Tips and Tricks for Watch Dogs Decryption

Ubisoft’s Watch Dogs has a very strong storyline and single-player mode, but if you bought it to play on a PS4 or Xbox One, there is more in store to enjoy. One of these next gen exclusive aspects is the multiplayer Decryption mode. This section of the games takes next gen players to an online version of Chicago, where you may stand with friends and family, or maybe you’ll stand against them and kill them a few times. Decryption allows for a lot of versatility and this is only a pinch of what’s available in Watch Dogs.

The premise behind Decryption is to retrieve a file and hack it, which sounds simple enough. However the enemy team, or everyone else, also have this objective and will do anything to steal the file from you and complete the hack themselves. Essentially you need to get the file and run like the wind! When playing in a team this may be manageable, but when you are playing against every other player in the map is created a manic environment. You can play with up to 8 of your friends at a time, which sets things up well for playing in teams. Alternatively you can play with 3 friends and make the contract a 3-on-3 game.

The key to winning a game of Decryption isn’t to get the file first, or even to have it for the longest time. No. Instead you, or a teammate, have to possess the file when the hack reaches 100% to win. If the teams or competitors are too well matched there is also a timer to ensure the game does eventually end. With this in mind, the first Decryption tip that you should know is that everyone normally dives in for the file and that is a terrible thing to do. The important part of the contract is at the end, so stay back when things start and pick off your enemies as they fight over the file amongst themselves. Obviously this has the risk of the file reaching 100% before you’ve had a chance to get it, so keep an eye on how things are going and don’t forget the ultimate goal. You want to remain out of the main firing line, but be ready to pounce when things hot up.

In order to take the file from opponents, you don’t just have to kill them and swipe it. In Watch Dogs you’re able to hack enemies from any direction, including above and below, because of the power of wireless internet. Another Watch Dogs tip is to hide and quietly follow your challengers, the good ones with the file. If you can stay near them undetected you’ll be able to steal the file before they can turn around and kill you. Don’t forget that in Watch Dogs your usual ctOS hacks also work in Decryption, giving you plenty of stealthy options to choose from.

Decryption sounds like a game that really could go on forever, with countless online players stealing from each other. If gamers were given the freedom of Chicago to play in, the game would progress at a snail’s pace. Therefore you’re only able to play in a specific segment of the city. Although this may sound limiting to some, it actually adds to the game because every Decryption game will be slightly different. The closed-off nature of the Decryption environment also means that the file will be frequently stolen from one player and retrieved by another. Another quirk of the game is that the file hack isn’t totally reset when it transfers from one person to another, if it did no one would ever be able to complete the hack to 100%. You can thus bide your time in taking the file back from opponents, letting them build up the percentages while you creep along behind them.

When you’re fortunate enough to have the file in your possession (well done!), that’s when playing as part of a team gives you the best advantage. A tactic that is often used by team players is to steal the file, of course, then find either a fast vehicle or a heavy defensive one, depending on the map. If you sit in the car, hacking the file, your team mates can join you in the car and defend the file, and you, by shooting out of their windows at enemies or running them over. Sticking together on foot could get you trapped; doing it in a car however might just be your getaway.

Have you got any Hints and Tips for playing Decryption in Watch Dogs? Tell us in the comments below!

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