Anyone who lives in the San Francisco Bay Area will feel right at home in Watch Dogs 2. The important landmarks are there, even odd intersections that may only stand out to residents. But I don’t think you need to be familiar with the real Bay Area to appreciate how Watch Dogs 2’s mix of nature and urban sprawl makes for a picturesque, playful open world. Its people and places are colorful and over the top, kind of like the real thing.

And whether or not you understand the references that drive Watch Dogs 2’s twisted take on Silicon Valley shouldn’t matter either: This outing errs on the side of irreverence and unapologetic fun, trading in the original Watch Dogs’ rain-soaked trenchcoat and drab demeanor for a neon-colored assault rifle and a pair of skinny jeans. The new attitude and setting are a great combination that allows you to experience the dream–rather than the nightmare–of living in the digital age.

That doesn’t mean the world of Watch Dogs 2 is all peace and love. Its gleeful exterior masks a troubled society in the throes of gang violence, political corruption, and rampant hacking. Our antihero Marcus is, to an extent, part of the problem, but he’s mostly on the side of good. With his hacking skills under your control, you spend a lot of time thwarting nefarious jerks by tapping into their networks to hit them where it hurts–whether that means dismantling their criminal enterprises or airing their dirty laundry in public. And when digital attacks fail, Marcus knows how to handle a gun. He’s a walking contradiction that hates corruption yet murders without flinching, but his actions are so entertaining that you probably won’t care for long, if at all.

Your primary mission stems from Dedsec, a group of stereotypical, hyperactive hackers who target government and corporate entities that see private information as a commodity. With society networked and people rampantly sharing pieces of their lives with third parties, the critical mass of data has overflown into the pockets of evil in Watch Dogs 2, but you’re the best digital Robin Hood around, which means almost nothing is out of reach. If you can’t hack or shoot your way into a building, remote-controlled drones can get you into hard-to-reach places.

With the help of a botnet derived from Dedsec’s social media followers–which you’re responsible for cultivating by completing story missions and side quests–you can manipulate digital locks, computers, and security cameras to steal data and spy on unknowing targets. Your handy smartphone is capable of hacking into bigger equipment, too, including massive cranes that can lift you atop tall buildings. If you have a penchant for creating domino effects in games, look forward to repositioning explosive objects with forklifts to set up semi-elaborate traps–if not because you have no other choice, then perhaps for the satisfaction you get from

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