Short answer: play Watch Dogs 2. It is the better game, and it is not particularly close. Legion had a clever idea, letting you recruit and play as anyone in London, but that idea came at the cost of the characters and the story that made Watch Dogs 2 so good. Both are fun. Only one has heart. Here is the honest breakdown.
The quick verdict
| Watch Dogs 2 | Watch Dogs Legion | |
|---|---|---|
| Setting | San Francisco Bay Area | Near-future London |
| You play as | Marcus and the DedSec crew | Anyone you recruit in the city |
| Big idea | A crew with real personality | Play as literally anyone |
| Tone | Warm, funny, likeable | Colder, more scattered |
| Story | Focused and full of heart | Spread thin across everyone |
| Free roam | Superb, a proper playground | Fun, technically clever |
| WillyB’s pick | The one to play | Fun, but a step down |
Why Watch Dogs 2 wins
Watch Dogs 2 got the most important thing right: it made you care. Marcus and the DedSec crew are a likeable, funny group you actually want to spend time with, the tone is bright and playful, and San Francisco is a brilliant sandbox that turns every mission into potential chaos. It is one of the most genuinely fun open worlds Ubisoft has ever made, and I say that as someone with well over 200 videos on it. It has personality, and personality is the thing that sticks with you long after the missions blur together.
What Legion actually did
Legion’s headline idea is genuinely impressive: a persistent near-future London where you can walk up to almost any NPC, recruit them, and play as them, each with their own traits and gear. As a piece of technology and systemic design, it is clever, and mucking about with it in free roam is a good time. Recruiting a little old lady and then causing havoc is exactly the kind of daft fun the series should offer.
Where Legion falls down
Here is the honest bit, and it is a pattern I have felt across a few of Ubisoft’s newer sequels: the systems came at the cost of the soul. By letting you play as anyone, Legion ended up with no one. There is no Marcus, no crew, no single character to anchor the story, so the whole thing feels emotionally flat compared to what came before. You are managing a roster instead of living a story. It is fun in the moment and forgettable afterwards, which is the exact opposite of Watch Dogs 2. Legion is not a bad game, but it followed one of Ubisoft’s most beloved open worlds and quietly stripped out the part people loved most.
Which to play first
Play Watch Dogs 2 first, no question. It is the stronger game, the better introduction to what the series does well, and the one you will remember. If you finish it and want more, then pick up Legion for the London sandbox and the play-as-anyone toy box, going in with your expectations set correctly: a clever playground, not a successor with the same heart.
My take
Watch Dogs 2 is the high point of this series and one of the most underrated open worlds going. Legion is a fun experiment that traded character for a gimmick, and it is a smaller game for it. If you only play one, make it 2. Every time.
For the full case on why 2 is worth your money, see is Watch Dogs 2 worth it in 2026 and why Watch Dogs 2 is having a resurgence. For Legion on its own terms, read is Watch Dogs Legion worth it in 2026. The full run lives on the Watch Dogs 2 hub.
Watch Dogs 2Watch Dogs LegionUbisoftopen-worldcomparison
FAQ
Which is better, Watch Dogs 2 or Watch Dogs Legion?
Watch Dogs 2, comfortably. It has a proper crew you actually care about, a warmer and funnier tone, and a brilliant San Francisco to cause trouble in. Legion's play-as-anyone gimmick is impressive technically but it comes at the cost of memorable characters and a story with any real heart, which is exactly what made Watch Dogs 2 special.
Should I play Watch Dogs 2 or Legion first?
Play Watch Dogs 2 first. It is the stronger game and the better introduction to what the series does well. Come to Legion afterwards if you want more, specifically if the idea of a persistent London where you can recruit and play as anyone appeals to you as a sandbox.
Is Watch Dogs Legion a bad game?
No, it is a fun game with a genuinely impressive central idea. The problem is comparative: it followed one of the most likeable open worlds Ubisoft ever made, and by spreading its story across dozens of interchangeable characters it lost the personality and emotional pull that Watch Dogs 2 had. Fun, but a step down from what fans loved.
What is the difference between Watch Dogs 2 and Legion?
Watch Dogs 2 is a story-driven game where you play as Marcus with the DedSec crew in San Francisco, with fixed, well-written characters. Legion is set in a near-future London where you recruit and switch between any NPC in the city, so there is no single hero. Legion trades character depth for systemic freedom.
Are Watch Dogs 2 and Legion connected?
They are both part of the DedSec hacking universe and share the same broad world and themes, but they tell separate stories in different cities with different casts. You do not need to play one to understand the other, though playing 2 first gives you the better version of the series' ideas.
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