Watch Dogs Reviews
After a generation that brought us seven years of countless linear and identikit shooters, Watch Dogs is the open world adrenaline shot that fatigued gamers needed. While the story could have been better and Ubisoft have made a few questionable design choices, it's rare to see a big budget game that offers players freedom in almost every aspect of its design – and, more importantly, one that is this much fun while doing so.
Watch Dogs isn't just another open-world game. It redefines what is possible in the genre and sets new standards which the competition will be hard pressed to match. Here's hoping that this is just the first chapter in the story of ctOS and vigilante hackers, and that Ubisoft can find a convincing way to continue the series in the future. The first piece of DLC, another single-player campaign, has already been confirmed. Chicago is a pretty big place and could still be concealing all kinds of interesting characters we've yet to meet.
Does Watch Dogs live up to the hype? It depends on how hyped up you were. For me, the game wasn't a disappointment at all. It's a fun, addictive game that will offer hours upon hours of playing time. The hacking aspect is the shining light of the game, and is done very well. With that said, I didn't feel like it was breaking much new ground in terms of gameplay or story. Watch Dogs is worth the investment, but don't expect something that reinvents the wheel.
Treated like the Second Coming, Watch Dogs has arrived riding a tidal wave of hype and has turned out not to be a momentous event in gaming, but instead just a great game. In some ways, Ubisoft has done it a disservice by creating expectations it could never live up to, as this is a wholly entertaining experience on its own terms. The campaign is massive and full of enthralling missions, the voice acting and characterization (outside of Aiden) is impeccable and it's jam packed with enough content to keep gamers satisfied until Grand Theft Auto VI.
What you can walk away with is, like Assassin's Creed before it, Watch Dogs has walked into a genre otherwise owned by one of the most popular and rewarded developers in the industry and holds its own. The question will always be "is it better than GTA?" and at this stage the answer is invariably no, but it's early days for a game that builds on the strengths of its core marketing line, while balancing itself out on various fringe areas. It fails to expand upon its own principles though, and as a result remains slightly out of line with its potential. But damn, what potential it has.
Watch Dogs' interconnected world is a wonderful, explosive, high-tech playground. Shame the people who inhabit it are so forgettable.
Watch Dogs could've easily been Grand Theft Auto with tech equipment. But Ubisoft Montreal has managed to flesh out this experience as something more, making fantastic use of the technology and applying it just right to deliver a remarkably deep experience. Furthermore, the presentation is quite good on newer game machines, and all the aspects click--albeit with somewhat inconsistent driving controls and AI. This game may have been a long time coming, but it's been worth the wait.
Watch_Dogs may not have the best story out there and certain elements may not be 100% perfect, but things mesh together in a beautifully large open world playground that will leave you wanting more, and will pretty much always provide what you're looking for.
Watch Dogs is an excellent open world title whose story and gameplay options will keep players interested right up to the end.
These games are all crafted with more care than the actual storyline, and come complete with their own skill trees and upgrades. If I ever got bored with anything from the core game I found myself getting distracted by these for hours on end. Even if you don't play open world games, it's worth giving Watch Dogs a try just to get your hands on these experiences.Despite the fact that Watch Dogs hasn't made any meaningful impact on the genre, I found myself having a ton of fun with it. Between the deep levels of customization and the sheer breadth of content, there's no shortage of things to do. If Ubisoft can take the game's core fun factor and marry it with an actual "next-gen" experience the next time around, they'll have something truly special.
Watch_Dogs combines an astonishingly detailed world, a gripping storyline, creative game mechanics, a myriad of missions and activities, and improvisational tactical sandbox gameplay to create a truly next-generation open world game. Phenomenal. No other word for it.
The hacking abilities are a legitimate game changer and give Watch Dogs its own identity
Watch Dogs represents a step into a scary real-world future. It raises social and governmental questions around a person's right to privacy. It delivers combat, stealth, story, and an incredible amount of side content to bring the whole world to life. I'm amazed at what the team at Ubisoft has delivered here, and I'm glad that they treated the hacker world with more respect and attention to detail than any other game or movie to date. I'm hopeful that Watch Dogs becomes a franchise because it is the best sandbox title I've ever played.
[I]t will fray your nerves and test your mind. But won't hack its way into your heart.
With a deep storyline, plenty of side content, and a gorgeous rendering of Chicago to explore, Watch Dogs brings a lot to the table and truly unlocks next-generation graphics in a whole new way. Watch Dogs is a beautiful, mesmerizing title.
In a day and age when Internet and personal privacy appear to be very liquid ideas, Watch Dogs resonates with just a little more impact as you guide Aiden on his quest for revenge. The overall package is a good one, with a lot of care and features that make Watch Dogs feel like a more sophisticated Grand Theft Auto. It is not quite the revolutionary title people were hoping for, but Watch Dogs is still an excellent game in its own right.
Watch Dogs won't please everyone. Its shallow narrative and bland protagonist detract, but those looking for a finely-crafted open world game that eschews parody and satire for an overall darker tone will have a great time in Watch Dogs' digital Chicago.
With Watch Dogs, Ubisoft Montreal has created an interesting, immersive and innovative new IP, which will hopefully end up marking the beginning of a great series.
Creative hacking and covert multiplayer modes bring exciting new life to otherwise familiar open-world man-shooting.
Ultimately, Watch Dogs feels a lot like what you'd get if you asked the Assassin's Creed team to make a game in a similar vein as Deus Ex: Human Revolution. While it doesn't quite hit the high points that Deus Ex does, Watch Dogs smartly combines elements of the two franchises into something that's certainly worth playing.