Watch Dogs 2

Even though Watch Dogs 2 is nowhere near to groundbreaking, it is a surprisingly good recommendation, perhaps one of the best that Ubisoft has offered in recent years.

Unlike the first game where multiplayer was kind of a mess, the sequel offers a pretty solid multiplayer experience. Playing Watch Dogs 2 co-op is definitely a blast, especially if you're experiencing the game with a friend.

Hacking and stealth elements are so good in Watch Dogs 2 and as a whole the game is so much better than its predecessor that I managed to turn a blind eye to the fact that Dedsec members are annoying as hell. [01/2017, p.32]

Over the top hacking action combined with open world exploration, but with a social conscience and a very welcome sense of humor. [Issue#258, p.60]

The PC version of Watch Dogs 2 is a very good one, Ubisoft did a good job this time. We can see many superb effects from The Division and it runs perfectly.

An endearingly daft sequel that ditches the original's dour action for a brand of subversive play that squeezes the most out of some cracking gadgets and a brilliant map.

Watch Dogs 2 finally breaks with the "Ubisoft Formula" to create an open-world game that feels somewhat fresh and interesting. What a relief.

Ubisoft once again fails to tell an engaging story, instead mixing a somewhat confused, even boring plot with bland characters. While Watch Dogs 2 is near-perfect PC port with lots of PC-specific options both for graphics as well as controls, the underlying game wastes a lot of potential. The beautiful rendition of San Francisco is a great background for some neat hacking tricks and fun missions, yet, aside from the shift in tone, Watch Dogs 2 isn’t the anticipated step forward for the series.

In the end, Watch Dogs 2 feels like an improvement over the previous game in the series. The characters are fun to play as and interact with, all of the hacking elements have a lot more depth and make more sense, and the world feels more alive and rich than ever before, design wise and graphics wise. However the game does suffer from mediocrity in regards to its shooting mechanics and stealth sections. Is it a fun game? Yeah, sure it is. Is it one of my games of the year? Not really.

Watch_Dogs 2 is definitely a good game, especially compared to the first one which was a dull game. It’s got a lot of personality, especially in terms of the cast of characters, and humour is always welcome in open world titles. The missions may generally boil down to “go somewhere, sneak past/shoot guards, hack something, get out” but they cover fun subjects and are never less than entertaining. Nevertheless the online side is aggravating as all hell, the controls aren’t quite receptive enough particularly when driving or shooting, and being able to kill loads of people doesn’t really jive with the DedSec ethos.

Watch Dogs still has quite a way to go before it becomes a 'must buy' series, but in the short term it's at least on an upswing. With a more likeable protagonist, a city filled with more content to do outside of the main story, and an addicting albeit simplistic co-op system, you may at least want to consider picking up Watch Dogs 2. Especially if you can find it on sale.

Ubisoft Montreal almost made a GTA of their own. On the second try. For those who think that "funny" public group in social networks are actually funny. If you do not subscribe to the idea that you have to entertain yourself rather than be entertained in a video game, better stay in Los Santos.

Fun, jolly, and with tongue planted firmly in cheek for most of the game: Watch Dogs 2 isn't a must-have, but it's still a rather good time.

A great PC port and lovely open world don’t give depth to Watch Dogs 2’s shallow combat and stealth design.