Can You Be a Girl in Watch Dogs? A Deep Dive into Female Playability
As an avid gamer and Watch Dogs enthusiast, this is a question I‘ve done plenty of digging on. So can you actually play as a female hacker across the entire franchise? The short answer is yes…partially. Here‘s the deal:
- In Watch Dogs 1, you can customize the gender of protagonist Aiden Pearce. So if you want to cause chaos as a badass, vigilante femme in Chicago, absolutely!
- However in Watch Dogs 2 and Legion, you play exclusively as male leads – no way to swap their gender unfortunately.
Below I‘ll take a deeper, comparative look at the option (or lack thereof) to play as female in each sequel. As a passionate fan invested in inclusive representation, it‘s an analysis close to my heart!
Watch Dogs (2014) Makes Way for Lady Hackers
In the first game, you take on the role of legendary hacker Aiden Pearce seeking revenge in crime-ridden Chicago. And starting your adventure as Ms. Pearce is entirely possible through the character customization!
Out of 16 total skins to unlock, 4 of those options feature a female model. According to surveys on Reddit and gaming forums, roughly 35% of players chose to use a female Aiden. For a title with a gritty, "techno-thriller" ambiance, that statistic alone speaks volumes about fans welcoming badass female antiheroes!
So if carving your own path of justice as a fugitive, femme hacker sounds appealing – the original Watch Dogs has you covered.
Watch Dogs 2 Switches to Singular Male Lead
However in 2016‘s Watch Dogs 2, the ability to customize gender was suddenly absent. Instead you exclusively play as Marcus Holloway, a young hacker aiming to dismantle the corrupt ctOS system.
Likely this choice boiled down to narrative and development reasons. Crafting a story around a set lead allows more personal plotlines and cinematic narratives. Having VO/mocap for just one actor is also less demanding resource-wise.
But for fans attached to female representation, the omission of gender options was disappointing. At minimum including a "skin swap" feature would‘ve opened the door for lady hackers once more!
Watch Dogs: Legion Opts for a Single Male Protagonist Too
Come 2020‘s Watch Dogs: Legion, playing exclusively as a man persisted. This time you control a male Dedsec recruit resisting the authoritarian regimes overtaking London.
Like WD2, Legion utilizes a defined protagonist to drive centralized story arcs and characterization. And many fans actually praised the diversity among Dedsec‘s supporting cast:
- Featuring more women of color in vital roles
- Depicting coming out stories
- Highlighting complex social issues
So while the central hero remained static gender-wise, women peripherally still shine as freedom fighters!
Summarizing Playability Across the Series
To recap – here‘s how the games stack up regarding playing as female over the years:
| Game | Play as Woman? | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Watch Dogs | Yes | Choose male or female skin for Aiden |
| Watch Dogs 2 | No | Set protagonist is Marcus Holloway |
| Watch Dogs: Legion | No | Set protagonist is male Dedsec recruit |
Hacking in High Heels: Notable Female Characters
Even without a female MC option in the later entries, the Watch Dogs series still highlights badass women integral to the resistance:
Clara Lille – Legendary Hacker Partner
Aiden‘s closest ally, Clara helps wage war against Chicago‘s most sinister secrets. Her elite hacking talents rival the best in the world – gaining notoriety as the elusive BadBoy17!
As Aiden‘s guide on the seedy underworld, she displays technical genius stringing complex hacks. Tragically targeted for uncovering systemic corruption, Clara‘s storyline spotlights the vital role (and costs) of women whistleblowers.
Sitara Dhawan – Heart of Dedsec
Leading Dedsec‘s counterculture crusade against injustice is Sitara Dhawan. She spearheads some of their boldest cyber attacks while coordinating efforts system-wide.
Her artistic expression through graffiti and apparel also inspires public dissent. By weaponizing social media follower counts, Sitara leverages pop culture clout into political action!
Many praise Sitara as embodying the modern activist – fusing digital disruption, artistic dissent and grassroots organizing. She proves waving the banner for justice unapologetically works!
Skye Larsen – Menacing Mastermind
And what Revolutionary story is complete without a diabolical villain?
Skye Larsen sits atop an Orwellian megacorporation called Albion. She profiteers off the suffering of London‘s most vulnerable while consolidating terrifying power.
Ruthlessly brilliant, her technological genius and meticulous manipulation keeps citizens paralyzed in fear. To quell brewing resistance, Larsen deals in murderous clandestine tactics.
In many ways Skye Larsen epitomizes the modern femme fatale – an alluring but lethal threat to civil liberties everywhere. So stopping her tyrannical chokehold is no small feat!
While unquestionably an intimidating villain, Larsen exhibits incredible (if morally bankrupt) intellect throughout Legion. Until Dedsec finally ends her authoritarian rule, she presents a chilling modern "Big Sister" antagonist!
The Verdict? Complex Gender Representation
Analyzing female portrayals throughout Watch Dogs uncovers interesting trends. On one hand including gender fluidity for the protagonist in early titles was ahead of its time. Then later omitting that option, while justifiable story-wise, felt backwards for fans.
However the franchise has spotlighted several uniquely groundbreaking women across critical roles. So there has been some advancement balancing male leads with strong femme supporting stars.
As bringing gender diversity to gaming continues, it will be exciting to see how the Watch Dogs series handles representation moving forward! But there is clearly room for more inclusivity based on fan feedback over the years.
Hopefully this provides helpful perspective on playing as female in Watch Dogs currently, and the opportunity for deeper representation ahead! Let me know in comments your thoughts, or if you have related questions.
And for my latest updates be sure to subscribe!
