!

[@unr8ted77]

I liked Aiden. I mean, i’m not saying he’s quite up there with Arthur Morgan, but Aiden was cool in his own way. I liked his dynamic with T-bone and Clara.

[@charliemilton9371]

That line delivery from hackers was unreasonably pitch perfect

[@losethegame101]

It has been a hell of a year for Noah Caldwell-Gervais output. Looking forward to what you do in 2021!

[@0xCAFEF00D]

1:00 To be fair that's quite accurate. Very few people use the mouse much at all when editing because moving your hands off the keyboard leads to this annoying mode switching behavior. And for some escaping mouse reliance is something they enjoy generally. Tiling WMs are a prime example of people moving towards what looks more like movie-hacking but for practical purposes. I'd like a shortcut to submit this comment.

[@ethanevenson3855]

I think that, at some point in development, they probably didn’t have any guns for the player to use in Watchdogs 2. The really complex hacking, and the interplay with that and the drones make it feel like a Shadowrun-esque drone rigging mischief game, and the tone makes way more sense when you just use the taser and knockouts. I absolutely adored playing the game by sending in the two drones and bouncing between them to complete objectives without even entering the building, or driving scissors lifts around to keep Marcus out of detection range as I found infiltration routes. Even stuff like calling in the cops has different reactions based on the disposition of the faction you’re targeting, with security guards often accepting their arrest. What seems strange is that all of these super refined mechanics end up being basically deleted by the fact that you can pick up an AK from your ghostgunner or whatever and massacre hundreds of gang members, police, civilians, or corporate security guards. It kinda reeks of the “no, we’re gonna need some guns” type of meddling that happened to Mirror’s Edge. Maybe this is why you’re of the opinion that the gameplay is much the same as the first game, but the sandbox is waaaaaay better, especially for higher-tech, less lethal, ghost playstyles.

[@simplyethan]

All these years on and your warm, unique touch is as strong and clear as ever. Thank you for continuing to create such fantastic videos.

[@Veqtronic]

Horatio's death was mostly because the game needs a reason to have the heroes fight the Hispanic gang because its meant to be a parallel to when Anonymous tried to pick a fight with the Zeta Cartel. As such, Horatio was kind of generic in characterization compared to the other guys.

[@Alex-ip1dn]

Happy new Year Noah! I hope you're doing well. Thank you for all your work

[@Momohhhhhh]

Hell, I always felt extreme dissonance going on frivolous crime sprees in the GTA games, and you unapologetically play as criminals in those games. Watchdogs never really had a chance in that regard.

[@demitrigarvey]

I’m 13 minutes into this, and you’ve changed my perspective on Watch Dogs 1 completely! One of my favorite games from my teen years (around its release). Haven’t played it in a while, but it was definitely “my GTA”, since I wasn’t allowed to have GTA. This change in perspective is so exciting, I really love when a solid piece of critique can get me to view something differently, and it’s good motivation for me to keep practicing my own film reviews. Love your work, Noah!

[@Ray-xz3oi]

Happy New Year Noah! Thumbs up for a fantastic start to this year. Stay safe and happy mate :)

[@jonathanharrison4585]

I've never played these games but I really enjoyed listening to you talk about them. You're one of the few KZbin critics who meaningfully engages with what a game's mechanics and story SAY about that game's perspective and how it fits into wider sociopolitical trends. I could listen to you talk about anything for hours on end (and have) because you approach the subjects of your critique in such an authentic way. Thank you for making this.

[@roastpork5437]

Every time Noah uploads a new video = let's get the pop corns. What separates Noah from other lesser 'tubers is his writing. It flows like waterfall.

[@SpinningTurtle66]

Honestly, I really love how the games stay overall quite similar whilst the tone performs a backflip every game. It’s like a “what if…” where you can see the same game from multiple perspectives.

[@tsukasa0802]

For being about an old irrelevant game this may be Noah's most relevant video ever.

[@lutherheggs451]

your aware Watch Dog Legion literally just came out like a month ago if not less

[@ZanderEzekial77]

Excellent video as always Noah. Your writing has so much personality, it makes me strive to be greater in my own works.

[@joshuawinestock9998]

This piece was really stunning, but it made me think about how consistently Noah makes videos about games he loves, or at least games with something special in them that he loves. I'm actually really glad of that, since good media needs more attention than bad media if the industry is going to have an incentive to improve. This is still a great video though, and the occasional negative piece seems to suit him pretty well

[@Tuhar]

I think you hit the nail on the head with the comparison to people doing whatever is easiest. I think Legion points this out the best. Everyone you "play as" immediately joins the cause, like you mentioned. To this end, we don't see anyone supporting the "bad side" as you mentioned, and I think that's precisely because of the point you also made - that people do what comes easiest. Watch Dogs Legion presents the world where upon hearing "the call" all it takes it pressing square to perform the act of rebellion. It is precisely this ease that removes the "bad actors" from the game. I think similarly to real life, the "bad people" are the people looking for their own in a world where dispassionate interaction is normalized. If all it took for you to put in a number of hours of research and difficult labor to ensure that even the most downtrodden got a fair share - was to press the "Square" button, I think everyone would do it. It's precisely because sometimes the equivalent of "pressing square" in real life, is taking the "bad guy" route. I think you hit all around this point, and really it didn't click for me until watching your video, so great job. I just think this is the missing piece. Nobody looks like a bad guy if you're given the option "Be good, press Square". Real life is inherently more complicated than that. The chemical sheds metaphor extended to the game world.

[@Sara.Space.H]

THANK YOU! I was going to watch the whole video anyways but I'm happy someone finally remembers that Ubisoft hid sexual predators. I cannot begin to express how frustrating it is to watch hours of youtube content a day only to find someone doing a video essay on an Ubisoft game only to forget or choose to not include the reminder of how disgusting Ubisoft is.

[@fraundakelmbrilpondaprost90]

Literally just thought to myself last night how desperate I am for new Noah. Flawless timing.

[@danielhathaway1498]

Yay! You have been MISSED, my friend! 🥰😘

[@strassboom2612]

I cracked up when you said “Pull the string on Aiden’s back” and showed his niece’s plushie 😂

[@slyaspie4934]

What a nice way to see out the year with Noah the wordsmith of wisdom, best wishes for next year to you and everyone 😁

[@Solinaru]

I just finished WD2 to really watch and experience this video as intended. It was such a fun experience but it felt so validating to hear Noah find the right words for the issues I had while playing. There's parts of the game that really felt sincere, especially when talking about Dedsec as a standin for Anonymous. Even the world itself was strange in that I would bump into a NPC and they would be the one to play a "apologies" VO more often then a "FOH" one. You can really feel the world that WD2 was created in was when villains could only exist in shadows making 4D chess moves. It's taken years to realize now that real villains exist, they constantly fail upwards, and the status quo will protect them at all cost. :( Pressing Y/Square to start a revolution is the "Press F to pay respects" of it's moment.

[@stevesan]

I have to really disagree about watch dogs 2. I played it as a stealth game (no guns), and I had an absolute blast. I consider it among the best immersive sims!! Of course, I can totally see why many players would miss this experience, as stealth needs to be self-imposed, over just gunning everyone down.

[@drakoz254]

The Hamburger line at the end is excellent, Noah, and describes well how I've felt about most AAA open-world titles. Love it.

[@lol_vevo]

I'll disagree with you on Aiden. He's clearly presented as as an unhinged crazy vigilante. His inability to let go is constantly putting his family (the one thing he claims he cares about) in danger. The game is very clear that his fixer work is what got his niece killed and that he is no better than the goons he kills. The dude is a mercenary. He has a weird and twisted moral code much like The Punisher. Also, unlike Marcus from WD2, he isn't fighting the power. He's using it exclusively for his benefit. He fully embraces Blume's fucked up system.

[@ileutur6863]

He's realistic. A man doing these things would not be a good or mentally sound person.

[@adeptdamage3669]

He's still boring.

[@kadnaz]

@@adeptdamage3669 saints row 3-4 fan. That explains it. You clearly have the patience of a 4 year old and think flashing lights and pew pew guns is better than a good story because of your simplistic "fun trumps all" mentality.

[@adeptdamage3669]

@@kadnaz Nah Watch Dogs games all had pretty weak writing.

[@kadnaz]

@@adeptdamage3669 says the saints row 3 fan

[@JorisKoolen]

Watching your critiques is in many cases a much better way to spend my time than playing the actual games. Thank you.

[@Ulyssestnt]

Im somewhat of a infosec consultant/hacker,and this game was a guilty pleasure of mine..the second game had more of the cultural side of hacker culture in it. while the mechanics of the game were simplistic,a lot of the attacks are possible on a technical level. This game was very much borne out of the zeitgest post the Snowden leaks. There also is a lot to be said to have a tight control on any cameras or devices that can conciveably have access to the internet...especially smartphones.

[@downwithfun]

Thanks for another wonderful video, Noah. Your insight is always appreciated and can't wait to see what you have in store for 2021