Jonathan Morin – Creative Director of Watch Dogs – used an interview at this week’s Eurogamer Expo 2013 to reveal more details about the upcoming title, due for release in the UK on the 22nd November.

The release of Rockstar’s titanic GTA V earlier this month has set something of a standard for epic, sprawling maps based on US cities, and Morin addressed the inevitable comparison with regards the Ubisoft title’s fictionalized Chicago setting...

Although he remained quiet on some of the details, including the exact size of Watch Dogs’ map, he was keen to emphasize the density and detail over mere scale;

“GTA 5 has a huge world but it has flying, it has jets so it serves that purpose. You don't have a jet unless you have the space to fly into. Us, we have huge density, so if we double or triple the scale then you're going to start hitting repetition because we wanted to aim for the density first. We wanted the game to be the right size for that density, so it's a matter of balancing what you want to achieve."

So … it’s dense then. Players at the Eurogamer Expo were able to experience some of this density for themselves, which includes citizens filming on their mobile phones as you cause serious traffic incidents, shoot people and cause general havoc. Or not, if you prefer. Morin also spoke of how conversations with Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed team helped with the close relationship between gameplay and environment in Watch Dogs, taking advantage of the experience gained since the first Assassin’s Creed offering back in 2007.

“It's especially important to us as we're selling the idea of hacking a city.” Morin explained “It would have been lame if we'd done that and you'd never have to go anywhere to connect your sh** together. That would have been bizarre. But there's plenty of know-how at Ubisoft Montreal that has been useful."

Ubisoft had already shown how the multiplayer elements in the game’s main world can affect gameplay, including other online players stalking and hacking you, and vice versa. Morin declined to reveal whether or not the game would include a fully free roam offering, but did discuss the customisation options available for main character Aiden Pearce:

“You're going to be able to change Aiden's look a bit but the biggest element of customisation is his skill tree - deciding on which way you want to progress, which skills you want to progress. And then there's tons of guns and cars to choose from as well, so it's more about your loadout. We're not pushing for the micro-customisation of cars or guns."

What do you think? Are you excited for Ubisoft’s latest release? How do you think their Chicago map will measure against GTA V’s Los Santos?