Watch Dogs is truly a systemic experience that gives players tools and allows them to express themselves, says Ubisoft.

Speaking with Gaming Bolt, lead game designer Danny Belanger said that there had been claims that some footage of the game – such as the traffic accident scenario – was scripted.

This was not the case – the game was "truly systemic", said Belanger.

That meant the magnitude of the accident was “totally dependent” on the number of cars present and their velocity.

“Our goal is to give a lot of interesting tools to the player to modify, affect the simulation and let him be creative in using them to achieve his goals,” he said.

“We are building an AI that supports stealth and shooting with the transitions required between the two states. This means that the player can take advantage of not being seen to engage into gunplay when he decides.

“With this angle, using technology becomes a core component of our game.”

The examples Belanger gave included using cameras to spot enemies in order to ambush them, using technology to modify cover, and taking down enemies with electricity.

A gameplay style would not be imposed on the player, he added.

“We also have a full range of weapons at the player’s disposal – from basic pistols to grenade launchers, these can be used anywhere the player wants and it can create quite the mess when a fight breaks out in downtown Chicago.

“It becomes even more interesting when you add the range of city hacks and vehicles the player can use in combination with his arsenal.”

Watch Dogs is coming to Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii U, and Windows PC in November.

PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions will be available sometime after those consoles launch.