History VideoGame / WatchDogsLegion

* SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute: The game starts with you playing Dalton Wolfe, Ex-MI5 TuxedoAndMartini super-spy. Then he's killed by Zero Day to kick off the plot. Later, you can recruit 'Spy' type recruits who look and dress exactly like Dalton did, and will have similar banter with Bagley as he did.

* SceneryGorn: On the other hand, London is still a dystopian hellhole currently in the grip of an oppressive police state. Most of the urban areas of the city are rundown cesspits controlled by organised crime, unemployment is at an all time high resulting in vagrancy being a common sight across London, graffiti can be found across most walls and surfaces, and garbage litters most of the streets, even in the more affluent areas. It would simply be easier to count off the areas of the city that don't appear to be dirty, crime ridden or even vaguely dystopian.

* SceneryGorn: On the other hand, London is still a dystopian hellhole currently in the grip of an oppressive police state. Most of the urban areas of the city are rundown cesspits controlled by organised crime, unemployment is at an all time high resulting in homeless vagrants being a common sight across London, graffiti can be found across most walls and surfaces, and garbage litters most of the streets, even in the more affluent areas. It would simply be easier to count off the areas of the city that don't appear to be dirty, crime ridden or even vaguely dystopian.

** Starting character Dalton Wolfe likely gets his first name from Timothy Dalton, the then current actor for Franchise/JamesBond. Besides his name, he's also a former [=MI5=] secret agent and wears a similar suit. You also later find a BlandNameProduct version of the Bond Car.

The game was set for release on March 6, 2020 for UsefulNotes/XboxOne, UsefulNotes/PlayStation4, PC, and UsefulNotes/GoogleStadia. However, after the Ubisoft Forward 2020, it was postponed to October 29, 2020 for the aforementioned platforms and released for UsefulNotes/XboxSeriesXAndS and UsefulNotes/PlayStation5 on the two systems respective launch dates.

* BalkanizeMe: The Union flag has been redesigned to remove Scotland's dark blue, heavily implying it has become independent. Replacing the blue is black with a yellow border added around Saint George's cross, representing Wales and the flag of Saint David.

* DoesNotLikeShoes: You have the option to make your [=DedSec=] members barefoot.

-->-- '''[[Literature/TheBible Mark 5:9]]'''

* DarkerAndEdgier: While the Bay Area in ''2'' was colourful and optimistic when at its best, London in this game is an outright authoritarian dystopia. Colors outside of the night-time neons are more muted due to England's rainier weathers, the story's tone is more like the original game, and there's both Albion's willingness and permission to execute citizens in broad daylight for the smallest slights while Clan Kelley's explicitly harvesting organs and exploiting human trafficking. There's even bouts of SurpriseCreepy and existential horror with [[spoiler:''everything'' involving Skye's horrific acts.]]

* BadassGrandpa: Thanks to the mechanic of being able to recruit anyone into your ranks, it's possible to have DedSec ran entirely by a group of ass-kicking elderly people. It's also surprisingly common to find that the old folks on the street are equipped with powerful machine guns, making them very viable additions to the team!

* WhenEldersAttack: It's possible to recruit elderly citizens into your [=DedSec=] though they're also naturally frail and sluggish.

* {{Homage}}: Possibly also a TakeThat. One of the sections of Aiden Pearce's nightmare is a direct recreation of the ''VideoGame/SilentHills'' demo.

* AluminumChristmasTrees: The vast violent organized crime network of Clan Kelley seems like a strange thing in a PoliceState like Albion's UK but this is actually common for many totalitarian regimes. Corruption runs rampant in such groups and very rarely do criminals challenge the status quo. Indeed, in many countries, the professionals criminals are employed by the government.

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-> ''"My name is Legion. For we are many."''

!! Main Game
[[folder: Tropes A to M]]
* TwentyMinutesIntoTheFuture: The game is stated by the developers to take place in post-Brexit London, which had happened by the time the game was released. The exact year the game is set in is left unclear, with some of the clues being [[ContinuitySnarl contradictory]]. The date of of Sinead Larsen's birth and her age when she died (born in 1971, died at the age of 77) would indicate that the game takes place no earlier than 2048, but many of the game's text and audio lore collectables more explicitly date the game's timeframe as no later than the mid-2020s, and Music/{{Stormzy}}'s cameo AsHimself shows him looking roughly the same age as he is in real life, meaning Sinead being born in 1971 was more likely a [[WritersCannotDoMath developer oversight]].
* AiIsACrapshoot: Nowt’s side missions deal with AI that went rogue and started killing people. [[spoiler: As you find out later they’re victims of Skye Larsen turning ordinary people into AI that could automate machines. Needless to say ending them is considered a MercyKill. Also happens at the end of the game to Bagley when Sabine launches a virus that makes everything connected to him run rampant.]]

** Skye Larsen [[spoiler:converted her mother Sinead into a self aware AI, and then proceeded to literally strip away any semblance of Sinead's free will and self awareness so she could turn her into her home management AI. However, unbeknownst to Skye, Sinead still had some self awareness remaining and was "living" in complete electronic agony. When the player breaks into Skye's home, Sinead agrees to help them in return for a MercyKill.]]
** You see a few more of [[spoiler:her creations later on in Nowt’s side missions, like a taxi driver and nurse who got converted into AI and, to no one’s surprise, started killing people. Just like Sinead they have just enough humanity left to beg for a mercy kill, with Nowt wondering why Skye left them in that state. Bagley quips that it’s likely because she’s a sociopath.]]
* AndTheAdventureContinues: [[spoiler: Due to the game having NoEnding, the climax of the story ends on this note. Albion has been thoroughly discredited and many other bad faith actors have been devastated with [=DeadSec=] returned to its former glory. However, the city is still patrolled by Albion in the meantime and most of the bad faith actors still exist to fight.]]
** Becomes a BittersweetEnding with ''Daybreak Legacy'' as the novel provides an epilogue for the game. [[spoiler: Albion has been removed from power, the police have been restored to patrolling London, and the government is back to being voted in. However, the chaos of the city is tremendous as there are many people attracted to the city's seeming vulnerability. The economy is also in tatters. Oh and Skye Larsen's research didn't die with her.]]

** As with the other ''Franchise/WatchDogs'' games, you can hijack passing cars whenever your Operative requires a vehicle. However, stealing a NPC's car causes them to gain a negative opinion towards [=DedSec=] as well as very quick in attracting the law enforcement - which is probably why most cars drive around with [[AutomatedAutomobiles nobody in them,]] conveniently marked with an "A" sign on the front glass. Taxis and DRIVER cars are always unmanned and taking any cars without occupants in it will not attract the law enforcement, with the exception of Albion cars (where you need to be an uniformed Albion member).
* AnyoneCanDie: If Permadeath is enabled this is a core aspect of the game. All [=DedSec=] operatives recruited by the player are capable of permanently dying over the course of the game, and it is extremely difficult to go through the game without losing at least a few operatives in the process.
* ArbitrarySkepticism: After leaving Skye's Mansion she sends you a video threat warning you to leave her alone. The [=DedSec=] Agent wonders how she was able to find them. Bagley points out [[spoiler: they were just in her underground lab where she turned her mother into her House AI and is baffled this is what the Agent can't believe.]]

* ArmorPiercingQuestion: In the final part of the clan Kelly quest line [[spoiler:Kaitlin Lau]] recieves 2 inimmediate sucession, one from [[spoiler:one of the freed slaves who was trying to kill Mary, asking her to promise Mary won't go free, and another from the [=DedSec=] Operative who is presnt, asking her if she's protecting the system of the people. these two questions together convince Kaitlin to allow the slaves to kill Mary, instead of arresting her.]]
* ArmourIsUseless: It's possible to recruit a variety of Operatives with some kind of protective equipment, ranging from police officers with stab vests to Albion EliteMooks with full military-style body armour. However, there's no armour system, so this doesn't provide any more protection than [[FullFrontalAssault underwear]].

** Construction workers and some other characters come equipped with [[NailEm nail guns]], which in-game functions and performs on par with a silenced pistol. Though a nail gun in RealLife is fully capable of being lethal, modern nail guns have a safety mechanism that prevents them from firing unless its nozzle is pressed directly against the surface to be nailed. Even if the in-game nail guns are modified, they would need to be attached to a very powerful air compressor (which is large and bulky), and would not be anywhere near as accurate or powerful at range. RuleOfCool seems to be in effect.

* AttackDrone: London is overrun with surveillance drones, some of which are armed with lethal and/or nonlethal weaponry. Of particular note are Chase Drones, which are [[GoddamnedBats the most annoying ones you'll encounter, in that they can keep up with you in a vehicle and zap it (or you!) and quickly rack up damage]], while Riot Drones keep you on your toes in stealth missions. CT Drones, the strongest of the three in the base game, are definitely the most threatening ones you'll encounter, but like ground turrets, they can't continuously fire their weapons and have periods where they need to cool down. If you purchase the necessary upgrades, or have an operative with the Betray Hack perk, you can control these drones for yourself, or have them [[AIIsACrapshoot turn on their masters]]. AI Riot and CT Drones are also quite useful to have around if you're trying to storm a base of one of the enemy factions close to the other, as the one controlling the drones will usually send them in to 'clean up' the area as soon as bullets start flying.

** The tricked-out [[CoolCar Spy Car]]. Yes, it's a fun ShoutOut to ''Film/JamesBond'' and ''seems'' super badass, but the cloaking device has a very limited timer, the missile launchers are a FixedForwardFacingWeapon which are no good when you're trying to destroy an enemy ''chasing'' you (which will be most of the time), and the [[ArtificialStupidity pursuit AI is so feeble compared to previous games in the series]] that it's kind of redundant. Plus, it doesn't have Auto Drive, making it less practical as a vehicle in the first place.
* BadassBoast: If Aiden Pearce is the one to be doing Skye Larsen's missions, when Nowt says Skye is only threatening them because she's scared, Aiden will come up with this line:

* BenevolentAI: Bagley is a friendly artificial intelligence that acts as an assistant for [=DedSec=].

* BondOneLiner: Depending on their assigned voice, the operative that confronts [[spoiler: Sabine]] atop Blume Tower can give one after [[spoiler: she falls to her death.]] Alternatively, they can [[SubvertedTrope subvert]] this by saying they can’t think of anything cool to say.

** Operatives with the ability to summon a GBB News Drone. Though unarmed, only being able to use its camera flash to disorient enemies, the GBB News Drone is capable of flight and able to fit through small spaces, and in some cases can be used as an alternative to the Spiderbot. It can also fly faster and with less noise than the [=ctOS=] and [=ParcelFox=] drones, making it a viable option for infiltrating areas stealthily. There are even some missions that require you to use a camera to take pictures, which the News Drone is capable of doing.

** The Construction Worker is considered one of the most useful characters due to their ability to summon a Construction Drone, allowing them to [[DungeonBypass fly over most obstacles and directly navigate to their objectives]], not to mention how their nailgun is a lethal silenced pistol in all but name.
** As far as Albion/Clan Kelley recruits go, you can do just fine with a lowly Albion Employee or a basic Clan Kelley Enforcer. Though they won't have the unique and flashier abilities or weaponry of their higher-ranking counterparts, their stealth capabilities are no different and you'll likely use them for stealth infiltrations far more than combat anyway. Even when forced into combat, as mentioned above, the [=DedSec=] pistol is still reasonably effective. Furthermore, they spawn right from the beginning, are very common and sometimes come with good traits like Light Step, Physically Fit and even a silenced pistol, potentially making them one of the best infiltrators.

-->'''Ian''': [[SarcasmMode Brilliant, never would've thought of that.]]

** It's possible to unlock a personal 'AI Cloak' gadget to help your Operative sneak past guards, with similar devices available as an upgrade for your [[DoAnythingRobot spiderbot]], and one of the features of the [[WeaponisedCar Spy]] [[CoolCar Car]].

* CrapsackWorld: Unlike the previous two games which had some masquerade of normalcy, London is an outright PoliceState which is so thoroughly screwed up (machine gun drones patrolling the streets, mass-deportation, ''human trafficking'') that ''any'' civilian can be recruited into [[LaResistance Dedsec]].

* DarkerAndEdgier: While the Bay Area in ''2'' was colourful and optimistic when at its best, London in this game is an outright authoritarian dystopia. Colors outside of the night-time neons are more muted due to England's rainier weathers, the story's tone is more like the original game, and there's both Albion's willingness and permission to execute citizens in broad daylight for the smallest slights while Clan Kelley is explicitly harvesting organs and exploiting human trafficking. There's even bouts of SurpriseCreepy and existential horror with [[spoiler:''everything'' involving Skye's horrific acts.]]

** [[spoiler: What Project THEMIS ultimately is. It is a swarm of kamikaze attack drones that identify threats and "neutralize" their target from high altitude.]]

* DecoyProtagonist: The prologue starts off with secret agent Dalton Wolfe infiltrating Parliament to stop a terrorist bomb plot. He gets shot for his troubles and his corpse is used to blame [=DedSec=]. Even MissionControl is wiped out by a raid and Bagley is reset to factory settings. [=DedSec=] is then forced to recruit the player character to continue the fight.
-->'''Narrator''': [[https://youtu.be/yDQuZ_MuhpQ?t=15 But don't worry]], [[TemptingFate we've got our best man on the case]]. Because if ''anyone'' can fix this mess, it's this smooth ([Censored] / [[https://youtu.be/cnroe7K5b_E?t=21 bastard]]) super spy-\\

'''Narrator''': ...oh. Well. Looks like we're recruitin'!
* DemotedToExtra: Blume Corporation despite being the ManBehindTheMan for the previous two games but is now just an excuse for CTOS technology being in London. The new villain, Albion, is a PrivateMilitaryContractor firm.

** If wanted by the police, your character can surrender to them and will be taken to jail; while this itself is an option in many other open world games, if you have a lawyer in your team the captured ally will spend less time behind bars, or you can just break them out.

** The vehicles will warn you if your tire is flat.

** Dalton is fully modeled as a character within the game's systems, which means he has family, friends, and/or acquaintances you can meet in-game.
*** If one manage to recruit Dalton via [[GlitchEntity a glitch]], he is voiced... by a SyntheticVoiceActor.
** An Operative is unable to use firearms against any friends or family members of theirs.

* DoAnythingRobot: The Infiltrator Spiderbot. It is capable of fitting into vents and small spaces that human characters are incapable of, can incapacitate hostile Mooks, and it is the only controllable robot/drone that is capable of hacking into physical access points (which otherwise need your operative to directly access). It can later be upgraded to sprint faster, jump higher, and even turn itself invisible. The spiderbot can be used for most missions without ever having to physically set foot inside a restricted area.

* TheDogBitesBack: [[spoiler: Mary Kelley is beaten/stabbed to death by her former [[SlaveryIsASpecialKindOfEvil slaves]] with {{improvised weapons}} after their [[ExplosiveLeash explosive leashes]] are deactivated and [[ByTheBookCop Katlin Lau]] [[ToBeLawfulOrGood decides]] that arresting her would probably [[ScrewTheRulesIHaveMoney be]] [[ScrewTheRulesIHaveConnections pointless]] and [[DoWithHimAsYouWill does not intervene]].]]
* DressingAsTheEnemy: An Albion soldier might be able to enter Albion locations without raising suspicion, same goes with Clan Kelley thugs who are able to freely enter their hideouts. However, if you get to close to another Albion or Clan Kelley guard, they will realize that you're not supposed to be in the area and will grow suspicious of you.

* EvilPowerVacuum: 4 out of the five major crime organizations have been taken down by Albion. Because of this, the last one, Clan Kelley, has grown into a major syndicate.

** In the game's prologue, [=DedSec=] heads out to thwart a terrorist plot to bomb Parliament, only to find out too late that it is a trap set by Zero-Day to frame them for multiple bombings all over London. This gives the government the pretext to mobilize Albion and put London under martial law, while [=DedSec=] is made the scapegoat and nearly wiped out of existence.

** [[spoiler: Subverted later in the game when Cass is attacked during a press conference. [=DedSec=] is absolutely certain that Cass arranged that attack to gain sympathy from the public. It isn't until when they examine the crime scene they realize that the attack on him was genuine.]]

** Off: Your character is ''immediately'' taken into custody when downed.
*** In either case, in the event a character is locked up, they'll be unavailable for a set amount of time. Having a lawyer - or specifically, a ''barrister''[[note]]In common law countries, a barrister is a lawyer who pleads cases on court; as opposed to a ''solicitor'' who deals with clients directly and typically handles things like contracts and deed polls[[/note]] - on your team will shorten the time that character will spend behind bars.

* {{Foreshadowing}}: [[spoiler: Skye's brother is foreshadowed very early in the game when you examine the relics in her underground home: such as the note about her broken trophy and the artwork by "an unknown artist" showing Skye, her mother and her brother. There is also a room upstairs that appears to have been cleaned out, with boxes laying around and the furniture covered with sheets. In this room, you can find a picture of Skye and her brother. Bagley also mentions upon entering that the records of the room’s occupant are corrupted.]]

** Beating up a NPC or killing a relative will make sure they're never going to join [=DedSec=]. [[GameplayAndStorySegregation Though how they find out]] a [=DedSec=] Agent killed their realitive is anyone's guess.

** You are explicitly told that the "mask" is to hide your identity. However, for some reason, [=NPCs=] know immediately who knocked them out and that they were a member of [=DedSec=] despite there being absolutely no in world explanation that could justify that instant knowledge.

** During the SIRS storyline, [[spoiler: Richard Malik blows up the Canadian High Commission building, and [[FrameUp frames DedSec]] for it. However, if you return to the building afterwards it appears completely undamaged.]] This is particularly egregious if you die during the ensuing escape and respawn, since the building appears completely normal almost immediately!

* HeroWithBadPublicity: Having been framed for one of the worst terrorist attacks in Britain, [=DedSec=] naturally is not held in high regard by the general populace. It's up to the player to earn the public's trust again.

* HollywoodHeartAttack: One of the available random traits is "may die randomly". It is also not just a trait of the elderly, as someone who is "Addicted to Adrenaline" also has this trait.
* HoneyTrap: In the SIRS storyline, one of the missions has your operative seduce the SIRS home office liaison to get her biometrics for Malik. The mission is even called this.

* InnocentlyInsensitive: Helen calls out Bagley for passively telling her about Ian's death. Justified, since he is an AI.

* LiteralMinded: In response to being told "eyes peeled," Bagley, an AI, who offers the following response:
--> '''Bagley''': I have no eyes, and if I did, I wouldn't peel them.

* TheMole: It is even possible to recruit people working for Albion, Clan Kelly, and even BritishRoyalGuards to your side. They still have their uniform and security clearances for restricted areas, allowing you to stroll into their territory without suspicion.
* MoleInCharge: [[spoiler: As the sole surviving member of the previous iteration of [=DedSec=] London. Sabine is treated as being the one in charge,and she ultimately turns out to be Zero-Day.]]
* MultitaskedConversation: Happens in the climax [[spoiler:during the final confrontation with Sabine. The player character responds out loud to Bagley's instructions in order to keep Sabine distracted long enough for the Blume Tower satellite to finish reconfiguring and thwart her plans]].

-->'''Sitara''': [[=DedSec=]] is my brand, and now it's completely fucked.\\
'''Marcus''': So unfuck it.
** [[spoiler: When Hamish releases his smear video of Nigel Cass, he uses [=DedSec=]'s old SignOffCatchphrase... before [[SubvertedCatchphrase subverting it]] and telling the people of London to fight back.]]

[[folder: Tropes N to Z]]

* {{Nerf}}: Unlike ''2'', now the enemies will detect drone users as well, except the drones caught when infiltrating if the user is outside restricted area.
* NiceJobFixingItVillain: [[spoiler: Malik framing [=DedSec=] for the Canada house bombing meant that, when they exposed him, it raised doubt on the previously accepted narrative that [=DedSec=] were behind the earlier bombing as well.]]
** [[spoiler: Sabine reassembling [=DedSec=] after Cass betrayed her, leading up to her own defeat and death.]]

** The feeling is so pervasive that even [=DedSec=] themselves don't trust the police to properly take care of Albion and Clan Kelley even after [=DedSec=] goes through all the trouble of dismantling them and exposing their crimes, which is why they are all too glad to resort to [[spoiler:assassinating both factions' leaders]].

* TheQuisling: One of Nowt's side missions involves a traitorous [=DedSec=] Houston hacker looking to spill his secrets to Albion. [[spoiler: He ends up getting tortured and killed by SIRS, who thought he was still working for [=DedSec=] and were [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness going to kill him anyway]].]]
* RagtagBunchOfMisfits: You can recruit practically ''anybody'' into [=DedSec=]. This ranges from government agents, veteran soldiers, office workers, blue collar laborers, activists, and criminals. However, this is partially [[{{Deconstruction}} deconstructed]] when [[spoiler:Malik]] points out that the FatalFlaw of [=DedSec=]'s egalitarian recruitment methods is that it makes it extremely easy for them to be infiltrated by spies or radicals. [[spoiler:This is quickly proven true when it's revealed that Malik is a DoubleAgent and Sabine was Zero Day all along.]]
* RealityIsUnrealistic: While some accents that your Operatives can have may not line up with their ethnicity or nation of origin, characters speaking in a Jamaican accent is not necessarily wrong even if they're Caucasian, Asian, or Pacific Islander. They make up a small percentage (less than 8%, with the majority being Black or mixed heritage), but it's not as out of place as it might seem.

* RevisitingTheRoots: Though the game is largely a thematic continuation of ''2'', it does also mark a return to the more overt {{Cyberpunk}} aesthetic of the first game.
* RewardedAsATraitorDeserves: A ex-[=DedSec=] Houston associate arrives in London looking to sell the locations of the London cell to the authorities... [[spoiler: Unfortunately for him, SIRS is more inclined to offer ColdBloodedTorture rather than a BriefcaseFullOfMoney]].
* SacrificialLion: The very first character you play, Dalton Wolfe, is a trained [=MI5=] operative. However, he is killed in the prologue when he is ambushed by Zero Day.

** [[spoiler: Sabine is revealed to be Zero Day.]]
* SelfImposedChallenge: The main point of the game is trying to find the best [=NPC=]s with the most beneficial skills, yet you can just recruit whoever you want. Do you just want to recruit characters that look good to you, recruit an entire team of the elderly, only those with negative skills, or even ones with no skills at all? You can very easily, if that's what you want. %%invoked

* ShaggyDogStory: [[spoiler:The 404 plotline ultimately ends up like this. The player is ultimately asked to either allow Skye Larsen to carry out her Daybreak program and upload her own brain, or make her pay for her crimes by stopping her in her moment of triumph. Taking the "evil" choice and allow Larsen to complete the experiment, leads the PlayerCharacter to hold a short speech on how they think BrainUploading could be a geniune way to help mankind at large, but this does little to convince their allies in the 404, with Nowt angrily declaring that she will cut off contact with [=DedSec=]. In the end though, Nowt later calls in again with a peace offering and apologizes for her earlier anger, meaning her missions are still available. The kicker then comes with a news report that the Blume Corporation decided to pull the plug on the Daybreak program, leading to Skye Larsen ending up getting "killed" regardless.]]
* SharedUniverse: Confirmed with ''Franchise/AssassinsCreed'' where one of the 4 DLC exclusive characters is from the Assassin Order. As well as that, at least some of the recruits (particularly Hitman characters) are apparently descendants of Jacob Frye. Unfortunately, it is confirmed that the ''Assassin's Creed'' plotline in this game is merely an easter egg and not canon.

** There is a 'Professional Hitman' named Elliot Sharma. His segment begins with him mourning somebody at a graveyard, his profile reveals that he had his charges for killing a home invader dropped, and his abilities include [[UnnecessaryCombatRoll Unnecessary Combat Rolls]] and unique, 'gun-fu' takedown animations. Just to hammer the comparison home, "[[Film/JohnWick LED Spirals]]" is the track playing during his segment.

** In Finsbury circus gardens, you can find an email from a concerned resident to the head of the borough council, complaining of the park being ruined and how it used to be an area of "outstanding property value all within the precincts of a clergyman" and how Albion might "allow people of foreign extraction to reside there." Both of these lines are said almost verbatim by [[Series/KeepingUpAppearances Hyacinth Bucket]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pzRqc022tA when she is chastising people calling her for thinking she is the local Chinese takeaway.]]

** [[spoiler: After the death of Mary Kelley, Clan Kelley is still alive and well. Even though [=DedSec=] disrupted their human trafficking operation they, like RealLife organized crime syndicates, likely have multiple other sources of income, large reserves of funding, and a network of high ranking underbosses that are more than ready to fill the leadership void.]]
** [[spoiler: A large company like Albion in RealLife would have contingency plans for continuity of business in the event of the death or departure of their CEO. When Nigel Cass is killed by [=DedSec=], Albion quickly bounces back as if nothing had happened. Similarly, even after the exposure of the crimes of Nigel Cass they are able to successfully leverage their PR and connections to sweep the incident under the rug and continue operating, much like how in the previous game Blume can still operating even after their CTO's illegal operations were being exposed to the public by [=DedSec=] and T-Bone.]]

* ThouShaltNotKill: Downplayed and eventually SubvertedTrope. In the early game [=DedSec=] has a policy of killing only as a last resort, but as the game progresses it becomes increasingly difficult to non-lethally neutralize enemies. [=DedSec=] also will end up directly killing certain characters [[spoiler: such as Nigel Cass and (depending on their choice) Sky Larsen]] in scripted cutscenes. Even in regular gameplay there are certain missions where the player faces human enemies, and they are only given lethal means to deal with them (i.e. using a Counterterrorism Drone, which is armed with machine guns and missiles). Resorting to lethal means will be inevitable no matter how hard you try.
* ThrownFromTheZeppelin: [[spoiler:Nigel Cass shoots the police commissioner InTheBack after he wants to delay Project [=THEMIS=] in order to discuss the ethical issues, afterwards telling the rest of the board he was [[BlatantLies "assassinated by terrorists"]]]].
* TuxedoAndMartini: A Bond-flavored super spy is an occupation people can hold, complete with access to a WeaponisedCar.

* VocalDissonance: Because voices are randomly assigned you can end up with operatives who look to be in their 20’s or 30’s but have the voice of elderly people or vice-versa. There are other issues as well like a graceful looking spy having the voice of a rough and tumble punk, Anarchists that sound soft-spoken or even the wrong nationality.

* WhatTheHellHero: [[spoiler:Sabine]] calls out [=DedSec=] for resorting to increasingly violent methods of resistance. What once started as a [[TechnicalPacifist mostly nonviolent]] hacktivist group in the first two games that merely exposed corruption and criminal wrongdoing has now become a borderline militant resistance cell that is all too willing to assassinate its enemies.

* WhenEldersAttack: It is possible to recruit elderly citizens into your [=DedSec=] though they're also naturally frail and sluggish.

** [[spoiler: Malik rats out [=DedSec=] to Albion the moment he has Child eliminated.]]
** [[spoiler: Cass betrays Sabine after her bombs give him practical control over all of London, as he considers her too dangerous to live.]]
** [[spoiler: Sabine betrays [=DedSec=] after she tricks them into obtaining all of the components she needs to destroy [=ctOS=].]]

[[folder: Bloodline]]
* TwentyMinutesIntoTheFuture: [[spoiler: The ''Bloodline'' DLC has Jackson Pearce state that he hasn't seen Aiden for 15 years, placing the game in 2028.]]
* {{Antihero}}: Aiden is a much darker protagonist than Marcus or your typical member of [=DeadSec=] in the main game.
* BigBad: Thomas Rempart is a tech CEO who captures Aiden Pearce, tortures him, and hunts down his family. Ironically, because he assumes Aiden is working with Wrench. He's not.
* BlatantLies: Wrench tries to use these to get Aiden Pierce to leave his exposed HQ alone.
* BroadStrokes: In the Bloodline DLC, one of the quest-giving [=NPCs=] is Angel Lopez, who players may remember as the poor sod who was caught by Albion and handed off to Clan Kelly. If you've recruited Aiden and he's the Operative when you play the mission, he will act as if he's never met Angel[[note]]Justified since his sidequests are entirely optional[[/note]].

** [[spoiler: Marcus shows up for one mission as a VoiceWithAnInternetConnection to help Wrench finish a Jimmy Siska movie.]]

* CerebusRetcon: Aiden Pearce is shown to have been suffering from not only PTSD for his role in getting his niece killed but also tremendous guilt from all the people he's killed as the Vigilante. This is a very deep contrast to his ending where he said vengeance made him only feel "woke."

* EarlyBirdCameo: Aiden and Wrench meet most of [=DeadSec=] as well as Skye Larson in the course of the DLC before the events of the main game.
* ForegoneConclusion: While Wrench and Jackson learn Skye Larson is a lot more unscrupulous than she appears, manipulating them into testing he [=BrocaBridge=] in order to [[spoiler: awaken Aiden from his coma]], they do not learn how depraved she truly is, as Wrench and/or Aiden won't realize that until the 404 questline of the main game.

* IfYouKillHimYouWillBeJustLikeHim: Jackson tells Wrench this about killing Rempart. [[spoiler: Surprisingly, it works.]]

* {{Prequel}}: This takes place shortly after the Zero Day bombings but before the return of [=DeadSec=], giving us a sense of London before the resistance resumes. It sucks.

** Aiden Pierce is suffering this due to decades of being the Fox and his guilt over Lena.

* ShoutOut: A toy version of the ''Film/JurassicPark'' style Dedsec Jeep from the second game appears in Aiden's NightmareSequence. A CallBack to a ShoutOut.
* SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome:
** Wrench throws a homemade stun bomb at Aiden during their initial confrontation. Despite the weapon being non-lethal, a piece of shrapnel is found near his heart since the bomb exploded at point blank range. Had Thomas Rampart not removed the shrapnel, Aiden would have died.

** Becomes a BittersweetEnding with ''Daybreak Legacy'' as the novel provides an {{Epilogue}} for the game. [[spoiler: Albion has been removed from power, the police have been restored to patrolling London, and the government is back to being voted in. However, the chaos of the city is tremendous as there are many people attracted to the city's seeming vulnerability. The economy is also in tatters. Oh and Skye Larsen's research didn't die with her.]]

* MoleInCharge: [[spoiler: As the surviving member of the previous iteration of [=DedSec=] London. Sabine is treated as being the one in charge,and she ultimately turns out to be Zero-Day.]]

[[folder: Main Game]]