Important Notes

Watch Dogs 2: Important Notes

Warnings & Pitfalls

• Lethal Weapons Are Optional: Using guns increases police notoriety and escalates situations. The game is designed for non-lethal takedowns (stun gun, melee, distractions). Killing civilians or guards recklessly can trigger a Wanted level that escalates rapidly, making missions harder.


• Police Alert System: Committing crimes (hacking vehicles, theft, murder) raises your notoriety. You can pay bounties at certain locations, but avoid killing cops or causing mass chaos early on—the response time and force become overwhelming.


• Unlock Skills Strategically: Early game, prioritize the Botnet and Stealth skill trees. Upgrading the Profiler (to mark enemies through walls) and the quadcopter (for remote hacking) greatly reduces difficulty. Avoid spending Research Points on vehicle handling or combat perks until you have core stealth tools.




Irreversible Choices



• Major Story Decisions: There are a few dialogue choices that affect minor faction endings (e.g., sparing or condemning characters), but they do not lock you out of the main storyline. No permanent narrative dead ends—you can always reload a save if you want a different outcome.


• Missions Unlocking: Some side operations become unavailable after completing certain main story chapters. Notably:

- Side Operations: Several side missions (e.g., "Cyberdriver" and "Uber Driver") are only triggered by specific locations or NPC encounters. If you ignore them, they remain available until post-game, but progress is tracked globally.
- Key Data (Collectibles) : No missable collectibles; all can be collected post-story. However, some graffiti art and QR codes disappear after certain story events? (No—they persist). Safe to explore anytime.

• Clothes & Vehicles: No permanent unlocks; everything purchased stays in inventory. You can change outfits and paint jobs anytime.




Missable Content



• Co-op Missions: These are tied to the online mode. If you never play online, you cannot access them. They are fully missable if you only play single-player.


• Online Invaders & Bounties: The invasion system (Hacking Invasion, Bounty Hunt) is online-only. Offline players miss these entirely.


• The "Cuckoo" Mission: A hidden side mission triggered by entering a specific building in Palo Alto. If you miss it, it stays available until endgame, but easily overlooked.


• Points of Interest (POIs) : Some NPC conversations and environmental stories are temporary; if you walk away, they disappear. Use the Profiler to listen in.




Difficulty Spikes



• Early Game: The first few missions (e.g., "Thumbs Down") force you into combat with limited tools. Use the environment: hack forklifts, distract enemies, and climb to high ground. The skill jump between mission 3 and 4 is steep because you lack the quadcopter drone (unlocks around Research 20). Grind side activities for Research Points.


• Vehicle Chase Missions: Missions like "Stealing Thunder" (the boat chase) require precise driving. Use the remote control car or quadcopter to disable enemy vehicles from afar. Manually driving is risky.


• Final Mission: The last story mission has a timed hacking sequence with waves of enemies. Ensure you have the Retinal Scanner upgrade (Botnet tree) and a silenced weapon. Save before initiating.




Grinding Traps



• Money Is Not Critical: You can complete the game without buying any clothes or vehicle upgrades. The best gear (e.g., stealth rigs) is obtained through missions and Research Points. Avoid wasting time harvesting money via Bitcoin mining or hacking ATMs—it's slow and unnecessary.


• Research Points Are the Real Bottleneck: They come from missions, side operations, and random events (e.g., hacking criminal convoys). Focus on these instead of repetitive grinding. The fastest way to earn Research Points is:

- Complete side operations (each gives 1-3 points)
- Hack every network switch and junction box you see (they give small points)
- Use the Profiler on NPCs to find side quests

• Avoid the "Follow" Mini-Game: The app-based follow missions (like "Follow the Car" from ctOS) give tiny rewards and are tedious. Only do them for completion.




Online Etiquette & Anti-Cheat Notes



• Co-op: When playing co-op missions, let your partner decide approach. Communicate via emotes (d-pad). Don't steal their kills—share the fun.


• Bounty Hunter Mode: If you invade another player as a Bounty Hunter, do not camp their spawn. It's considered unsporting. Likewise, if you are invaded, use the environment (closets, roof edges) to hide, not glitch spots.


• Anti-Cheat (PC) : Ubisoft Connect uses FairFight for online detection. Using mods or trainers in single-player can trigger bans if you go online with modified files. Disable all mods before connecting. The game saves are stored locally; avoid editing them for online play.


• Griefing: Hacking other players (Invasion mode) is part of the game, but repeatedly targeting the same player or using exploits (e.g., teleport hacks) may get you reported. Ubisoft acts on reports.




Save Management Advice



• Autosave System: The game autosaves frequently (after missions, fast travel, key events). However, the autosave is overwritten constantly.


• Manual Saves: You can create up to 5 manual save slots. Use them before major missions, especially the final one. On console, manual saves are found in the pause menu > Save/Load. On PC, save files are in `Documents\My Games\Watch_Dogs 2\save` (backup this folder if you want multiple runs).


• Cloud Save (Ubisoft Connect) : Syncs manually. If you have connectivity issues, disable cloud sync to avoid corrupted saves. Always let the game upload properly before quitting.


• No New Game+: There is no New Game Plus mode. To replay the story, you must start a new save (which deletes old autosaves). Keep a separate manual save from before the final mission if you want to free roam after credits.




Common Regrets (Things Players Wish They Knew)


1. You can fast travel from anywhere (not just from safe houses)—open the map and hover over any unlocked ctOS hub. Use it liberally.
2. Quadcopter Upgrades: The ability to disrupt cameras from the drone is a game-changer. Upgrade it early.
3. Climb Anywhere: You can mantle almost all walls, but some fences require a running jump. Experiment.
4. Call the police on enemies: Use the Profiler to mark an enemy, then hack them to call the police. It clears areas without direct combat.
5. Smoke bombs are OP: They blind enemies and allow easy escapes. Craft them early (requires marijuana leaves).
6. Vehicle customisation is cosmetic: Expensive paint jobs don't improve performance. Stick to cheap options.
7. You can turn off the phone ringing: Settings > Audio > disable 'Phone Ringtone' to avoid distracting calls.
8. The Profiler can tag enemies through walls: Hold L2/LT to scan while moving—useful for stealth planning.
9. Co-op friends can join mid-mission: If you're stuck, send an invite. They can help without restarting.
10. Hacking enemy car brakes: Infinite fun—especially on the Golden Gate Bridge. Tempting, but watch for civilian casualties (police).



Final Tips



• Difficulty Balance: The game is easiest on stealth; combat is punishing. If you want a challenge, try using only the stun gun and melee.


• Accessibility Options: Enable colorblind modes, subtitle backgrounds, and hold-to-sprint in Settings. The camera shake can be reduced for motion sickness.


• Completionist Advice: Use the in-game map to track side missions. There is no time limit except for online invasions. Take your time and explore.


• Cheats/Mods: Only safe for offline single-player. If you use them, disable before going online.