Huge Watch Dogs mod adds custom missions, random events and danger zones

A massive mod for Watch Dogs went live this week, adding custom missions, random events, building interiors and restricted zones that are full of enemies, even when you're not on a mission.

The mod, called Living_City, took more than a year to make, and alters nearly every aspect of the game. Some of the new missions are the same length as the original game's, according to creator The_Silver, including one in which you have to restore the Owl Motel hideout. 

The new random events include everything from chases between the police and criminals to armored vehicles that you can hijack, and you're free to leave them alone if you want—but taking them on will net you rewards. The mod also adds new hacks to perform on civilians, such as one that lets you overload their phone, causing it to explode. You can see examples of the new events and hacks in the video above.

The mod adds 19 "red zones" to the map, which are restricted areas patrolled by criminal guards at all times. You can turn them off using the config file, but if you leave them on you'll be able to lure the police to them, sparking a huge firefight. You can clear the areas of enemies, which will stop them respawning for a period of time.

Living_City also unlocks the interiors of many of the buildings that you visit during the Watch Dogs campaign, such as the prison, allowing you to explore them freely. Some have enemies inside, too, and the major locations are marked on your map.

It also makes more minor changes, such as limiting you to a single weapon and letting enemies ambush you by setting up fake contracts. You can read all about these changes, as well as the installation instructions, on the ModDB page. The video at the top of this post contains plenty of gameplay, which should help you make up your mind before deciding whether or not to give it a go.

Samuel Horti

Samuel Horti is a long-time freelance writer for PC Gamer based in the UK, who loves RPGs and making long lists of games he'll never have time to play.