Ubisoft has revealed it has done away with the ubiquitous tower-climbing mechanic in the upcoming Watch Dogs 2.
Previous open-world titles published by the French industry giant have traditionally required the protagonist to scale large buildings in order to unfog the game map and reveal hosts of side activities.
However, for Watch Dogs 2, this isn’t going to be the case, as the game’s creative director, Jonathan Morin, told Eurogamer.
"It’s not a game where you open your map and everything’s there," Morin said. "There are no towers. You just explore the world.”
“Every time you get followers, it’s like you’re unlocking the DedSec hivemind," he added. “You’re also unlocking new knowledge, new operations, new co-op missions. And then organically you hit those end-game milestones."
Watch Dogs 2 also offers plenty of content for those who don’t fancy tackling the main storyline.
"What we’re pushing for is having a seamless online, and integrating co-op into it," explained Morin. "You can play different operations and choose to not even play the story. Activities will scale appropriately.
"And there is further progression so players stick around after the main story arc, if they want."
Watch Dogs 2 hits PS4 later this year, could it be the series’ Assassin’s Creed II moment?
Watch Dogs 2 is due out on PlayStation 4, PC and Xbox One on November 15, 2016. The game introduces a completely new protagonist in the shape of DedSec member, Marcus Holloway, and takes place in the San Francisco Bay area.
Ubisoft confirmed this week that the game’s map will be roughly twice as big as the original Watch Dogs, which was no slouch when it came to offering an expansive open-world to explore.
In addition, Watch Dogs 2 includes a full-fledged multiplayer component, allowing gamers to take part in both cooperative and competitive scenarios, while the hacking element from the first game also makes a comeback.