Best Skills - unlocking and recommendations Watch Dogs 2 guide, walkthrough

In Watch Dogs 2 you can use the Research app, which allows Marcus to unlock new skills. The game offers tens of different skills - below, you'll find a list of those most useful. You should get them as soon as you'll be able to, because reaching hidden collectibles and finishing missions will be much easier with them.

• Requirements for obtaining new skills
• Which skill should be bought first?
• Which skills can I consider alternatively?

Requirements for obtaining new skills

Advanced skills require having both research points AND Key Data

• To get new skills, you will need research points. Basic skills cost around 2 points - the most advanced can require as much as 8.
• The research points are awarded to Marcus each time he gets enough followers to level up. Apart from that, look for RPs around the whole city. On the map, they are marked with a black skull - collecting one secret provides one research point. A page containing the localization of all of them can be found further on in the guide.
• More advanced skills may require unlocking some more basic skills in the development tree. Furthermore, it's also possible that you'll have to obtain Key Data connected to a given skill.
• The Key Data points are indicated on the map with green skulls. Obtaining them is usually troublesome - the details are discussed in a chapter devoted to Key Data.

Which skill should be bought first?

Auto-Takedown (2 research points) - This skill allows hacking gates and pipelines. You should definitely get this one, since these actions can make all the difference during a cop chase. Remember to press the displayed button quickly, when the opportunity for a perfect hack occurs.

Vehicle Directional Hack lets you drive over unsuspecting enemies

Vehicle Directional Hack (2 research points) - Another very useful skill that allows you to take control over vehicles in your vicinity. After hacking the given car, you will be able to steer it. You can use that in many different ways: run over enemies, distract them, stop a car that's fleeing, or crush into cops that are chasing you. Using the "autopilot" requires some practice, but as soon as you learn the basics, you'll want to use this skill very often.

Create Distraction (2 research points) - It's an inexpensive skill, which has many practical applications. It can be first and foremost used to prevent civilians from calling the police, or gangsters from calling reinforcements. It can also be used to disorientate enemies in order to attack them from behind cover or just bypass.

Electro Shock Device (2 research points) - This skill unlocks a new gadget, which is capable of stunning more than one enemy at once. Marcus has a limited number of these devices, but they do replenish automatically after some time.

Environmental RC (2 research points) - One of the most useful skills, that should be unlocked as early as possible. It allows to remotely control forklifts, cranes and lifts. This skill is invaluable in situations when you have to reach secrets that are inaccessible, but it can also help to provide an alternative path during missions.

Botnet Upgrade (2-6 research points) - All the skills from the Botnet branch have the same effect, i.e. they permanently increase the number of available botnets. Try to but the basic version of this skill as early as you can - it will add four botnets. Buying more upgrades should be considered later on, especially since they cost more Research Points, and raise the number "only" by 2.

Which skills can I consider alternatively?

APB: Suspect Located sends police forces after gangsters

Gang Attack or APB: Suspect Located (4 research points) - These are most useful if you want to act secretly. You can send members of a hostile gang or the police officers after the person you chose. If you're lucky, that person will be killed. Worst case scenario is that you just introduce some chaos into enemy ranks, which you can use to slip by unnoticed. In the latter part of the game, consider buying more expensive versions of these skills - Gang War and APB: Wanted Criminal. They require Key Data in addition to money, but they can dramatically increase your chances of success.

Engine Override (4 research points, Key Data - can be obtained during one of the first main missions) - This skill adds some power to any car you drive. Faster car can run from police more easily, and can win races with less effort. Remember two things, though: one - use the override on straight road ONLY; and two - the override gradually depletes your botnets, so you might want to have a lot of them available before getting into the car.

Robot Exploit (4 research points) - When infiltrating restricted areas, you can hack robots that are there. After assuming control over a robot, you can use it for distraction, for example.

Chopper Retreat Exploit (6 research points, key data) - Using this skill forces the police helicopter chasing Marcus to break the pursuit and retreat. It's extremely useful during "higher-level" chases, during which loosing the chopper is the most difficult thing.

Steady Aim (4 research points) - This skill allows to increase the range of the teaser gun. Consider buying this if you like to use that gadget. Increased range will be especially useful to safely eliminate guard dogs, which, at short distance, are able to smell Marcus and alarm enemies to his presence.

Sleight of Hand (2 research points) - This skill decreases the reload time for guns and the teaser. The default time of reload for the teaser gun is pretty problematic when you need to tease a couple of enemies during a short time.

System Crash Upgrade: Blackout (8 research points, key data) - This is a very expensive skill. Not only that; in order to be able to obtain it, you will first need to have Massive System Crash. Still, it's advisable to get the Blackout upgrade despite these inconveniences - this skill allows you to act in secrecy or getting out of enemies' sight incase of being exposed (apart from paralyzing the city infrastructure, any sources of light in the vicinity are also neutralized). This skill only works for 30 seconds, but that's more than enough to reach the chosen location.

Enhanced Spring (6 research points, key data) - This skill allows the jumper to bounce higher, which is a welcomed enhancement. An upgraded jumper can easily reach hidden collectibles or devices that allow to breach a system. Not having this skill will make reaching these places much harder, or even impossible.

Explosive Device (4 research points) - This skill unlocks the ability to use explosives. After planting the device, you can detonate it at any time, which is useful if you've been exposed and need to eliminate a group of enemies. Marcus has a limited amount of explosives at his disposal, but they replenish automatically.

Security System Shutdown (6 research points, key data) - As the name suggests, this skill allows you to turn off different security systems - they don't appear until later in the game. This skill allows to minimize the risk of being exposed by different local security systems.

Remote Gadgets (8 research points, key data) - This skill allows you to equip the jumper and the quadcopter with explosives and stun charges. This makes those previously harmless gadgets able to eliminate enemies, in addition to hacking and scouting. It's expensive, but don't forget about this one when you've reached the appropriately high level and gather enough research points.

Taunt (4 research points) - A very useful upgrade of the jumper. After obtaining it, you'll be able to equip the jumper with a loudspeaker that can distract enemies. You can use it to lure them out of their posts to eliminate them safely, or just bypass them.