Watch Dogs

 PC
User Score
6.4

Mixed or average reviews- based on 5182 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2,662 out of 5182
  2. Mixed: 913 out of 5182
  3. Negative: 1,607 out of 5182
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  1. jade
    Jun 25, 2014
    8
    This game did not crash on me once, so if other reviews complain about that, it doesn't happen to everyone. I run NVidia/intel.

    The game seemed like a mash-up of Grand Theft Auto, Assassin's Creed, Far Cry, and other sandbox games. I found it entertaining, and couldn't help but rush towards the finale as I progressed. There are numerous mini-games, and I found myself completing more    This game did not crash on me once, so if other reviews complain about that, it doesn't happen to everyone. I run NVidia/intel.

    The game seemed like a mash-up of Grand Theft Auto, Assassin's Creed, Far Cry, and other sandbox games. I found it entertaining, and couldn't help but rush towards the finale as I progressed. There are numerous mini-games, and I found myself completing more than I had expected.

    This is not a "realistic" game, hacking did not involve searching memory for pointers and references, but a simple mini-puzzle. Cars where extremely resilient when you drove them, and the physics were definitely comic. However, that made it more fun.

    Gameplay seemed most fun as I tried to sneak through the majority of the hostile areas, but then resulted in Max Payne slow motion gun fights towards the end. I found it very entertaining.

    This was a fairly solid game, the worst thing I can say about it was the pre-release hype which was so obviously BS. I'm glad I bought this game, I really enjoyed putting down the main antagonists at the end. Why do we have so many Trolls?!?    … Expand
  2. JayE
    Dec 25, 2014
    8
    Forget all the low scores, this game is a polished and well thought out game that just needs a few patches to get it right.

    It does have it's problems... 1. The default mouse and keyboard control on PC needs fixing. Mouse control is plagued with console helpers such as movement acceleration and laggy unrefined movement. Don't expect to turn and shoot accurately with 1:1 ratio like with    Forget all the low scores, this game is a polished and well thought out game that just needs a few patches to get it right.

    It does have it's problems...
    1. The default mouse and keyboard control on PC needs fixing. Mouse control is plagued with console helpers such as movement acceleration and laggy unrefined movement. Don't expect to turn and shoot accurately with 1:1 ratio like with 99% of other PC games, try 30% accuracy.
    Adjusting the XML settings file helped quite a bit but it is still cumbersome... Not to the point where I stopped playing, sure it took me 10x more retries on some missions because of the bad mouse controls (quickly aiming and shooting an enemy accurately is very tricky), but I persisted purely because this game is actually a good game overall.

    2. Driving controls using the mouse+Kbd is a headache. I though GTA was bad, this game is twice as bad as GTA.
    Hold the arrow keys down a bit too long and the car slides out. Hold the arrow key a bit too short and nothing happens.

    Graphics are good, not great. In high lit areas everything looks like a 2007 game, but things looks quite good in darker lit or sunset scenario's.

    The wireless hacking idea is fresh and works well.
    I like how you can jump from camera to camera, steal ATM codes, activate bridges, etc..

    Audio is excellent, decent actors, lots of variety.

    Gameplay is questionable as pointed above.
    But ignoring the mouse problems, the path finding and overall movement is decent. No excessive "stuck in animation and cant move where I want' issues like with many other games of late (i.e. Splinter Cell).

    Missions can be quite enjoyable, especially the gang hideout missions. Drawing the cops in to take out the bad guys is challenging and rewarding when done properly.
    However after completing a mission, there is some 'ok what do I do now'. Scanning the map for something to do, ignoring the boring sub-games. Chess, 3D pacman, race from point A to point B... I would prefer more missions where you need to infiltrate buildings/hideouts, track down and chase other hackers, something that requires a bit of intelligence please...

    80/100 due to bad mouse keyboard controls.
    93/100 if they fix the mouse/keyboard problems.    … Expand
  3. Dunge
    Jul 7, 2014
    8
    This game is very good and people complaints are over-exaggerated. "It's just a GTA" JUST? Do you have any idea how complex is a game of this type? "It require DX10", damn, DX10 exist since 7years, are you just crazy not to have a card supporting it yet? "It's a console port", what makes it one? It play perfectly on my PC. The fact that you complain about it being a console port and aboutThis game is very good and people complaints are over-exaggerated. "It's just a GTA" JUST? Do you have any idea how complex is a game of this type? "It require DX10", damn, DX10 exist since 7years, are you just crazy not to have a card supporting it yet? "It's a console port", what makes it one? It play perfectly on my PC. The fact that you complain about it being a console port and about it requiring a high-end computer to run are quite contradictory. I love the game, and completed it to 100%. Nice story, nice map, nice action.… Expand
  4. grungebob
    Jun 30, 2014
    8
    This game is fun. I have always been a fan of the open-world / GTA type of games, and this one takes that and adds a new element.

    The problem solving aspect of some of the missions / side-missions make it fun. The element that it's a single player game until someone calls in a hit on you adds a great multi-player aspect in the single player mode is fun. The multi-player hacking adds    This game is fun. I have always been a fan of the open-world / GTA type of games, and this one takes that and adds a new element.

    The problem solving aspect of some of the missions / side-missions make it fun. The element that it's a single player game until someone calls in a hit on you adds a great multi-player aspect in the single player mode is fun. The multi-player hacking adds excitement to a single player story game. The side-missions like the QR Code solving make you really think compared to other open-world games trying to find those hard to find cameras. Makes you think outside the box.

    Yes, there is some things that are not great about it... the driving at first felt like I was driving a semi-truck... now I figured it out better and treat it as a drifting game. I can easily win any get away missions or multi-player races. People... think outside the box. I do agree having a pipes game is a horrible add to hack into security. It just doesn't make sense. Also, there is some minor 3D building issues I have run across... but just minor. Not the hype problems the video game media is saying.

    I highly recommend if you want a problem solving, mini multi-player open world game. I'm hoping that the DLC is as good in the future.

    ...And a note, if you are having technical issues with the game not working, Upgrade Your Machine! I haven't had one problem and I'm running on a 30" Dell Monitor at 2560x1600 with a single NVidia 770 GTX.    … Expand
  5. Hatredalper
    Dec 6, 2020
    8
    First, this is a good game. The average User Score is misleading. I don't know what kind of technical or any other problem this game had back in the time when it was first released. As of 2020, this is a solid game with a decent story. Due to its open nature, there are so many things that you can do but I don't recommend that. Because missions will eventually force you to those sideFirst, this is a good game. The average User Score is misleading. I don't know what kind of technical or any other problem this game had back in the time when it was first released. As of 2020, this is a solid game with a decent story. Due to its open nature, there are so many things that you can do but I don't recommend that. Because missions will eventually force you to those side mission things in main missions. I avoid most of the side missions, just done a couple of them when I first started the game and then focus just the main mission. My whole game time was little under 20 hours in the Normal difficulty. I definitely recommend this game and looking forward to play Watch Dogs 2.… Expand
  6. Invader-Nik
    Jun 18, 2014
    8
    Let me start off by saying this is NOT a bad game. It may be poorly optimized for PC, but it's still a great game. It may not bring anything new in modern Third person shooters, but it does a great job of making Chicago feel alive. Everyone has a name, and you can also learn their secrets too.

    Contrary to other people's reviews, I found this game very great, and I've been playing    Let me start off by saying this is NOT a bad game. It may be poorly optimized for PC, but it's still a great game. It may not bring anything new in modern Third person shooters, but it does a great job of making Chicago feel alive. Everyone has a name, and you can also learn their secrets too.

    Contrary to other people's reviews, I found this game very great, and I've been playing through it solidly since release. The shooting is nice, responsive and fantastic! Hacking your way around Chicago is great and it really does help out in those car chases and battles.
    Driving could do a bit of work, yet again I'm not a driving enthusiast when it comes to games, but yet for an open world game the driving could have been better. Too slippery. The story is really well done, and late into the game you begin to sort of feel an attachment to these characters, it's really great.

    This is not worthy of GOTY 2014, but it's still a good game to play, rent it if you want.    … Expand
  7. Axiomatic
    May 29, 2014
    8
    Short review of the game, but more of a review of the bad reviewers. The game is really good. (Not great but solidly good) as far as the art, graphics, premise, story. Clearly this is a hastily created port but it doesn't really ruin the fun. As far as the technical issues go. I had about two hours of forum searching and I had 2560x1600 working on a GTX 780 2x SLI system with all theShort review of the game, but more of a review of the bad reviewers. The game is really good. (Not great but solidly good) as far as the art, graphics, premise, story. Clearly this is a hastily created port but it doesn't really ruin the fun. As far as the technical issues go. I had about two hours of forum searching and I had 2560x1600 working on a GTX 780 2x SLI system with all the graphics settings up to ultra or high.

    As far as the low scores for this game. It doesn't warrant it. Trust me, I loath DRM but uplay is no more in the way than Steam or Origin is and its where the industry is at, so just deal with it. If you read between the lines here most of these low score reviewers are just upset that this game is going to require a patch or two before its fully baked. Can you name any game out in the last 5 years that didn't need patching? I can't either. Buy the game.    … Expand
  8. meediocre
    Jun 1, 2014
    8
    Connection issues aside, this is a solid open-world game that feels and plays like Sleeping Dogs, but with a hacking theme, and a less interesting story and central character. There's some genuine fun to be had with the online invasion and ctOS missions, as well as some exhilarating escape from the cops/baddies driving action. The world itself is incredibly detailed and there are plenty ofConnection issues aside, this is a solid open-world game that feels and plays like Sleeping Dogs, but with a hacking theme, and a less interesting story and central character. There's some genuine fun to be had with the online invasion and ctOS missions, as well as some exhilarating escape from the cops/baddies driving action. The world itself is incredibly detailed and there are plenty of side quests and distractions to keep you going for hours and hours, as per AC and Far Cry etc ..

    Negatives, in my opinion, include the average main storyline and the fact that graphically, even on PC it doesn't seem next-gen. Happy to have bought this title though, as it offers great value for money.    … Expand
  9. Wyzak
    May 28, 2014
    8
    Bare through the game for the first 20-30 minutes and you'll be rewarded richly.

    The hand-holding tutorial is a bit too much and you aren't given any time to adjust your settings without missing some parts of the story which caused me to have to restart the campaign. Which meant I had to sit through the entire unskippable intro movie one more time than I would have liked, but    Bare through the game for the first 20-30 minutes and you'll be rewarded richly.

    The hand-holding tutorial is a bit too much and you aren't given any time to adjust your settings without missing some parts of the story which caused me to have to restart the campaign. Which meant I had to sit through the entire unskippable intro movie one more time than I would have liked, but fortunately it was only one time and not with every save/load.

    The driving takes some getting use to, it is different from what I would have expected. I crashed into everything at first but after 30 minutes or so I was weaving through traffic like a pro.

    The story is better than I expected so far, and I'm enjoying it.

    The in-game minigames are awesome fun - especially the carmaggeddon and spider tank games. I also enjoyed Alone.

    The multi-player is amazingly fun. I still remember the feeling when the first person invaded my game. The ensuing panic was just epic! Couldn't wait to return the favour.

    There are some issues with the game however. The vehicle damage model doesn't update properly in the event of a major collision. If I crash head-on into a truck the car should be totalled, not just have a tiny scratch. The game definitely supports more collision models as your car will look really bad after a few minutes of crashing into things, but it needs to jump to this state faster for bigger collisions.

    There are still some framerate issues as well which I hope they resolve soon. I was using the Watch dogs ready drivers from Nvidia.

    The graphics looks really good and I am spoilt for choice.

    Current review is 8, but I will make it a 9 once the frame rate issues are resolved and the collision models jump sufficiently on a high magnitude collision.    … Expand
  10. Tubey
    Jun 4, 2014
    8
    It's a very, very good game, let's just get that out of the way first. Of course, reading metacritic, you wouldn't believe that to be the case, given that the score is currently lower than dross such as Orion Dino Horde...

    The reason for the lower meta score isn't because the game is bad in any way, it's more to do with the fact Ubisoft sold a lie with their incredibly over-optimised E3    It's a very, very good game, let's just get that out of the way first. Of course, reading metacritic, you wouldn't believe that to be the case, given that the score is currently lower than dross such as Orion Dino Horde...

    The reason for the lower meta score isn't because the game is bad in any way, it's more to do with the fact Ubisoft sold a lie with their incredibly over-optimised E3 video and thus expectations were through the roof. So, when those expectations are then not met, either graphically or in terms of gameplay, the Metacritic fume meter goes off the scale and you see the overreaction.

    Graphically, on the PC on ultra, the game is one of the best looking games ever made, but it isn't what E3 painted it as, not by a long shot. This is on a par with GTA5, with an Assassin's Creed sheen over the top of it. Gunplay is fine, as is driving, despite the OTT criticism of it because it's a different, slightly more arcadey style to GTA, but it's simply different, not worse.

    Hacking involves one button opportunist situations rather than anything detailed. However, it fits into the game, and when you're involved in cat and mouse chases and looking for terrain hacking opportunities the game comes to life. I'm not quite sure what people wanted here... Did you want to stop the game and put in code to hack the game? How would that work in a car chase?

    The city is well realised and gives a fair degree of things to do, such as city spots and side games. However, compared to the all-encompassing freedom of other open world games, Watch Dogs often feels a bit cramped. Immersion is lost when you don't see reflections in windows, or when you cause chaos and no police are called, yet when you rob a car they're on you like a rash.

    The plot is OK if not stellar. Characters are a bit hit and miss. Side quests provide a welcome distraction to the main missions, but don't have the diversity to really draw you in.

    It is a game where you wouldn't regret buying it if it had came out of the blue and was just released. However, after an age of hype and expectation, it falls short. I can highly recommend picking it up, but don't expect the next-gen game changer that many thought it would be.    … Expand
  11. reaidstar
    May 27, 2014
    8
    What Watch_Dogs is, is what it does well. A new IP that is trying to compete with Grand Theft Auto and Saints Row, which are well established and have a big following behind it.

    What is good: + Huge open world + Story is well written + Acting is brilliant + Hacking is fun as all hell, and helps interaction in the world + It's beautiful (Even if it's not as good as E3, it still has    What Watch_Dogs is, is what it does well. A new IP that is trying to compete with Grand Theft Auto and Saints Row, which are well established and have a big following behind it.

    What is good:
    + Huge open world
    + Story is well written
    + Acting is brilliant
    + Hacking is fun as all hell, and helps interaction in the world
    + It's beautiful (Even if it's not as good as E3, it still has graphics on par to GTA V)

    What it does... not so good:
    - Optimisation is abysmal. Even on the best rig possible, Ultra won't hold a frame rate above 60FPS. People that have obnoxious rigs want 120FPS, and if they can't get that, that's bad.
    - Logic. You can steal a high performance car while everyone is around and run them down. No cops.
    Aim a gun at someone, or steal a car, every cop in Chicago!
    - Reputation System is pointless. Kill people, Save people; there is still no influential consequences or rewards for it.
    - Even though it's beautiful, render distance of objects are terrible

    The big thing about this is the morality choices you are given from seeing the personal information from Profiling them makes you not want to kill people like you do in GTA V and Saints Row, and that is a good reason to try to be a good person.

    As I said, as a new IP it's amazing. There are things Ubisoft can improve on exponentially, and they will be working on patches maybe for the next six months, and I would see that Watch_Dogs 2 will improve the series beyond anything we've seen already. Don't be so hard on a game that has the potential to knock Grand Theft Auto off their pedestal, because I already see their tower getting a few dints from this game already.    … Expand
  12. plotlesviolence
    Jun 8, 2014
    8
    OVERALL: Openworld Splinter-cell: 3rd-person stealth shooter with driving and remotely activating environmental cameras and explosives. Good value with all the side missions.
    PRESENTATION:8
    Graphics good, just not as good as Ubisoft's previous Assassin's Creed IV, or as advertised in E3 2013, not next-gen in any way, but certainly near the top of the previous-gen PS3/Xbox360-era. Enemies    OVERALL: Openworld Splinter-cell: 3rd-person stealth shooter with driving and remotely activating environmental cameras and explosives. Good value with all the side missions.
    PRESENTATION:8
    Graphics good, just not as good as Ubisoft's previous Assassin's Creed IV, or as advertised in E3 2013, not next-gen in any way, but certainly near the top of the previous-gen PS3/Xbox360-era. Enemies ragdoll, and most structures have real physics to drive through. The interface is very slick, with pop-ups and a cool fast white-wireframe transition when you hop from-camera to camera to keep you oriented.
    Aesthetically it's boring, browns and blacks: I'm unfamiliar with real Chicago, but I wasn't walking through a distinct city the way Rockstar's GTA series made me feel like visiting the actual cities those were based on.
    STORY: 6
    Story development is good if cliched. The protagonist is as boring as they come; when will game developers learn to stop making every hero an Everyman? Having zero character traits doesn't help me identify with him. I want to play as someone different from me, with unique quirks and flaws.
    But the biggest problem is that plot isn''t really about hacking the way it pretends to be. I expect videogames to immerse me in a new culture, like Tony Hawk and skateboarding culture, but the script here was written by authors who had never even spoken to a hacker but threw together some Hollywood stereotypes. So of course the female character is the Girl-With-the-Dragon-tattoo. They couldn't hire one single actual hacker as a consultant?
    Similarly, there are such wasted opportunities for philosophical discussions, i.e., the role of Anonymous as disorganized collective vigilantes "policing" the new field of cyberspace according to an evolving and non-codified set of ethics, copyright and the right to profit off your own work vs free expression, etc. etc. But the only plot threads the game cares about is the the dangers of overreliance on one centralized technology and Justice vs Revenge, both handled well, but again, if you're going to make a game about HACKING, I expect it to be ABOUT HACKING.
    Every character does has a little blurb about them you can read by highlighting them, which adds a bit to the fun of interacting with them, but it's not developed enough for you to do anything more than hack their bank account.
    GAMEPLAY:7
    I like that it is hard, especially at first. Without upgrades, you are very vulnerable, so stealth becomes a necessity during shootouts. There's no melee combat; you take down any enemy with one button press but this just reinforces the stealth aspects well, because you get shot to death unless you sneak up on a solitary enemy. You have no offensive capabilities while driving besides ramming the enemy and hacking nearby explosives, so you have to lead enemies on exciting chase. It makes you focus, whereas by comparison Saints Row is so easy it's a series of options for killing enemies rather than an actual "game."
    The much-hyped "hacking" ability is just a "use" key that lets you do different things: explode nearby objects, start distractions on an enemy, raise/lower cover or elevators, activate traffic lights (which causes all surrounding cars to unrealistically pile into the intersection, but it's random because of the car distribution), or switch your view to any camera in your line of sight (so you jump from camera to camera). This all works well and adds alot, and it's possible to clear around half of each group of enemies without ever entering the compound if you're clever. But later, when you realize that instant takedown opportunities flash to get your attention, car chases stop being as exciting.
    The "parkour" is functional but hardly as fun or developed as in Assassin's Creed.
    Driving is ok. I particularly like the reckless speed vs easy crashing of the motorcycles. But it's not great, certainly nowhere near the Playstation2-era-GTA series (which remain the best vehicle control in any videogame). And that's disappointing for a game where you drive this much.
    I like that the morality system is functional rather than arbitrary. Shooting feet/knees instead of torsos is a nonlethal takedown; so the distinction comes out of gameplay rather than just switching to a tranquilizer gun identical to your normal pistol. Because it added to the challenge, I also made a constant effort to avoid running over innocents during chases. It's a sign of good design that I did this even though there aren't any real consequences for mass-murderer.
    I do like the nonlinearity, even in the main missions. If police show and who that hurts depends on citizens randomly calling when they hear gunshots. You are almost never ordered to use a specific vehicle, or to kill an enemy a specific way, so everything feels organic.
    Bizarrely, the occasional hacking minigame is pathetic. I'm not saying they should and had you type in actual computer code with a keyboard, but what they came up with is sad.    … Expand
  13. Yuusou
    Jun 1, 2014
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This game is really good depending on how you look at it. Sure the graphics are good, but not as good as expected, the performance by now is ranging from smooth to barely playable, the hacking is way too straight forward, but this game has so many not so obvious good points.

    Let's start with the humor. I don't know how many people have checked the billboard text yet. I don't know how many have checked the ctznOS leaks by DedSec in the bunker (e.g. falling worker is called an UFO in the scan). I don't know how many people have listened to conversations between NPCs ("Since ctOS is watching everyone and everything I don't have the urge to jerk off that much anymore."). I don't know how many people have realized that there's social criticism in the whole game. If you think this game is just a cheap GTA with hacking, you're not taking a look to the right direction the game is aiming for. Aiden barely has eye contact at the bar or newspaper stand owner when he orders a drink. Instead he's paying attention to his phone. This is so annoying, yet one of the many behaviors that people show towards their fellow men. So many people / NPCs are just staring at the phone while walking along the street. So much technology is currently in place to make our life easier, yet you don't see that it could be easily abused by anyone who has the mind and the tools to do so.

    I don't think you learn much from a GTA game for your real life. But this here should make you think about your everyday behaviour, your everyday use of technology and your opinion towards surveillance of public and private life. If you still think that after playing this game your government should have access to your digital data to "protect you", then you're clearly missing the point here.    … Expand
  14. AcidCasualty
    May 27, 2014
    8
    First of all, it appears as if all the negative reviews here were written by the same mouth-breathing simpleton who lacks any sort of command over English grammar. This game is far from a 0. The graphics could be better, but the gameplay is top-notch. Driving is a bit more difficult than in GTA V, which I'm sure is why some people are complaining, but with practice even the dullest noobFirst of all, it appears as if all the negative reviews here were written by the same mouth-breathing simpleton who lacks any sort of command over English grammar. This game is far from a 0. The graphics could be better, but the gameplay is top-notch. Driving is a bit more difficult than in GTA V, which I'm sure is why some people are complaining, but with practice even the dullest noob can master it. The biggest downside here is the uPlay, but the game itself is cool.

    Watch Dogs is a fun action game combining driving, parkour, an emotional storyline, sleuthing, and admittedly simplistic "hacking" (but if it were harder than pressing a button, how would you hack streetlights while driving? Hack gates in a hurry? The hacking style WORKS for this title), and lots of sleuthing. Set aside the knee-jerking going on here and give it a try.    … Expand
  15. XenozViews
    May 27, 2014
    8
    Game is fun and graphics are beautiful. Packs more fun than the latest two main GTAs. Although it's not perfect, like any game out there, it has potential to be a great franchise. For a first entry in a franchise, I think they did a great job.

    Car driving should be improved. I agree it's **** right now. Feels I'm driving with a d-pad rather than analog. Runs fine on my hardware too.    Game is fun and graphics are beautiful. Packs more fun than the latest two main GTAs. Although it's not perfect, like any game out there, it has potential to be a great franchise. For a first entry in a franchise, I think they did a great job.

    Car driving should be improved. I agree it's **** right now. Feels I'm driving with a d-pad rather than analog.

    Runs fine on my hardware too. Some people are upset because they don't know how to adjust the settings of the game to suit their machine and have good performance. They think adjusting = everything ultra + should run @ 60FPS. I've seen even people with low end machines complaining they cant play at max settings with 60 fps... smh.

    Go play on consoles then, the experience will be worst by a far margin.

    Running at max settings here @ 45 - 55 FPS, 1080p.    … Expand
  16. Xandercz
    Jun 3, 2014
    8
    New open-world IP with an underground hacking setting and a revenge plot. The writing could be so much better, some characters are underdeveloped, some are introduced only to get pushed aside, main villain lacks any real motivation.
    Gameplay mechanics are pretty straightforward - complete main story missions to move the story forward, like in GTA, however this game lacks in side    New open-world IP with an underground hacking setting and a revenge plot. The writing could be so much better, some characters are underdeveloped, some are introduced only to get pushed aside, main villain lacks any real motivation.
    Gameplay mechanics are pretty straightforward - complete main story missions to move the story forward, like in GTA, however this game lacks in side activities - there is quite a few of them but they do get old pretty fast and only keep you hooked if you're a die-hard completionist.
    The game doesn't look as pretty as the 2012 E3 demo but it's still gorgeous, certainly one of the best looking open-world games.    … Expand
  17. TGMode
    Aug 4, 2014
    8
    I've tried really hard to like this game. I like free roaming, I like driving about and shooting **** up, but I don't like this game. It is pretty rubbish. Not just the hype either. It's pretty ****e on it's own merit. GTA5 it isn't. I've tried and tried - 10+ hours but it's a dead horse and I'm through flogging. The only way I can get anything from this game is by uninstalling it andI've tried really hard to like this game. I like free roaming, I like driving about and shooting **** up, but I don't like this game. It is pretty rubbish. Not just the hype either. It's pretty ****e on it's own merit. GTA5 it isn't. I've tried and tried - 10+ hours but it's a dead horse and I'm through flogging. The only way I can get anything from this game is by uninstalling it and playing another.… Expand
  18. mileafly
    Jun 1, 2014
    8
    I think this have been the biggest turnaround in my opinion of a game ever. I first saw the footage of Watch Dogs on its press release and was totally blown away by how great it looked, it looked like one of the next truly next-gen titles. Right then it was a must play and I went into a "media blackout" of the title after that (I like to avoid seeing footage of a title I already know II think this have been the biggest turnaround in my opinion of a game ever. I first saw the footage of Watch Dogs on its press release and was totally blown away by how great it looked, it looked like one of the next truly next-gen titles. Right then it was a must play and I went into a "media blackout" of the title after that (I like to avoid seeing footage of a title I already know I will get so to not build up my hype to much)

    Now fast forward to the release date, I install the game and begin to play. Almost the first thing I notice is how bad the game looks compared to my expectations. The graphics feel sterile and the animation of characters and car physics feels very wooden. I almost give up on playing after an hour or so. I would probably score the game a 5 at this point.

    I persist to play though and after a while the game really starts to grow on me. Now I honestly think this is probably my favorite "gta clone" out there if you don't count La Noire or The Getaway.
    The mix of sneaking and shooting in combat feels very fresh and it is imo the best combat system ever in a gta style game. I even started to get used to and like the car physics after a while.

    Now while I really enjoy the game at this point there are many things that needs to be improved if I would consider this to be a 9 or even a 10. My main gripe is that the world does not really feel like a real place. It all feels very artificial in a way, the people wandering the streets don't feel like real people. The way they talk feels very "comic booky" and unreal. When news are reported on the news and the people of the street are interviewed it feels extremely wooden and amateurish, almost like when you where young and found a tape recorded and starting to tape yourself and your friends playing you where doing a newscast.

    Also the game seems to have a major identity crisis and not really trust itself. The game is full of silly mini games that does not fit at all. You can play drinking games or "find the ball under the cup" and other silly things that does not add anything of real value or feel thought out at all. There is also a bunch of minigames where you shoot VR aliens or run around collecting VR coins. I will say that the more expansive mini games where you take some kind of drug that makes you hallucinate are quite well made (at least two of them), but they still feel a bit out of place.
    There is also a feeling the developers try to hard to be "edgy" with language and sex scenes in some places that just feel out of place and just feels like they try to put in to be "cool" and "edgy" but end up being just pathetic. Also the whole conspiracy thing and shell of the game feels very comic bookie and its hard to take any of it really serious.

    All in all despite all these things I really enjoy the game and the core game mechanics are very very enjoyable. I really think a sequel that takes itself a bit more serious and adress some of the major problems could be really amazing. Also I want to throw in as a last thing that I don't understand why more games don't use the Euphoria engine that Rockstar uses in all their games. This is an engine that make everything int he world, including the player have beliviable physics. A big reason other games feels so wooden after playing a Rockstar game is the lack of using this engine. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euphoria_(software)    … Expand
  19. FredWallace18
    Jun 9, 2014
    8
    This game contained an insane amount of negative hype, simply because people expected it to be the future of gaming and it turned out to be a GTA clone. I've never been able to get into GTA--it's takes place in a world that's too "real" for me. Watch_Dogs on the other hand offers a Sci-Fi adventure with fun (albeit implausible) hacking, Batman-style justice, and mini-games.

    There are    This game contained an insane amount of negative hype, simply because people expected it to be the future of gaming and it turned out to be a GTA clone. I've never been able to get into GTA--it's takes place in a world that's too "real" for me. Watch_Dogs on the other hand offers a Sci-Fi adventure with fun (albeit implausible) hacking, Batman-style justice, and mini-games.

    There are issues to be sure: the graphics could use some optimization (although they are by no means the horrible ugly mess some people are claiming; try playing games from 5 years ago you 12-year-olds!), the DRM is an issue, PC controls need tweaking, and the driving could use some work. Nothing to kill the game, though.    … Expand
  20. Jebble
    Jun 1, 2014
    8
    This game feels like Assassin's Creed 1 felt at the time. The franchise has great potential and the game is pretty good, but it just misses a lot of extra's to make it completely awesome.

    I feel like Watch Dogs 2 (if ever made) will be insanely great. It's hard not to compare a game like this to the GTA franchise and GTA 5 gave us a lot that I therefor miss in Watch Dogs. Getting cars    This game feels like Assassin's Creed 1 felt at the time. The franchise has great potential and the game is pretty good, but it just misses a lot of extra's to make it completely awesome.

    I feel like Watch Dogs 2 (if ever made) will be insanely great.
    It's hard not to compare a game like this to the GTA franchise and GTA 5 gave us a lot that I therefor miss in Watch Dogs. Getting cars is too easy, there's a **** of money you can't use anywhere. There are barely any buildings to enter and there is just a lot of detailedd functions I miss. Think of property, garages, and random buildings to enter or whatever.

    For me the story was fine, gameplay is okay, could use a lot of polish with the vehicles.
    Also the cops in this game are kinda crap.

    You do A LOT of **** like stealing everyones money, but no one ever knows and youre still the good guy.
    That has to be fixed for the next version.

    Still a great game :)    … Expand
  21. steelcurtaingam
    May 27, 2014
    8
    Watch Dogs is a game that almost needs no introduction but shouldn't be taken completely lightly at all. From the start it seemed like this game would have to much hype going into its release, but once you get into the game you will start to notice the journey it takes you on isn't what you probably expected but is still breath taking and a fresh idea none the less. Being set in aWatch Dogs is a game that almost needs no introduction but shouldn't be taken completely lightly at all. From the start it seemed like this game would have to much hype going into its release, but once you get into the game you will start to notice the journey it takes you on isn't what you probably expected but is still breath taking and a fresh idea none the less. Being set in a futuristic city of Chicago I feel the best things going for Watch Dogs has to be the innovative story it has set, along with decent character developments that will keep you wanting more even after the story is over. The only things that truly held this game back from being the best it could be was due to a bit of rushed story plot lines, quality control and a tad of repetitive gameplay. None the less Watch Dogs is truly a next gen experience that you will want to play at some point and that is why I feel this game deserves a 8.5/10!… Expand
  22. Orhunkk
    Jun 16, 2014
    8
    I don't know what people expect this game to do.It's a very good open world action game with awesome graphics especially when it rains.It is really fun to play as well and I hope ubisoft will make a better one when the day comes to publish a new watch dogs game.I see a very good potential in this game and even this is the first watch dogs game it is very good.
  23. hasherr
    May 27, 2014
    8
    Well, hype was definately built up for this one and i can see why ppl cry so much around internets. Lets put that aside. This game is far from perfect, but it is still very entertaining - detailed map, nice original music, lots of fun stuff to do. You can play the game both gta style with guns blazing or do stealthy - this alone ads nice replay value. On PC game got nice AA rooster withWell, hype was definately built up for this one and i can see why ppl cry so much around internets. Lets put that aside. This game is far from perfect, but it is still very entertaining - detailed map, nice original music, lots of fun stuff to do. You can play the game both gta style with guns blazing or do stealthy - this alone ads nice replay value. On PC game got nice AA rooster with plenty other graphical options. Perf-wise it runs evenly on all cpu cores meaning it will scale well in future (not like gta4 for example sitting on 3 cores and maxing one of them). Overall it runs 40+ fps on my gtx770 with high settings, hi textures and 2xmsaa. On the negative side characters are a bit flat, storyline could have been more interesting, graphics and physics could be better - for example hair and facialhair seems just lazy. Ofc this does not mean graphics sux, its still very good looking game. Its just not mindblowing, as expected from heavly advertized next gen title. I give it 8.… Expand
  24. seosahm
    Jun 17, 2014
    8
    AMD card working fine for me; visually fine, great hacking and combat play, only marks down are for the slightly lightweight (emphasis: only slightly lightweight) plot and troublesome driving mechanics on keyboard/mouse.
  25. Eide
    May 28, 2014
    8
    As always the community is much more negative than the game deserves. It's quite a solid game, if overly simplistic in its approach to hacking.

    The game revolves around the main character using his magic phone to get around in the city of Chicago. As said, the approach is very simplistic but still fun as you walk around, learning tidbits, watching along with camera's a learn the secrets    As always the community is much more negative than the game deserves. It's quite a solid game, if overly simplistic in its approach to hacking.

    The game revolves around the main character using his magic phone to get around in the city of Chicago. As said, the approach is very simplistic but still fun as you walk around, learning tidbits, watching along with camera's a learn the secrets the city has to offer. Movement, combat and usage of the phone feels solid and well developed. Driving however is woefully undeveloped and can't even stand in the shade of GTA or Saints' Row. The driving aspect of this game in reality needs to a rework and deserves to be patched asap.

    The city feels ok. People are less extreme than they are in GTA but in my opinion they reflect reality better than GTA pulls that off. To continue with the obvious comparison to GTA, story progression is similar with different " acts", each with a set of missions. WD offers missions along the side like its competition. Do jobs for fixers, prevent crimes etc and do mini-games. The mini-games are hit or miss. You like them or never look at them. The side jobs feel fine, have bearing to what the main character us doing and preventing crimis does feel rewarding.

    There's a lot of complaints about performance. On my AMD Athlon 3Ghz, ATI HD7770 and 8Gb Ram setup the game runs flawlessly on medium settings. I haven't tried running it higher but considering my system is quite outdated I was pleasantly surprised by the game's performance.

    Conclusion
    It's not as huge or polished as GTA V, but Watch_Dogs is a good game in it's own right. It does al sorts of stuff very, very well but is held back by the underdeveloped driving aspect and simplistic approach to hacking, both in terms of gameplay as in terms of ethical considerations.    … Expand
  26. robbena13
    Jun 4, 2014
    8
    da it is a good game a playable game but requirements u know too much heavy infact story is interesting u r occupied in the game for hours so so,characters are good and most importantly game is full of action , a gud and a gud and a gud game for me
  27. Shykz
    May 30, 2014
    8
    If you enter this game with the intent of playing GTA5: Hacker Edition DLC, you will be unpleasantly surprised. The best comparison I would give this game is to Assassins Creed 1, this game is solid w/ a lot of potential, and its sequel will make the most of that potential and be phenomenal, but the original will just remain solid.

    Positives: - Hacking is fresh and fun - Upgrade    If you enter this game with the intent of playing GTA5: Hacker Edition DLC, you will be unpleasantly surprised. The best comparison I would give this game is to Assassins Creed 1, this game is solid w/ a lot of potential, and its sequel will make the most of that potential and be phenomenal, but the original will just remain solid.

    Positives:
    - Hacking is fresh and fun
    - Upgrade system is well done
    - A lot of fun extra's to do (Such as Digital Trips)
    - Solid Voice Acting
    - A city which feels 'alive'
    - Enjoyable Multiplayer
    - Good music system
    - Generally interesting story
    - Fantastic Gunplay

    Mediocre Gameplay Elements:
    - The graphics are decent (rarely detract from the experience), but could be a LOT better
    - Sometimes generic missions
    - Limited Player Customization

    Negatives:
    - Stiff Driving
    - Abysmal Uplay Multiplayer Servers
    - No Car Customization
    - Occasionally poor AI

    Additional Thoughts: I have enjoyed my time so far with watch dogs, I have put in about 20 hours, it does start a little slowly, but it picks up later on and the story-line gets fairly interesting.

    Overall: 8.5
    A great start to an awesome new franchise, but the potential wasted is unfortunate. Most likely the sequel will be immensely better.    … Expand
  28. FlareFL
    Jan 16, 2021
    8
    It's a good game, not as good as GTA series games, but this is the Ubisoft game after all.
    I hope that in the following part of this game Ubisoft will improve physics of damages of cars, will make driving by more realistic, will work with shadows and reflections more carefully.
  29. Pinkbeaver
    May 30, 2014
    8
    This is, truly, the end of PC gaming as we know it.

    And, it's not only various developers and publishers fault. It's the typical user's fault too. User's which were raised using consoles and now they demand the same level of compatibility and ease when using their high-end PC systems. (systems often not configured correctly) A lot of people bought it without knowing about 64bit    This is, truly, the end of PC gaming as we know it.

    And, it's not only various developers and publishers fault. It's the typical user's fault too. User's which were raised using consoles and now they demand the same level of compatibility and ease when using their high-end PC systems. (systems often not configured correctly)

    A lot of people bought it without knowing about 64bit requirement, not knowing that the ultra textures are optimized to work in 4k resolutions.(not MUCH difference between high and ultra on 1080p monitor)
    Geforce tweaking guide (which some people show to each other as proof that nvidia knew of the supposed bad optimization) is nothing more than guidelines for making the game look prettier.

    I even saw some youtube videos showing users shooting every npc on the street, and saying to the listeners: "I can't find any fun in this game.i'm looking for some fun, but i cant find any! *Boom*Boom* Maybe five more minutes and something fun will come out of it!"

    The game is solid, the plot is a little cheesy, but what do you expect in this day and age?
    (times with best selling AAA action games without any plot at all)
    The graphics are very nice, LOD's are beautiful, light reflections are gorgeous, i didnt saw ONE ugly texture (on high). Water rendering is quite pretty.
    That said, there is something wrong with dynamic shadows, there ARE shadows from small light sources
    but the dynamic shade for the city is somewhat lacking, (eg The shadows are not moving dynamically with the sun, but rather have stages) and there are no shadows cast when walking through the front of a car with lights on. (GTA IV had them)
    Finally, the game adds some nice new options and ideas to your classic city GTA-ish experience.
    The hacking really finds its place in the sandbox universe, from slowly setting-up the traps using the cameras, to dynamically influencing the infrastructure in high speed chase.

    The only thing that scared me off is this dubstep-ish feel to mini games ("digital experiences"),
    bit like in the last Saints Row game. It looks like the game was in production for a long time, and they
    added (after the shocking success of Saits Row IV) some teenage arcade touches (breaks the realism
    of the game a bit, but nothing excessively brain-dead)

    I, personally, can't imagine an objective point of view from witch i would give this game anyting less than 5/10. Anything less than 5(maybe 4) is trolling or frustartion from first-week technical problems, or AMD owners with little patience for driver fixes.
    I remember the same problem few years ago with EA's The Saboteur (sandbox city simulation too), which hated ATI cards, and was unplayable (i owned one at the time), but the users Metacritic score is 8.0 !!!

    There is something wrong with common PC user. If you expect plug and play - type of games, stick to the consoles, if you don't have the energy needed to make PC games look their best (by fiddling with driver options, using beta drivers, comparing different graphic levels, using the web to learn how to utilize the power of your hyper-powerfull setups) why bother buying expensive PC's?

    I would give it 10, if not for the publisher problems (uplay is horrible), too much marketing, and giving all these moronic promises about 60fps and next-next-gen graphics.

    The game runs on High textures, Ultra quality all options switched on - all besides shadows (high),
    TXAA x4. My setup is i5-2400, geforce GTX 660, 8gb Ram. No SSD. Around 30 FPS, maybe less, the trade-off is worth it, TXAA 4x really takes the textures to the next level (even distant ones).

    If you want to play with Ultra textures, and you have similar PC to mine, buy SSD drive. It takes the hiccups away even with 2GB vram.

    I found only one irritating bug - the textures and the shader sometimes break, and surfaces become transparent (you can see things behind the textures). But changing the resolution reloads the shader, and everything comes back to normal.    … Expand
  30. pekmatyi
    Jun 6, 2014
    8
    This game reminds me of the first Gothic. The car control and physics are far worse then in GTA, but still it only bothers you in the first one two ours, when you get used to it, you will forget who bad it was for the first time. I recommend this game only because the game play, because it gave me a new feel, in other ways it didn't give me anything new. Average game, interesting game playThis game reminds me of the first Gothic. The car control and physics are far worse then in GTA, but still it only bothers you in the first one two ours, when you get used to it, you will forget who bad it was for the first time. I recommend this game only because the game play, because it gave me a new feel, in other ways it didn't give me anything new. Average game, interesting game play that can be developed further.… Expand
  31. whatever523
    Nov 12, 2014
    8
    First of all, this game requires an online activation and the servers were down on the release day. It was fixed after a few hours, but the Ubisoft servers are still not fully functional again, four days after release. Ubisoft doesn't have the server resources to launch such a game and Uplay sucks. Now, about the game itself. I need to add some text here, so metacritic gets the line breaksFirst of all, this game requires an online activation and the servers were down on the release day. It was fixed after a few hours, but the Ubisoft servers are still not fully functional again, four days after release. Ubisoft doesn't have the server resources to launch such a game and Uplay sucks. Now, about the game itself. I need to add some text here, so metacritic gets the line breaks right...

    Good:

    - Great visuals, with a few exceptions. Especially when it's raining (which is often, because it's in Chicago), the game looks ridiculously good.
    - World design. The city feels mostly authentic.
    - Interesting characters.
    - Engaging story, but with a few weak points.
    - Hacking of objects in the world is well implemented and makes the game, especially car chases, more interesting.
    - Driving physics. I actually prefer the WD driving to GTA5, because it's less floaty and cars stick properly to the road.
    - There's a lot to do in the open world (finished the story after about 50 hours and 100% after 70-75 hours).
    - Some very nicely done and fun mini games (poker, chess, shell game, mobile games).
    - Good interface design. Everything is easy to find.

    Bad:

    - Some graphic settings are badly implemented (Vsync, ultra textures/multisampling AA [directly related]) and need more performance than they should.
    - Some of the content is a little bit too repetitive
    - Bad hacking puzzles. Assassin's Creed is from the same publisher and has much better hacking mechanics... d'oh.
    - The driving camera sometimes adjusts too slow in corners and you have to use the mouse to readjust it.
    - Aim assist can't be disabled.
    - Drinking minigame is very boring and almost impossible with mouse/keyboard.

    Ugly:

    - Pretty bad mouse controls. If you put mouse acceleration in an action game in 2014, you have basically failed as a game developer. The game also has two or three different mouse speeds, depending on which menu you're in and it generally feels a bit sluggish.
    - AI is cheating. Enemies and cops always know where you are and police scans stop scanning when you're out of range, relocate you and then continue scanning. It's still easy to escape, but feels pretty cheap.
    - Your notoriety points are only saved if you have online invasions enabled at all times.
    - Multiplayer is easily hackable... quite ironic.

    Rating this game is difficult. I really enjoyed it, despite all the flaws, and it has a lot of good content. But once again, it also feels that Ubisoft released a rushed and unpolished game and I hate when games could be better and are released too early. Watch Dogs is good, but it could have been great with a little more development time and fixing of some obvious problems.    … Expand
  32. EclipseEx
    May 29, 2014
    8
    I guess I am one of the lucky ones who wasn't have any in game issues o.o
    My rig is not top tier by any means i5 4670 and a 760 OC'd and im not having trouble running the game in between high and ultra. Jordi is pretty hilarious c:
  33. omegacat
    May 30, 2014
    8
    So I've been eagerly anticipating this game since its E3 debut. So far I've loved it. I've read a fair few of the negative reviews, and while there are a couple points I agree on, and which are the reason for not giving it a 10, all in all I think the PC players were expecting a little more than what is realistic. So here goes:

    Story: 8/10. Like most open world games, the story    So I've been eagerly anticipating this game since its E3 debut. So far I've loved it. I've read a fair few of the negative reviews, and while there are a couple points I agree on, and which are the reason for not giving it a 10, all in all I think the PC players were expecting a little more than what is realistic. So here goes:

    Story: 8/10. Like most open world games, the story suffers because when you have an intense story, you can't help but break immersion to go play poker or treasure hunting. If you were to stick to the story I think it's good, but not fantastic.

    Music: 4/10. This is the bad part. The soundtrack is so lackluster that I usually turn the radio off the moment I get in the car. The ambient sounds of the city are more interesting than the music choices.

    Map: 10/10. Easy to get around while still feeling like a real city. Haven't run into any places yet where I felt stranded or lost.

    Driving: 7/10. Not as bad as people make it out to be. If anything it feels a little more realistic than most games. That may not be something that many people want. GTA V felt like the cars were on rails. This game punishes you for poor driving. Cornering in particular.

    Combat: 9/10. Being as I use the environment as much as I can, which I think is the spirit of the game, I rely on firearms as little as possible. Generally I only break out the big guns if I make a mistake and have to shoot my way out. Otherwise I only use my silenced pistol and baton. Guns are not ridiculously accurate. If you get angry that you can't make a perfect headshot with a pistol from 100 yds every time, this isn't the game for you. Likewise if you want to group 15 rds fired on auto into a 3 inch circle at 100 yds. Isn't going to happen.

    Mini games. 10/10. Great games in and of themselves, in my opinion. Spider Tank is gleeful wanton destruction. The shell game will actually challenge your attention. Took a couple failures before I even realized the guy quickly swaps the ball into other cups, just like the real dudes on the street. Poker moves a bit slow for the sake of realism, but it's fairly solid. The drinking game is pretty fun. I've spent the most time on the chess challenges. Most of the games you find set of puzzles to solve with pre-arranged boards. Like capture 8 pawns in 8 moves with a single queen, or survive 6 moves without being check-mated.

    Graphics: 9/10. Here's the big one. So many reviews I've read complain about being mislead about the graphics. I completely disagree. Ubisoft has been very upfront with the huge video card requirements you will need to run this at max settings. My rig can run just under max, and the game is beautiful. Dynamic shadows, consistent wind effects, damn near photo-realistic water. I can only assume the people complaining are running at low settings.    … Expand
  34. BrBa_DiAbLo
    Jun 13, 2014
    8
    Many gamers this game is very disappointing. Yes! And it is quite possible! Since the graphics in the game is great, but does not have a physics **** Here are my general assessment of this game:
    Graphics - 9.7/10
    Gameplay - 8.1/10
    Physics - 4.6/10
    Story - 8.6/10
    Music and Sound-9.1/10
    Control - 7.4/10
    Average rating - 8.0/10
  35. GTherion
    Sep 5, 2020
    8
    Really enjoyable game! I am playing this in 2020 and i am enjoying it a lot! Great flow of the story, great gameplay mechanics (the driving takes a little practice but its ok). Definately not a 5, its an 8/10 for sure. Ubisoft makes some great games.
  36. Stalkermaster
    May 30, 2014
    8
    This is an in progress review so please don't criticise me
    I'm only about 10% through the game but have played about 10 or so hours
    Honestly I'm not gonna lie I don't have any optimisation issues, no crashes no bugs nothing My specs Nvidia 660 Ti, I7 3770 8 core, 8gb ram, 64 bit so, windows 8 I get about a 60 Fps when I'm not driving and 45-50 when driving with most things either    This is an in progress review so please don't criticise me
    I'm only about 10% through the game but have played about 10 or so hours

    Honestly I'm not gonna lie I don't have any optimisation issues, no crashes no bugs nothing

    My specs Nvidia 660 Ti, I7 3770 8 core, 8gb ram, 64 bit so, windows 8

    I get about a 60 Fps when I'm not driving and 45-50 when driving with most things either high or ultra

    The game is great soo far, the city is full of life's and the hacking is great.
    The story so far is great you play as Aiden pierce who is out for revenge because of his niece dieing and I won't go any further with that. At first on pc I found the controls wired and confusing. But now it feels second to none on how this game plays out.

    The npcs all have a story behind them. You can learn about their age, job,how much money they earn and any recent events they were in which is fantastic. It changes for everyone in game as well, during co op we ID the same person and there was two different profiles which is unique.

    The hacking is seamless compared to what some people may say as long as you have the battery you can hack it instant and there is quite a few things to hack which all change up the pace of the game during a chase with the cops such as hacking the traffic lights to make all the cars and such crash is a great sight.

    The gunplay is limited to a few rifles, pistols, snipers and such but it's fine as most of the missions can be played stealthy that's right in killing involved and because of this you can be seen as a good guy or a bad guy.

    Now the Mp is also fun. I've only played 5 of the modes but 1v1 hacking is just soo dam addictive and co op is great fun as well

    Will write the rest of it the more I play and when I think I'm done but on a side not co op is disappointing because of the lack of things to do in co op apart from drive together, heck you can not even hack and tail your own friends on your list

    The pros and cons will also come later so stay tuned    … Expand
  37. saadrehman
    May 27, 2014
    8
    Everyone cares too much about the graphics and although they are not what looked like at E3 they are certainly not horrid as everyone suggests, It looks nice, the gameplay is where it is at, the stealth system is great that along with the hacking possibilities make it very fun, the online is very good too. I had been really looking forward to this game for the past 2 years and now that itEveryone cares too much about the graphics and although they are not what looked like at E3 they are certainly not horrid as everyone suggests, It looks nice, the gameplay is where it is at, the stealth system is great that along with the hacking possibilities make it very fun, the online is very good too. I had been really looking forward to this game for the past 2 years and now that it has come out, I am NOT disappointed, not including the campaign, there is a lot to keep you entertained, it seems as though people now a days have very short attention spans and things have to be flashing in front of their faces for it to count as entertainment. One thing however that I don't like are the driving physics, that's the only thing that let me down, the cars feel like they have no weight whilst being indestructible, you can easily plough down telegraph poles. All in all it is a very nice game that needs some tweaks in terms of performance but that CAN be patched, the campaign is solid, the online is satisfying and the city feels alive.… Expand
  38. Hightimer
    May 27, 2014
    8
    You will see many people who are let down by the gameplay. I think it is great.
    You will see many people who are let down by the graphics. They are great.
    You will see many people who will compare it to GTA. It is not. You will also see a lot of people who complain that the story sucks, the fact that it is too short, multiplayer doesn't have enough modes, things to do. While Watch    You will see many people who are let down by the gameplay. I think it is great.
    You will see many people who are let down by the graphics. They are great.
    You will see many people who will compare it to GTA. It is not.

    You will also see a lot of people who complain that the story sucks, the fact that it is too short, multiplayer doesn't have enough modes, things to do. While Watch dogs is not a perfect game by any means, it is a very solid open world game. It blends a fantastic hacking system with seamless interaction with the environment.

    Driving isn't as bad as people say it is. They have just been too accustomed to GTA's driving, which is admittedly better but still unrealistic, as well as the lack of severe deformation. It isn't a big deal. First person driving is a lot of fun and you can tell that is how it was meant to be played.

    If you can pick this game up for 40$ on a key site etc, then you will not be disappointing. If you pay full price for the game you will still enjoy it. Don't be fooled by these people expecting GTA 5.1. It isn't and doesn't try to be.    … Expand
  39. ItsFrootLoops
    May 27, 2014
    8
    Tried my best to avoid the main story but I couldn't help it, this game is amazing the driving that everyone complains about I do not understand it feels fine it looks great too, the hacking in this game really does make it a whole better experience. The game may have a been a little too short but I still had a great time playing it. The game sort of lives up to the hype that was centeredTried my best to avoid the main story but I couldn't help it, this game is amazing the driving that everyone complains about I do not understand it feels fine it looks great too, the hacking in this game really does make it a whole better experience. The game may have a been a little too short but I still had a great time playing it. The game sort of lives up to the hype that was centered around it and the game is definitely worth playing but I think a few things could of been added I'm not sure what but it felt like it was missing a few little things and the graphics, yes they aren't as good looking as they were in the early gameplay trailers but even on ultra with the PC version the game looks amazing, whichever idiot decided to use the word 'outdated' on the graphics I have no idea why they say this, especially when I have completed Wolfenstein: The New Order and that games graphics seemed to be outdated.… Expand
  40. offline_n1
    May 29, 2014
    8
    Okay, first of all, don't compare watch dogs and GTA, it's doesn't make any sense. The second. This game is great, really great, eventhough there a few bugs but it's not affected to the game pretty much. Watch dogs is great, but there something of it that may annoying you:
    -Driving: I gave it 8 because of WD's driving, it's like: the driving has destroyed this game. First it's too hard    Okay, first of all, don't compare watch dogs and GTA, it's doesn't make any sense. The second. This game is great, really great, eventhough there a few bugs but it's not affected to the game pretty much. Watch dogs is great, but there something of it that may annoying you:
    -Driving: I gave it 8 because of WD's driving, it's like: the driving has destroyed this game. First it's too hard (just like GTA 4' driving), 2nd the physic isn't great for a next gen game, 3rd, the light of the car lamp doesn't make shadow to objects........ For short, like i said: The driving destroyed this game
    -The graphic: Pretty good but the texture is not good enought, and the trees is awful ( but i've never seen a sandbox has a good looking at the trees, even GTA...)
    -WD doesn't contain much of mini games like billard, pocker....
    That's all, the rest of the game is great and hard and just like Ubisoft promised. This is a great game, but it's should be 45$ not 60$ :D    … Expand
  41. augurseer
    May 27, 2014
    8
    This isn't your grandfather GTA. Its darker. Nicer looking and has a fairly creative new game mechanic. That mechanic is simplified hacking of Chicago. Play the game as a run and gun it all it is is GTA. play it like a zero-cool punisher and your golden.
  42. Mickusey
    May 27, 2014
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Sadly, just as I had expected, Watch Dogs and all of its legions of obsessed, blind fans would fall victim to the hype train. It was clear when how much controversy surrounding the graphical downgrade of the game when Ubisoft had done the same thing with nearly every single demo they had done in recent memory (Far Cry 3 immediately comes to mind) that this would be different. Even if the game was absolutely perfect, people would still have been disappointed and angry because, for two years, they were being so ridiculously hyped up that Watch Dogs would never live up to their expectations.

    For PC, running a Superclocked GTX 770 2GB with a 4.3GHz 4670k, it is fairly unoptimized. I DID fix a lot of my stuttering issues, however, by changing from fullscreen to borderless window so that could help a lot of people having issues. The game is still quite amazing looking with textures on high and everything else maxed, the water and reflections in particular are gorgeous and the lighting during overcast can be absolutely beautiful. The downgrade from E3 is noticeable, but I'm pretty sure that was going to be obvious judging by Ubi's previous exploits. The most major issue graphically has to be the pop-in though. That needs to be sorted out.

    Now, for gameplay. Watch Dogs definitely thrives on how fun it is. Combinations of shooting, hacking, and stealth all provide incredibly rewarding ways to complete missions, gang hideouts, etc. I found many of this more comparable to Splinter Cell than anything else, in fact, which combined with your hacking abilities definitely isn't a bad thing. I am neutral towards the driving; it is very slidey and arcadey, which some people will love and some people will hate. I find it fun at times but it can also be very frustrating to handle, especially on KB/M. The progression system involves getting XP by doing various things in the game, and similar to the latest Deus Ex going stealthy will net you much more XP than going in guns blazing, which some may dislike. I personally found it a good incentive as I normally dislike stealth games but found it fairly enjoyable in this one. There are skill trees that range from hacking to combat to crafting, all of which you can invest in with skill points gained as you level. These provide a good sense of progression.

    The coolest part about the game is probably the digital trips, which are extremely Saints Row-esque silly mini games where you'll blow things up in a spider tank or run over demons in a muscle car, among others. Some of these games even have their own skill trees and leveling systems. Definitely very fun and zany departures from the main game which, oddly enough, you can invest hours in at a time. Now, to one of the worst parts of the game.

    The story simply isn't up to par. It's a classic revenge story overplayed time and time again, with most of the characters lacking any interesting or compelling traits. Aiden is the generic, grainy voiced action hero, who gets caught up in a larger plot as his quest for revenge gets him involved in even more trouble as his sister is kidnapped by his old partner. Its not a horrible story, and it is wonderfully voice acted and is extremely solid in length (~35 hours) but it is definitely not very memorable. The real star of the game is probably the city and its pedestrians.

    The game world has a surprising amount of variety. There are poor slums, rich high rise districts, quiet suburban sprawls, and dark, secluded backwoods areas. There is a sufficient amount of creepy mysteries. easter eggs, and collectibles spread throughout the game world along with a ton of varied side missions for you to do. Each pedestrian has their own story that you can access using the profile, where you can see their age, occupation, income, and any hobbies or unique traits they have. I thought there would be obvious repetition after an hour or so but it is very few and far in between and I still find new traits that I often laugh at.

    So, Watch Dogs did not live up to the hype, but that was next to impossible anyway. It is still a very fun and enjoyable open world game with a solid amount of content and fun refinements to the genre.    … Expand
  43. CAMSHAFT
    May 27, 2014
    8
    I think the people giving this game a 5 and under are being pretentious and just need something to complain about because in NO WAY does this game deserve a 6 or lower.
    IF YOU ACTUALLY PLAY more than 2-3 hours, the pace picks up.
    The cover system is more than fine, the options during gunfights are varied. The driving is fine, I have a feeling people just accelerate and expect the    I think the people giving this game a 5 and under are being pretentious and just need something to complain about because in NO WAY does this game deserve a 6 or lower.
    IF YOU ACTUALLY PLAY more than 2-3 hours, the pace picks up.
    The cover system is more than fine, the options during gunfights are varied.
    The driving is fine, I have a feeling people just accelerate and expect the driving to be perfect.
    The chase scenes are more than just chasing and catching, you can use the world around you to manipulate the way it plays out, also with slow motion it makes it easier to observe your sorroundings amidst the chaos.
    So far the storyline is ok, its definitely picking up (played about 5 hours so far)
    The graphics might not be as good on consoles as was showcased , but on pc, they are just as good as was shown in E3.
    Some side missions get repetitive but there is ALOT to do.    … Expand
  44. Jope
    May 27, 2014
    8
    Watch Dogs is quite a good game. It has great graphics and sound, but Ubisoft could have optimised it better for the PC. I'm running a GTX680 (using the 337.88 driver) and the game runs +40 fps depending on what I am doing, sometimes it even jumps up to 60. The gameplay is good, but not excellent, and some people will feel disappointed, especially with the driving. I do still recommendWatch Dogs is quite a good game. It has great graphics and sound, but Ubisoft could have optimised it better for the PC. I'm running a GTX680 (using the 337.88 driver) and the game runs +40 fps depending on what I am doing, sometimes it even jumps up to 60. The gameplay is good, but not excellent, and some people will feel disappointed, especially with the driving. I do still recommend this game.
    PS. If you are having performance issues, check you drivers, it might help.    … Expand
  45. Archangelz
    May 27, 2014
    8
    I don't take sides while reviewing an usually review games with an open mind. Watch dogs indeed did not live up to the hype which was provided at E3 but it still provides a fair experience worth $60.
    The pros.
    1. It's nice to see a new concept such as hacking being introduced into a game like this. It can though get somewhat repetitive. 2. The graphics are quite nice at high settings    I don't take sides while reviewing an usually review games with an open mind. Watch dogs indeed did not live up to the hype which was provided at E3 but it still provides a fair experience worth $60.
    The pros.
    1. It's nice to see a new concept such as hacking being introduced into a game like this. It can though get somewhat repetitive.
    2. The graphics are quite nice at high settings and I get a steady 45 FPS with my nvidia 650 ti boost. If no one has been watching there was a driver released optimism watch dogs.
    3. The open world and the sheer volume to explore is astounding. Many times I find myself just wandering off from the story mission to explore the open world.
    4. Relatable story. I found I had quite a number of hair raising situations during the story. The feeling of just was ting to slap Damien( the antagonist) was constantly there.
    The cons.
    1. The driving as many said was absolutely horrendous. I found many cars were either over steering or under steering. It becomes an absolute headache at times during fixer contracts and story missions. It does become easier with a controller such as an xbox controller.
    2. The MENU is atrocious. It was clearly made for consoles. Many times during fire fights I switch to guns I don't want and the phone is also hard to navigate. How hard is
    It to put a mouse there?
    3. Enemies apparently have pixel perfect accuracy especially snipers who seem to hit you with every shot even while running.
    4. The uplay service is just...ugh I won't even say it. I also get hackers into my game like way too often so much so that I disable it.
    5. Citizens over react 90% of the time. EVEN WHEN BEHIND A WALL. I hid behind a wall with a spec ops 1911 they apparently spotted me through the wall and called the police.
    6. Unrealistic guns. I had a M107 and it took 2 damn shots to kill an elite? It's a damn .50 bang round not even the best body armor can protect against that. So much for realism. This brings another point, elites absorb bullets like BBs and even a goblin with a with a whole mag won't being them down. This fondly reminds me of a review done on ride to hell where only headshots do anything.
    Conclusion.
    It was still a fun game but many flaws pull the whole rating down. I still enjoyed it though much like saints row.    … Expand
  46. Chuggnuts
    May 29, 2014
    8
    I will start by saying I think this game is getting an extremely harsh ride.

    Firstly, performance. My pc specs are: 2600k with mild oc Gtx580 stock speeds (3gb) 16gb ram Win 7 64 Nvidia drivers from about a year ago (long story involving mods and enb's) Watch dogs defaulted to high settings, I immediately turned textures to ultra. Played for a few hours and then maxed    I will start by saying I think this game is getting an extremely harsh ride.

    Firstly, performance. My pc specs are:

    2600k with mild oc
    Gtx580 stock speeds (3gb)
    16gb ram
    Win 7 64
    Nvidia drivers from about a year ago (long story involving mods and enb's)

    Watch dogs defaulted to high settings, I immediately turned textures to ultra. Played for a few hours and then maxed everything else (detail, shadows, water, reflections, ambient occlusion etc) except AA which I left on a medium setting. On the first evening (release day) it played fine, smooth 95% if not more of the time with the only exception bring a stutter fest for a second or two during some night time car chases. Last night however, I played for approx 3 hours with no issues at all whatsoever. Smooth as anything.

    I am a huge fan of immersion, and especially graphics (i mod most games I own to increase texture detail and lighting quality etc)and I think on high this game looks great, on ultra it ranges from really good to stunning, depending on location and time of day etc. I will not be Modding watch dogs graphics. There is no need at the moment.

    Bugs - usual uplay disaster with logging in on release day but I got in after a few mins of hitting retry(certainly nothing compared to far cry 2 launch day) the first time I started a game I had an issue with not being able to pick up some items (the ? Didn't change above the item) I restarted and I've not had any other issues, or that one repeated.

    Gameplay- it's a good game, it's very similar to gta.... And will probably become a bit repetative in the same way but after initially finding the controls a bit mysterious (it doesn't always tell you the buttons, and they are not listed anywhere which I found really frustrating) and the game a bit clunky, I started to get really into it. Do not turn the look sensitivity up, like I did, just get used to his geriatric turn speed. After an hour or three I feel 'at one' with the controls.

    The world- incredibly good, for me it's better than any gta game, it feels more real, more alive and more natural. I generally only play games that are first person, as I like to be immersed in the game world and especially when bearing in mind the in car camera angles like the one behind the wheel, first person view on foot would be fantastic. I wish there was a first person view, but hey ho, it is what it is.

    One slightly immersion breaking aspect is the police. They are a bit ott in general, and will often send loads of cars and start shooting for not a lot EXCEPT if you get in a boat, in which case you are as good as free, even the chopper won't follow you across a tiny lake.... dont get me wrong, AI is generally ok, It's not really bad but would benefit from a bit of subtle tweaking.

    Overall it's pretty much what I expected, it's a good game bordering on really good. The missions will no doubt get boring (like with other similar titles) but roaming the city is rewarding, with the city being the best in any game so far (car engine sounds are extremely satisfying by the way) and if decent dlc content is released then this could be a big winner.

    Overall it's a good game so far, not amazing but not the disaster it seems from some of the reviews.    … Expand
  47. Retpally
    May 28, 2014
    8
    The game is good, the only problem I have is the low fps.
    I am playing on a good machine ( 12 gb ram, i7 3770 4-cores, r9 290) and the fps range from 29 to 80+.
  48. Beepinheimer
    May 28, 2014
    8
    I don't believe that this game deserves all of the hate that it's getting, Nvidia, AMD, and UBI will release patches or updates to fix performance and game engine problems.

    Good -Graphics are great -Story is interesting -Overwhelming amount of optional activities -Fairly large open world area Bad -Cars admittedly could handle a lot better -"At the moment" you need to have an    I don't believe that this game deserves all of the hate that it's getting, Nvidia, AMD, and UBI will release patches or updates to fix performance and game engine problems.

    Good
    -Graphics are great
    -Story is interesting
    -Overwhelming amount of optional activities
    -Fairly large open world area
    Bad
    -Cars admittedly could handle a lot better
    -"At the moment" you need to have an insane system to play this on mid-high graphics.

    It's definitely something new, I personally would place it on par with something like Far Cry 3. Give it time, bugs will get fixed and performance updates will be released soon just like they were with the last Far Cry.    … Expand
  49. dtlmunkey
    May 28, 2014
    8
    I've been playing this game on a low-mid range pc (AMD quad core and ATI HD 7 Series GC), and haven't had any of the graphical issues that others have listed. Make sure you aren't pushing your rig too hard and getting some artifacting. To Teratron1, sorry, but it doesn't sound like you know too much about gaming rigs. It doesn't surprise me that you aren't getting very good graphics withI've been playing this game on a low-mid range pc (AMD quad core and ATI HD 7 Series GC), and haven't had any of the graphical issues that others have listed. Make sure you aren't pushing your rig too hard and getting some artifacting. To Teratron1, sorry, but it doesn't sound like you know too much about gaming rigs. It doesn't surprise me that you aren't getting very good graphics with integrated graphics, or on a laptop (not a poke, just an observation). The game concept is solid, and it is really a lot of fun to make it through scenarios using different methods. Using hacking to take out guards instead of going in shooting, or just sneaking around is a good change of pace. Uplay is crappy, as usual, but there is the option to play offline. I haven't even messed with multiplayer yet, but so far I think it is a pretty solid game that will only get better with time. Many people who are downing this game are comparing it to GTA4, and insist the latter is way better. I, for one, was not that big a fan of GTA4 or 5, but am so far enjoying this game. Not groundbreaking, but solid. I'm really not sure why people are giving this game 4's and below. Remember, when Crysis came out, it ate top end computers for lunch for a year or two before the hardware was cheap enough for everyone to play on ultra!… Expand
  50. theMillen
    May 28, 2014
    8
    First and foremost... Update to the latest Drivers if you are using Nvidia... it has helped aloooot. Basically went from huuuge drops to smoothing things out. With a 3770k and gtx 780 (overclocked) I am now able to actually play at decent fps with only slight dips here and there on Ultra, tweaking a few things down has made it completely playable. Is it still poorly optimized? Yes. ButFirst and foremost... Update to the latest Drivers if you are using Nvidia... it has helped aloooot. Basically went from huuuge drops to smoothing things out. With a 3770k and gtx 780 (overclocked) I am now able to actually play at decent fps with only slight dips here and there on Ultra, tweaking a few things down has made it completely playable. Is it still poorly optimized? Yes. But after reading a few technical things it seems to point towards a port from "nextgen" consoles having ~8gb ram available for vram. And to address some of the 0's talking about playability.. There is a leaked copy that has a Altcoin miner attached (alternative to bitcoin) sooooooo yeah, take that for what it is worth.

    Nowwww onto the actual gameplay.

    Hacking - Fun at first but kinda wish there was more to it than just press and hold a button. I can see it for straight video cameras but eh, its a nice feature that could've used some tweaking. It is however fun to use as far as the stealth aspects; be it checking all security cameras to plan out your route, distracting gaurds, or even blowing them up with their said explosives.

    Driving - Personally i wasn't expecting Forza, GT, or anything else. Does it feel kinda an afterthought, and put on the back burner? Yes. Does it break the game? No. After i switched from KB/M to Xbox 360 controller i found it a lot easier to get around, and love cruising around on a motorcycle. The damage to the car is hyper-non-realistic but meh, not a game breaker for me.

    Story - As someone else said a bit cliche' but it has heart, and makes you feel for what is going on, has happened and what is going to happen. Does it pull you in bioshock-esque? negative.. Did I want to skip it or run through it with no regard? No. It has heart, and is pretty well written and acted.

    Gameplay - So much to do can be a bit overwhelming, but you can choose to what you want to do, and there is a variety of stuff to do outside of main campaign and sometimes ill hop on the game just to do some of the side quest stuff (AR Mini games, hunt down criminals, etc) and ill have fun doing so.

    Graphics - While i don't feel the graphics are truly "next-gen" but if anyone remembers when 360/ps3 came out, they weren't leagues apart either. It takes time to catch up. Having said that, the water, rain, and textures are amazing. Just don't expect the Ultimate OMG Best GFX EVERRR and you'll be pleasantly surprised. Don't believe the hype and don't believe the debydowners. It is a nice middle ground.

    Fun - Simply put, the game is fun, and for that, Ubisoft gets my vote and my money!

    Wrap-up: Could it have used a couple more months of polish, definitely but they had that. I am glad they delayed the game because i could only imagine had they not. I am sure after a patch or two some of the optimization quirks will be had and i can go back to Ultra @ 1440p. But for me, the game is fun, immersive and a good time, quirks be damned.    … Expand
  51. ImGoinToWalmart
    May 29, 2014
    8
    No Spoilers.
    To all those out there that are smashing this game because they cant run it or they cant play it because they don't have a 64 bit system really need to just educate themselves about computers. Half the people that played this game probably torrented it from the internet. And half the people that have 64 bit windows probably stole that too. Why are you **** about paying for    No Spoilers.
    To all those out there that are smashing this game because they cant run it or they cant play it because they don't have a 64 bit system really need to just educate themselves about computers. Half the people that played this game probably torrented it from the internet. And half the people that have 64 bit windows probably stole that too. Why are you **** about paying for something when if you were a true pc gamer you would know how to test a game before you bought it? Idiots, the lot of you. As for this game, if you tweak it right it is perfectly playable at an acceptable frame rate and provides the fun it promised without maybe as shiny a coat of paint. IT is still very much worth a play or a rent. Stop saying this is a bad game just because your too big of an idiot to make it work properly.    … Expand
  52. Pandaconda
    May 29, 2014
    8
    Let's be clear here: Haters are going to hate.
    Watch_Dogs is an interesting, as well as enjoyable take on the open world genre. There is never a loss as to what to do; there are so many side quests and online hacker vs hacker matches to compete in, it feels almost limitless. Stealth and hacking are done spectacularly in this game. Why anyone would want to do an arbitrary mini-game any    Let's be clear here: Haters are going to hate.
    Watch_Dogs is an interesting, as well as enjoyable take on the open world genre. There is never a loss as to what to do; there are so many side quests and online hacker vs hacker matches to compete in, it feels almost limitless. Stealth and hacking are done spectacularly in this game. Why anyone would want to do an arbitrary mini-game any time you want to hack something is beyond me. One button is fine. There is no problem with the GAME itself if played the way it was meant to be played.

    The problem lies with the players. If you play this game on the lowest difficulty, with the lowest intelligence possible, it becomes nothing better than your average run and gun slugfest. The cars are not meant to feel like an arcade game; of course if you drive recklessly, you will not be able to control the car. If you expect an open world game to have the textures of Crysis 3 and not easily go over the vram limit of your card, you're foolish. The demands I'm reading from so many reviewers just do not make any sense.

    The only realistic complaints are about drivers not being optimized enough for video cards, and server issues with Uplay. Uplay is a poorly implemented excuse for a marketplace when compared to Steam or even Origin. However, let us all remember that even the mighty steam servers are sluggish when summer sales and the like come around. Uplay's servers will balance out when they aren't being slammed by millions of players.

    You think the storyline is cliche? Sure. Explain yourself.The characters aren't developed enough? Perhaps. Explain yourself. However, so many complaints i'm reading are so asinine and vague, how can anyone possibly take these user reviews seriously? Oh, you couldn't even start up the game? How do you have the right to review the game? You never played it. That is a server or driver side problem, not a reflection of the game itself.

    Bottom line, the game is great. Perfect? Of course not.
    Play the game on the realistic setting, take it slow, and soak the good parts in. Stop whining about every detail that doesn't fit into your scope of what you felt entitled to.    … Expand
  53. Bobmonga
    May 29, 2014
    8
    I've only played it for a couple of hours, but enjoying it so far. I've not had any issues apart from the mouse controls. Removing the mouse smoothing by manually editing the config file helps loads. Performance is fine on my aging machine (I7, GTX460, 8GB).
  54. blacktarmac
    May 30, 2014
    8
    Watch_Dogs is a great game with interesting characters, a big open world to explore and an interesting story. It offers lots of fun distractions like the digital trips. Multiplayer integration seems a little wonky at this early time, but overall it's a very satisfying experience. Give it a shot!
  55. CardPack
    May 30, 2014
    8
    It seems like most of the negative comments here focus on the glitches and graphic flaws. I use a Nvidia card and I have had no problems with the graphics. In fact, Watch_Dogs is perhaps the most beautiful game I've ever played, in my opinion surpassing even GTA V (which it is often compared with). The lightning and the weather make you feel like you actually were in the living city ofIt seems like most of the negative comments here focus on the glitches and graphic flaws. I use a Nvidia card and I have had no problems with the graphics. In fact, Watch_Dogs is perhaps the most beautiful game I've ever played, in my opinion surpassing even GTA V (which it is often compared with). The lightning and the weather make you feel like you actually were in the living city of Chicago. Often I just like to forget that its a game and start walking aimlessly around the streets.

    Now, the gameplay. Hacking is a truly original idea for a game this scale. Even though it might not feel that realistic, it does give the "I am GOD" -feeling. Yet it maintains the challenge and vulnearibility, especially in certain play styles. Sneaking in the game works brilliantly, and head-to-head combat is OK too. The AI is a bit too predictable while on foot, following certain paths systematically, but when it gets behind the wheel, you're in trouble. It can intelligently predict your movements and block your path. The driving mechanics left me a bit dissatisfied, as I was looking for something more realistic than an arcade.

    It's a shame the story is so short as it actually is the only thing not repetitive in the game. But if you balance the story play and the sidequests its shortness should be no problem. There are only a few types of sidequests, aside from some random encouters.
    The random encouters are what gives the game its life. You can never know when a fellow pedestrian is going to get shot, and thus you must always be aware of your surroundings. There are also random crimes, but they are actually not so random, and often end up the criminal noticing you before the crime even has taken place, thus ending the encouter short. The game also has many sorts of cool details, such as when you shoot an enemy in the knee it neutralizes him instead of killing him. Roleplayers will love this game.

    Also to mention, in some missions and sidequests, using heavy weaponry is almost an obligation. Iit crumbles the feeling of sneaky rogue-like hacking vigilante. I prefer to use a silenced pistol whenever it is possible to maintain this theme.

    In conclusion, it is a brilliant-looking game (9,5) and the hacking is cool (8,0) as is the story (8,0) but the game crashes on too many arcade-like attributes. 8/10    … Expand
  56. herr_rosa88
    May 31, 2014
    8
    Watch dogs makes an amazing job in creating a living breathing open world city. It also has a decent amount of polish to it, even though a game of this magnitude won't have the same amount of polish as some closed world games such as Crysis 3.

    Pros: The incredible open world enviroment A lot of things to do e.g. mini games, hacking online activities and interesting story Graphics    Watch dogs makes an amazing job in creating a living breathing open world city. It also has a decent amount of polish to it, even though a game of this magnitude won't have the same amount of polish as some closed world games such as Crysis 3.

    Pros:
    The incredible open world enviroment
    A lot of things to do e.g. mini games, hacking online activities and interesting story
    Graphics and physics

    Cons:
    There draw distance is way to short.
    The driving mechanics of the cars are bad because the acceleration is way to fast and the steering is not responsive enough.
    The PC-version is not well optimized.    … Expand
  57. Gumbomon
    Jun 1, 2014
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Review (kind of) contains spoilers... However, nothing that the trailers haven't already told you.

    Let's start with the technical aspects:
    I got the game along with my new computer (AMD 8x 4.0GHz processor, GeForce GTX760, 16Gb RAM, Win7 64Bit). I was very hyped and tryed to install it right on its release.
    It took me an entire day to get this thing to work. I had to download it two times (about 3h each) and I had to reinstall uPlay, which also deleted AC4 as well. Ubisoft just knows how to make for a special release experience.
    However, after hours of tinkering, it finally worked. My PC managed to run it at (almost) stable 60fps on high settings ( using TXAA Anti-Alias), with some frame drops during some police chase sequences.

    I haven't seen the E3 demo, thus I cannot tell if there was the graphical downgrade everyone keeps complaining about ( to which I might add: I don't think many player would have been able to access better graphics, because the game is demanding), but it looks (at least to me) marvelous. It by not means the best looking game ever, but it can compete with most AAA titles.

    Gameplay-wise, it felt like an "Assassins-Creed 2014-ish version". And this is not a bad thing. Sure it has some similarities (like the hackable ctOS-towers, which feel quite familiar to AC viewpoints - minus the obligatory leap of faith, which in this game will lead to your death), but the hacking is a nice twist, making it just interesting enough to be an IP of its own. Also, the Gunplay is excellent, even or especially with a Gamepad (I used the Xbox 360 wireless controller).
    (Speaking of Gamepads, you will probably need one, because the mouse accelleration differs in the various sections of the game, which is very irritating.)
    The driving sections are very floaty, reminding me of some of the early Need-for-Speed games (like Underground 2). It's not everyone's thing, but I found myself really enjoying it. Though the ragdoll-physics sometimes look just... weird. Not awful, but weird.

    The story is ... actually better than the trailer made it look. The actual plot is told quite well, but the protagonist himself is quite frankly, an a**hole. Its not the story of hero, not even close. But it's entertaining, although it sometimes takes itself to serious. The voice acting (at least in the german version) is well executed and, for the most part, in sync. But it tries to be like a Batman-like story - a little too hard.

    And I think this is the biggest pitfall. Each unit works almost perfectly in itself. The theme is fresh and fun, the story is solid, the mechanics work fine (I haven't experienced any glitches aside some strange ragdoll poses) - But they failed to make them work together. Thus the game feels just like the sum of its parts, not more, not less. The experience is entirely up to the player. If you take the game serious, its loads of fun. But if you play it like GTA your actions interfere with the tone and plot, making the game seem silly and pointless.

    Overall, it's a pretty solid game - not perfect, but fine. If the sequel, which is already hinted upon at the end of the game, fixes these issues, and utilized the games full potencial, I'm convinced this is going to be Ubisofts next big IP, out-shadowing the AC series by far. I think a lot of the hate this game gets is due to the extreme hype. People are disappointed that it is not as awesome as they imagined the last 3 years (And this is why Valve won't make Half-Life 3. Imagine 20 years of hype...). I feel people are just being unfair to Ubisoft-Montrèal (the studio, not the publisher; they shall burn in hell for what they did with uPlay), same goes for the AC series (AC2 is, in my opinion, inferrior to 4 and even 3).
    I am personally looking forward to the sequel... and the movie they announced.

    If you're intersted into the theme or just like open-world games, I'd recomend you to buy it for about 40$.    … Expand
  58. GhostPiggy
    Jun 1, 2014
    8
    (TL;DR at the bottom) This game is absolutely wonderful, the mechanics of the game are nearly seamless and easy to use, anyone who complains that the concept of hacking is dumb should turn away because it's not supposed to be an in depth tutorial for hacking. The graphics catch flak from people yet I have no idea why, the graphics are wonderful any problems the game is experiencing will be(TL;DR at the bottom) This game is absolutely wonderful, the mechanics of the game are nearly seamless and easy to use, anyone who complains that the concept of hacking is dumb should turn away because it's not supposed to be an in depth tutorial for hacking. The graphics catch flak from people yet I have no idea why, the graphics are wonderful any problems the game is experiencing will be fixed soon as there are to be some bugs due to the fact that it has just come out. The story is great but my only complaint is that they are really trying to stretch for something that is hard to achieve due to the serious responses of some insignificant events. Multiplayer is a very enjoyable aspect of the game such as the online hacking game mode which, no matter how many times you play it, is always a different experience and allows for longevity of game play. Iv'e seen a few reviews about the games :terrible car physics" but to be honest they are wonderful, a few bugs here and there but overall very great. I have noticed that sometime I will shoot through the windshield of a car or be getting shot and two things occur, the windshield does not immediately shatter into a million pieces and sometimes is even able to stop the bullet in varying instances, I also have to say the impact between cars of different sizes and weight are pretty well .performed. I think I have gone on long enough, buy this game it is amazingly fun, it only lost two points for two reasons, one for the story and another for the digital trips psychedelic and madness...those games are really difficult. TL;DR - game is fun, falls short on story, car physics are good, bugs but still good, psychedelic and madness are hard.… Expand
  59. root_san
    Jun 2, 2014
    8
    Игра довольно хорошая, но со своими недочётами. Пожалуй я начну с плюсов данного шедевра.

    - Отличный и реалистичный паркур; - Большой ассортимент оружия; - Очень хороший и трогательный сюжет; - Множество дополнительных мини-игр и заданий; - Крутые и брутальные персонажи; - Хорошо продуманный ИИ; - Множество одежды; - Отлично реализованные элементы RPG, в которых стоит отдельно    Игра довольно хорошая, но со своими недочётами. Пожалуй я начну с плюсов данного шедевра.

    - Отличный и реалистичный паркур;
    - Большой ассортимент оружия;
    - Очень хороший и трогательный сюжет;
    - Множество дополнительных мини-игр и заданий;
    - Крутые и брутальные персонажи;
    - Хорошо продуманный ИИ;
    - Множество одежды;
    - Отлично реализованные элементы RPG, в которых стоит отдельно отметить прокачку главного героя;
    - Большое количество предметов и девайсов которые можно взломать;
    - Большое количество действительно хорошей музыки;
    - Очень хороший мультиплеер, с множеством интересных задумок и режимов, которые на моё удивление хорошо продуманы и так же хорошо сделаны.

    А теперь пожалуй перейдём к минусам игры.

    - Плохая физика машин;
    - Небольшое количество багов;
    - Некоторые проблемы с Uplay;
    - Графика - в этой игре она неплохая в некоторых моментах лучше Grand Theft Auto V и Battlefield 4, однако это не обещанный Ubisoft Next Gen.    … Expand
  60. ryanshowseason2
    Jun 4, 2014
    8
    Some things could definitely be better. It is no 10, definitely not. But it has a solid storyline otherwise and themes mirroring headlines today from hacktivist groups to the fast and furious weapons scandal.

    Money becomes useless very quickly and I find myself only needing 2 kinds of vehicles. Motorcycles because the handling and speed is superior and whatever car is nearest because I    Some things could definitely be better. It is no 10, definitely not. But it has a solid storyline otherwise and themes mirroring headlines today from hacktivist groups to the fast and furious weapons scandal.

    Money becomes useless very quickly and I find myself only needing 2 kinds of vehicles. Motorcycles because the handling and speed is superior and whatever car is nearest because I need it now!

    Its a watered down GTA with hacking and an empathetic story instead of jerks being jerks.

    But you know what? I would play GTA with a good story!    … Expand
  61. BogusBoo
    Jun 4, 2014
    8
    This game is unfairly rated because of overly high expectations (even though it was overhyped) and simply bad optimization. Here is a FAIR, unbiased review:

    - The Pros: + Great, Seamless movement/parkour system (worth at least 1 point out of 10) + Awesome Graphics + Good Story Missions (even if the story is more than a little shallow) + Gigantic, detailed city (from every    This game is unfairly rated because of overly high expectations (even though it was overhyped) and simply bad optimization. Here is a FAIR, unbiased review:

    -

    The Pros:
    + Great, Seamless movement/parkour system (worth at least 1 point out of 10)
    + Awesome Graphics
    + Good Story Missions (even if the story is more than a little shallow)
    + Gigantic, detailed city (from every warehouse to every park to every alley, the city is beautifully crafted)
    + Vigilante System - You build up a reputation, the worse it is (killing cops, hurting civillians) the more likely it is that citizens will report you to the police; same goes for vice versa
    + Great audio (especially for weapons)
    + Lots of minigames (Chess, Shell game, Drinking game - although it feels a bit as if its trying to live up to GTA V's standards)
    + Feel like batman without the cape (even sound like him)
    + Immersive environment - I love learning the backstory of almost every citizen that passes by
    + Side missions are alright, if a little rushed (such as the missing persons branch where you have to track down a serial killer, the ending is somewhat anti-climatic to be honest)
    + Stealth is great in this game (especially for gang hideouts) IF you try hard enough, if you're lazy and rush in without thinking you'll just spoil it for yourself
    + Realistic firefights, you take a lot of damage from bullets etc and the game actually feels challenging as opposed to other open world games
    + Great characters, but not paticularly Aiden (Jordi Chin and Bedbug are the best)
    + Innovative Multiplayer - Kind of like the matrix. A player blends into your game, you don't even know they're there then POOF! they're gone. Along with some of your money. And XP.

    The Grays:
    x Cover system - Not the best system ever, but certainly not game-breaking
    x Hacking is very useful at times but somewhat feels like a gimmick to be brutally honest and is not always viable in gunfights or car chases. Fun to play with though... for a while
    x Progression System - Had a lot more potential, but was let down by not enough unlockable perks in the hacking and combat tree
    x Hacking minigames - More potential, quite boring to be honest and only give you a tiny litlte kick when you get them right after hacking a billion cameras and unlocking hundreds of doors only to get a few minigames as a bonus for unlocking a ctOS station.

    The Cons:
    - The gunplay is barely above average and feels somewhat clunky
    - The story is uninspired - I was expecting a deep, rich story which roped me in, just to find that I was let-down with a hard to understand (at some points) and unevenly paced story branch
    - THE PERFORMANCE!!!!!!!!! I can run the game on Ultra with about 36-50 fps on average but there is TERRIBLE stuttering which usually comes when I'm skyping, the game hasn't been patched since day one, this is the REAL game breaker for me and so many others. Fix your damn game Ubisoft
    - UPlay. This uninspired piece of crap almost ruins the whole experience.

    Verdict: Without the performance issues and UPlay, this would get a 9/10 but I'm going to drop it down to 8/10. The game deserves a chance which most will not give it - hating on it simply "because". The game is great, go get it *IF YOU CAN RUN IT* or wait until the price drops/the game is patched.    … Expand
  62. tranxhdr
    Jun 5, 2014
    8
    Wow, so much bashing and negative reviews. I wonder how many are fake accounts??? Anyhow, Watch Dogs has its flaws just like any game but it is still fun. As you can expect with an open world, sandbox game Watch Dogs pretty much delivers an entertaining value. Given it's not good as GTA5, Watch Dogs stands its own ground. The hacking around the city gives its uniqueness and somewhat of aWow, so much bashing and negative reviews. I wonder how many are fake accounts??? Anyhow, Watch Dogs has its flaws just like any game but it is still fun. As you can expect with an open world, sandbox game Watch Dogs pretty much delivers an entertaining value. Given it's not good as GTA5, Watch Dogs stands its own ground. The hacking around the city gives its uniqueness and somewhat of a freshness in this genre. The graphics aren't the best but it is still good with a little hiccups now and then. Nothing a patch can work out.… Expand
  63. Frag_Maniac
    Jun 7, 2014
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Unique and engaging story, with somewhat contrived and repetitious yet immersive gameplay. There are many objects to hack and many skills that are easily unlocked via playing vs grinding. At first glance the many items you can manipulate feel uninteresting and samey, but they do often offer great exploration, distractions, weapons and even vantage points with which to do battle. There are many missions which involve brutal combat for a game that at first seems largely stealth oriented. It scales well in brutality as you amass more weapons and progress through the game though. It also has a nice suppression system whereby the player is shaken and can't aim as well when being shot, which keeps you on your toes as far as cover and tactics. In this sense it never loses it's stealth feel even in tough battles.

    This is a game with LOTS of driving though, and it can be a pain or a pleasure depending what vehicle you're using, what mission you're on, and what system and spec you're playing on. There's lots of hacking puzzles that use 2 and 3 way intersection icons on a grid you must align to allow the source current to open up connections one by one. Some are timed, and some are just complex by design. The graphics are a mix of very good and mediocre depending on time of day, area of the map and of course system played on. In general night time and anything with sunrise or sunset looks very good. Optimization is hit and miss, with driving being the worst offender. They've acknowledged it and are working on a patch though.

    WD is often compared to GTA, but it doesn't really play like the typical GTA. Besides a huge difference in stories, the hack puzzles and hackable objects while driving, ctOS scans that search for you, and the protag being a vigilante avenging his niece vs a glorified gang banger, it makes for quite a difference in the feel and focus of the game. It also has more replay value, with many difficulty modes. It as well has many mini games, but I find many of them aren't nearly as real world as those in GTA. Instead of bowling, darts, bike riding, etc, you'll often be engaging in very retro arcade silliness, like shooting cartoon-like floating aliens, chasing after glowing cash icons, etc. Yeah they'll throw chess at you as well, but rather than an actual game it's a scenario where you simply have to take X number of pieces in so many moves, which isn't that hard really. Side events are many but could be thought out better. My fave side mission is the finding of several weapon crates, culminating in an epic mission to take on waves of enemies with some elite weapons. Solving DedSec's QR puzzles was also very good, but I found it's final mission a bit aggravating. The main campaign's final mission can also be annoying and even confusing.

    The biggest annoyance of this game though is the spotty vehicle handling, which is exacerbated by poor performance on PC while driving. For that reason alone I was going to rate it 7.5/10, but you can only rate in whole numbers here. They HAVE acknowledged the bad performance on PC though and are said to be working on a patch. Even WITH the spotty handling, if the patch significantly improves system performance while driving, I will bump my rating to 8.5/10, or 9 I guess since their rating system here isn't too detailed.    … Expand
  64. impu15e
    Jun 8, 2014
    8
    Watch_dogs is without a d doubt is not the game we saw at E3 it does not look as nice and it is missing a lot of the features you saw during the E3 game play trailers BUT i am not one to score a game on what it was supposed or what we were believed it to be and i think everyone should stop judging it that way. I am one to judge on what it is, and Watch dogs is a Great Game. I wasWatch_dogs is without a d doubt is not the game we saw at E3 it does not look as nice and it is missing a lot of the features you saw during the E3 game play trailers BUT i am not one to score a game on what it was supposed or what we were believed it to be and i think everyone should stop judging it that way. I am one to judge on what it is, and Watch dogs is a Great Game. I was originally disappointed by the dumed down graphics but when i actually look at what they looked like at E3 its not that far off, the only wig difference are the lack of Wind effects and the NPC face textures The Gun play is Fun, the Driving although it takes a long time to get used to is extremely fun once you do get the hang of it. People keep saying that Aiden is a uninteresting Main character and it was hard for them to sympathize or feel connected to his character but i personally did not have that trouble but that's just me. all the other characters were interesting and i really felt for them. The story is pretty good, not great but still pretty good, with interesting Villains. All this is coming from someone who has been Hyped since the First trailer and you don't see me giving it a 10/10 or a 0/10 for that matter i tryed to keep a cool head and take everything into account and give it what it really deserves.… Expand
  65. nsonkusre
    Jun 12, 2014
    8
    negative ratings are because of uplay glitch and users hardware..
    i have gtx 660 n a i5.. it still hangs sometime but not always. and when it hangs it becomes very difficult to drive via keyboard.
    i didn't play gta5 but i can say that its graphics are way better than gta4 pc. side missions are fun not like saints row **** its an addictive game like vice city PS: it is one the best    negative ratings are because of uplay glitch and users hardware..
    i have gtx 660 n a i5.. it still hangs sometime but not always. and when it hangs it becomes very difficult to drive via keyboard.
    i didn't play gta5 but i can say that its graphics are way better than gta4 pc.
    side missions are fun not like saints row ****
    its an addictive game like vice city
    PS: it is one the best game that i have ever played.    … Expand
  66. dysmondo
    Jun 25, 2014
    8
    STOP GIVING IT 0s(sorry, normal people that was for the MILLIONS OF PEOPLE with MULTIPLE ACCOUNTS that only give ONE REVIEW, usually a 0/10)anyway, I enjoyed it, the police call system was a nice touch, and the city felt alive. The stealth and combat were good, and i enjoyed the hacking for what it was. No, it wasn't what was promised, but i had a lot of fun with it, and that's what really matters
  67. sokishi
    Jun 26, 2014
    8
    With Watch Dogs you have so many reviews each saying that they had bugs and graphical issues and problems with uplay. In my own experience with this game, it started off rather badly I couldn't update uplay like the rest of the masses however I kept trying again and again until finally I managed to get into the game, Firstly the game does have bugs; graphical pop outs and weird texturesWith Watch Dogs you have so many reviews each saying that they had bugs and graphical issues and problems with uplay. In my own experience with this game, it started off rather badly I couldn't update uplay like the rest of the masses however I kept trying again and again until finally I managed to get into the game, Firstly the game does have bugs; graphical pop outs and weird textures materializing from nowhere. The story is not bad but nothing special. I managed to finish the game in a few days so in terms of campaign content there 20+ hours in there, What I enjoyed most was the free roam; There are so many things that are destructible in this game as well as a good amount of cars to choose from. I felt that I could waste away hours just fooling around.

    Pro (IMO)
    : Decent Graphics + Physics
    - Good Amount of side content
    - Rather Enjoyable game play
    - Awesome Free-roam

    Cons (IMO)
    - The UPLAY experience
    - Texture pop ins
    - Mediocre Story

    In my honest opinion I feel that this game deserves way more than the 3-5 people have been giving it as I enjoyed it to a good extent so I will be giving it a 8/10 :)    … Expand
  68. runner
    Apr 16, 2020
    8
    After having received this for free when Ubisoft gave it away, and quite some time after release, I do believe Watch Dogs is great. It is also horrible, in some ways. But all in all, it is great - with the main problem being that, at the time of release - Ubisoft has promised some kind of gaming revolution but all we got was another title of the worrying franchise "Hey Look We've Made AnAfter having received this for free when Ubisoft gave it away, and quite some time after release, I do believe Watch Dogs is great. It is also horrible, in some ways. But all in all, it is great - with the main problem being that, at the time of release - Ubisoft has promised some kind of gaming revolution but all we got was another title of the worrying franchise "Hey Look We've Made An Open World".

    And though it seems the game was panned partially due to the serious antagonist and somewhat grim storyline, I actually found it to be one of the strong points of the game.
    I liked the main narrative and the dynamics between the characters, the opening was well crafted to get you into the atmosphere and there were some pretty well built moments throughout the rest of the game as well, Unfortunately, they were very few.

    Watch Dogs obviously *TRIED* to put more effort into the "open-world" theme with "tons" of side missions and collectibles. While I felt enthusiast at first and was keen to get to 100% completion, by the end of the first act (out of 5!) I started to grow tired of the side missions which are essentially all quite the same. Drive car from point X to Y, go kill some criminal gang or interfere a convoy. There was just way too much of it.
    And on top of it, driving control was quite awful - and while eventually I got used to it, and I admit - the police chases actually didn't get old for me for one second, there's no denying this was not the strong part of the game.

    A bit sad, because the final result is a game which feels like it's trying to be some Assassins Creed and GTA in one game instead of trying to be something new and original.

    And again, the game is *NOT BAD* and I ended up enjoying most of it, it was challenging just enough, not feeling impossible to complete, and at most of the missions there's some freedom to choose the 'stealthy' approach vs. the 'just kill everyone' approach, which I liked.

    Bottom line is - With its current content, I feel this game would have been better if it was more story-driven and had a more-than-solid 10-15 hours campaign, instead of ~40-80 hours filled of the same stuff over and over.
    Would have given 7 out of 10, but I really feel this game certainly doesn't deserve the low users' score it currently has. +1 for that!    … Expand
  69. OHIC
    Jul 17, 2014
    8
    You'll have heard a lot of negativity about this game. Personally, I expected little but was very pleasantly surprised. I strongly advise you to avoid guns as much as possible to get the best out of the gameplay. If a bad story upsets you, by all means avoid this game because the story and characters are not good. If, however, you're happy as long as you feel engaged by the immediateYou'll have heard a lot of negativity about this game. Personally, I expected little but was very pleasantly surprised. I strongly advise you to avoid guns as much as possible to get the best out of the gameplay. If a bad story upsets you, by all means avoid this game because the story and characters are not good. If, however, you're happy as long as you feel engaged by the immediate situation of the mission you're playing at that moment, you'll be fine. Frankly, I find it a bit strange to knock WD on story as if games are a medium that excel in telling stories - after 40 years, there's still a long way to go - and given the number of games with AI that simply hides behind walls and plays Whack-A-Mole, the AI is a lot better than it's been given credit for by some. The AI will flank, it'll try and bring you out of cover with grenades, and that's a lot more than can be said for many open world games.… Expand
  70. behi8303
    Nov 11, 2014
    8
    Gameplay (of 10) : 8
    Story (of 10) : 7
    Graphic (of 10) : 8
    Sound (of 10) : 7

    Total : 7.6 / 10

    Total score is weighted average of four factors, respectively Gameplay, Story, Graphic, Sound.
  71. berkeyen_1234
    Sep 6, 2014
    8
    This game is not great but good. I love it. Hacking is so fun, mini games are so good, multiplayer is so fun but the singleplayer is not enough. İf the graphics were be better that game is will be awesome ı think
  72. Arno20
    Sep 10, 2014
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. بازیش خوب بود
    ولی ای کاش
    یوبی انقدر هایپ نمیکرد
    من به نسخه های بعدی خیلی امیدوارم چون تجربه یوبیسافت زیاد میشه و میتونیم شاهد وا داگز فوق العاده بود    … Expand
  73. casualgamer11
    Jun 28, 2015
    8
    I have got to admit; I've played this through a couple of times on pc and ps4 (pc version better IMHO (graphics etc)) and I really like it. The story and characters are really good contrary to what many people say in these reviews. Sure the car mechanics vs something like GTA aren't great but the novel gameplay mechanics (hacking), mission structure, large open world, complex NPCs areI have got to admit; I've played this through a couple of times on pc and ps4 (pc version better IMHO (graphics etc)) and I really like it. The story and characters are really good contrary to what many people say in these reviews. Sure the car mechanics vs something like GTA aren't great but the novel gameplay mechanics (hacking), mission structure, large open world, complex NPCs are really very accomplished. I'm not normally a fan of ubisoft games which often lack substance but this I really enjoyed. The highlight for me is the dark story of vengeance which isn't clichéd and is really quite though provoking and mature. I think this game has ultimately suffered from unrealised hype pre release otherwise I think generally the review scores would be higher. I would definitely recommend giving this a go; you might like me be pleasantly surprised… Expand
  74. Costs1129
    Nov 2, 2014
    8
    This game gets a bad rap because of the hype around it. I was lucky enough to miss all the hype and play the game for what it is. All around a solid game. I will definitely play any sequals (though none of the DLC, because I feel I have played Chicago out).
  75. Nylysius
    Sep 29, 2014
    8
    At first I did not like this game, that is because the amount of hype behind it was so massive that it made the game look like toilet on release. After two and a half months without playing I decided to launch it up again, thinking with a clear head, I finished the game in one marathon sitting, and I rather enjoyed it. If you bought this game on release and did not like it then I adviseAt first I did not like this game, that is because the amount of hype behind it was so massive that it made the game look like toilet on release. After two and a half months without playing I decided to launch it up again, thinking with a clear head, I finished the game in one marathon sitting, and I rather enjoyed it. If you bought this game on release and did not like it then I advise playing it again with a clear head. You might enjoy it.… Expand
  76. LifeHistory
    Apr 20, 2017
    8
    Good game with new mechanics and ideas and the game comes with good animations and a beautiful detailed world. The shooting is very solid and well done. The downside is that the story is dull and they did not use the full potential of the idea of hacking and stuff.

    I was looking forward to Watch Dogs 2 and then they F*cked it up by a trashy hip hop character. Like what the hell were    Good game with new mechanics and ideas and the game comes with good animations and a beautiful detailed world. The shooting is very solid and well done. The downside is that the story is dull and they did not use the full potential of the idea of hacking and stuff.

    I was looking forward to Watch Dogs 2 and then they F*cked it up by a trashy hip hop character. Like what the hell were stupid Ubisoft thinking for real...    … Expand
  77. Cech
    May 16, 2017
    8
    Смотри_Собаки™ самая недооценённая игра 2014 года с мощным сюжетом

    Визуальный ряд С самой лучшей и красивой картинкой того времени. Что в ней особого кроме великолепных пейзажей? Город. Во всём игрострое город умеют делать только в Ubi и это неоспоримо. Ни одна игра (кр. других игр Юбиков) не может этим похвастать. Город самый, что ни есть живой, по улицам ходят толпы, многие люде не    Смотри_Собаки™ самая недооценённая игра 2014 года с мощным сюжетом

    Визуальный ряд
    С самой лучшей и красивой картинкой того времени. Что в ней особого кроме великолепных пейзажей? Город. Во всём игрострое город умеют делать только в Ubi и это неоспоримо. Ни одна игра (кр. других игр Юбиков) не может этим похвастать. Город самый, что ни есть живой, по улицам ходят толпы, многие люде не просто блуждают по улицам, а исполняют большое количество действий

    Авто
    Лучшее и самое реалистичное управление автомобилем во всех песочницах после гта 4. То, от чего я сгорал в гта тут было на высоком уровне, езда от 1го лица - сплошное удовольствие. В игре, в отличии от гта, когда руль повёрнут направо - машина поворачивает направо (невозможный прорыв для игр)

    Сюжет и миссии
    В нём есть один минус: главный герой не привлекает игрока, под конец начинаешь даже сопереживать ему, но он не цепляет. ИГРА РАЗГОНЯЕТСЯ МЕДЛЕННО, НО ОНА РАЗГОНЯЕТСЯ. Также под конец (несмотря на чекпоинты) миссии дают челлендж, иногда приходится припотеть, чего в той же гта не было.

    Геймплей
    Айфон 5s действительно делает геймплей непохожим на своих конкурентов (в остальном отличий нет), но мне не хватало воздушного транспорта и какого-никакого подобия догфайта в небе

    Музыка
    Кайф

    Великолепная игра, не знаю зачем многие разнылись из-за даунгрейда графики, которая всё также великолепна. В любом случае, не будь его - игра бы просто не пошла у большинства людей. Проблема в ней явная такова - она вряд ли заставит вас вернуться, чтобы перепройти, поэтому..

    ..7,5/10    … Expand
  78. PJChem
    Oct 4, 2015
    8
    Great game, love it :) Funny but with so many bugs that sometimes is a little frustrating. It's a good ideia, with lots of funny things to do, the graphics are OK, and the gameplay os good.
  79. frhanhanif
    Jun 14, 2016
    8
    i dont know why people hated this game, its true ubisoft downgraded the graphic of this game (its very different from e3 demo trailer 2012). But, i must say the storyline and gameplay is quite good, not to mention watchdogs is also the first to introduce open world game that focused on the hacker or hacking. yes this game has flaws, but i think is too extreme to give this game negativei dont know why people hated this game, its true ubisoft downgraded the graphic of this game (its very different from e3 demo trailer 2012). But, i must say the storyline and gameplay is quite good, not to mention watchdogs is also the first to introduce open world game that focused on the hacker or hacking. yes this game has flaws, but i think is too extreme to give this game negative review. its not the best game, but the game is quite fun… Expand
  80. mugsy
    Dec 24, 2020
    8
    What's with the hate on this game? It has great atmosphere, good story, alive and detailed open world, good graphics and gameplay. Sure, it's not the best game ever but very enjoyable experience overall.
  81. Mobile
    Dec 3, 2017
    8
    ENG
    The same game that has sparked interest in its approach in the trailer at e3 and then a huge stream of indignation at the inconsistency of the graphics, well deserved. But do not forget that each trailer is pre renderer and nothing can be done. Another thing is when in the end the game turns out not so miserable as was shown in the trailer, then the perturbations originate. I played    ENG
    The same game that has sparked interest in its approach in the trailer at e3 and then a huge stream of indignation at the inconsistency of the graphics, well deserved. But do not forget that each trailer is pre renderer and nothing can be done. Another thing is when in the end the game turns out not so miserable as was shown in the trailer, then the perturbations originate. I played only this year and it's pretty nice to play. though the dialogue is not brilliant, but not poor. Up to this point I like many believed this game, a pass or worse. But I was pleasantly surprised how the game was interesting and quite pleasant. Of the minuses can highlight the complete lack of songs on the radio, listening was nothing special and the selection of songs, very very bad, although the points in some missions with the ambient pleased. I would like to see more positive characters of the events, a bit of humor, and it turned out that the game is straight serious, even in side quests, especially not laugh. The developers have tried, the world looks alive, it has something to do, even just to go and to consider the surroundings were pleasant. As for the design, and all of the same game that I quite liked, it was nice to see a picture, and if the dialogue is in the trailer, then all that would've been sweet. All the time I was comparing the game with GTA V and quite often understood that looking dogs I prefer from a visual point of view, to recall gray and rich in GTA V (with SweetFx) the game is changing, but if you play vanilla version, all pale like that (always I was surprised) why I can made the picture brighter.In General, it was a pleasure to be in the game Chicago, hack everything you can with the help of mobile phones, artfully evade pursuit, blocking the way.
    RU
    Та самая игра которая вызвала интерес своим подходом в трейлере на e3, а потом огромный поток возмущения по поводу несоответствие графики, вполне заслуженный. Но не будем забывать что каждый трейлер является пре рендером и тут ничего не поделаешь. Другое дело когда в итоге игра получается не настолько убога как была показана в трейлере, тогда и возмущения исходят на нет. Я поиграл лишь в этом году и мне вполне было приятно играть. хоть графон и не блистательный, но и не убогий. До этого момента я как и многие считал эту игру, проходной или того хуже. Но я был приятно удивлен насколько игра оказалась интересной и вполне приятной. Из минусов могу выделить, полное отсутствие песен по радио, слушать было особо нечего да и подборка песен, совсем уж неудачная, хотя моменты в некоторым миссиях с эмбиентом порадовали. Хотелось бы увидеть больше положительных персонажей событий, толику юмора, а то получилось так, что игра прям серьезная, даже в побочных заданиях особо не посмеешься. Разработчики постарались, мир выглядит живым, в нем есть чем заняться, даже просто покататься и по рассматривать окрестности оказалось приятным делом. Что касается дизайна, и все такого же графона, то мне вполне пришлось по душе, было приятно наблюдать картинку, а уж если бы графон как в трейлере, то вообще выла бы конфетка. Все время я сравнивал игру с GTA V и довольно часто понимал, что смотрящие псы мне больше нравятся с визуальной точки зрения, вспомнить хотя бы серую и не насыщенную GTA V (с SweetFx) игра преображается, но вот если играть в ванильную версию, то все как то блекло. В общем было приятно находится в игровом Чикаго, взламывать все что можно с помощью мобилы, искусно уходить от погони, преграждая пути.    … Expand
  82. RustyCoin
    Dec 21, 2018
    8
    This game has something that keeps me playing it. By no means it's perfect or even a great game but damn, it's definitely worth a try, there lots of content in it, lots of side missions and secondary activities.

    Pros: Decent story with some good, memorable characters. Great and beautifully looking environment physics. Good open world map, many side missions. Lots of different    This game has something that keeps me playing it. By no means it's perfect or even a great game but damn, it's definitely worth a try, there lots of content in it, lots of side missions and secondary activities.

    Pros:
    Decent story with some good, memorable characters.
    Great and beautifully looking environment physics.
    Good open world map, many side missions.
    Lots of different gadgets and weapons - from pistols to granade launchers.
    Hacking's really fun in game.
    Stealth method during missions is super fun and exciting.

    Cons:

    For a 2014 game graphics looks terrible, especially foliage.
    Dumb AI sometimes makes you feel frustrated.
    Still quite a lot of small bugs even after all the updates.
    Terrible vehicle handling. It's almost impossible to drive without wrecking something in the way.

    I don't think this game is worth 30/50 euros (depending on edition) but I would definitely recommend getting it on sale. There's a lot of ways to complete your missions, you can either go head-on or do it the stealthy way and all of the gadgets makes it even more fun.    … Expand
  83. Kotofon
    Feb 23, 2022
    8
    Симулятор хакинга в мире экшн-боевика от третьего лица — Watch Dogs — это идеальная история про человека, по имени Эйден Пирс, который попытался остановить правительственную систему ctOS. Внутри этой операционной системы есть вся информация о каждом жителе города, о событиях внутри штатов, переписках людей и всё, что может быть интересно правительству. Объединенная группа хакеров решилаСимулятор хакинга в мире экшн-боевика от третьего лица — Watch Dogs — это идеальная история про человека, по имени Эйден Пирс, который попытался остановить правительственную систему ctOS. Внутри этой операционной системы есть вся информация о каждом жителе города, о событиях внутри штатов, переписках людей и всё, что может быть интересно правительству. Объединенная группа хакеров решила положить этому конец, дабы освободить людей от оков, но сюжет поворачивается в другую сторону.… Expand
  84. arthur_veber
    May 20, 2019
    8
    4.8 user score? Really? I completed this game on pc and... well it's not the game of the year or the best-game-of-all-time but it's very enjoyable open world action game.
  85. Jhon_Milton
    Jun 17, 2019
    8
    Мне эта игра понравилась!! Атмосфера, гемплей, графика..... То, что в смотри собаках плохо, так это-управление машинами (Многим игра не понравилась, т.к. у нее, дескать, слюнтяйский сюжет)
  86. Nameless2131
    Feb 6, 2020
    8
    10/10 ----------------------------------------------------------------------
  87. Shimmeywill
    Feb 26, 2020
    8
    Gameplay and story is lacklustre. However, the interpretation of Chicago is gorgeous and it is fun to just wander around and appreciate the architecture.
  88. Emirhantheacer
    Apr 28, 2020
    8
    Looking Good. And god damn good. Story Is Brilliant Graphics are Brilliant Gameplay is brilliant. But the optimization and car physics is just messed up. uhhh whatever. This game is awesome. thats what i want to say guys. dont worry if you're have a good system. Launch this game on ya' PC. Enjoy
  89. ProfAmateur
    Mar 11, 2021
    8
    + Viel Content (Story, Nebenmissionen, Minispiele)
    + Story wird gut erzählt (richtige Menge an Cutscenes)
    + Parcour- und Rätselelemente + Sound und deutsche Synrchonisation sehr gelungen + Hervorragende Abwechslung zwischen Stealth- und Action + Grosse Open-World Chicago - Speichern mühsam, bei längeren Missionen kann nicht zwischengespeichert werden, autosaves sind selten, dann muss    + Viel Content (Story, Nebenmissionen, Minispiele)
    + Story wird gut erzählt (richtige Menge an Cutscenes)
    + Parcour- und Rätselelemente
    + Sound und deutsche Synrchonisation sehr gelungen
    + Hervorragende Abwechslung zwischen Stealth- und Action
    + Grosse Open-World Chicago
    - Speichern mühsam, bei längeren Missionen kann nicht zwischengespeichert werden, autosaves sind selten, dann muss man immer von vorne anfangen
    - Alles was man hacken kann, wird auf dem Bildschirm angezeigt. Da es so viele Pop-ups sind, fühlt es sich als störend als Spam an.
    - Einige Grafikfehler, Gewitter sieht aus wie Bildschirmflackern, Mantel flattert wild herum
    - Einstellungen werden nicht richtig erkannt, bei Grafik-Einstellungen stürzt PC ab
    - Einige Bugs

    __

    + Lot of content (story, side missions, mini-games)
    + Story is well told (right amount of cutscenes)
    + Parcour and puzzle elements
    + Sound and German synchonization very well done
    + Excellent alternation between stealth and action
    + Large open-world Chicago
    - Saving tedious, in longer missions can not be cached, autosaves are rare, then you always have to start from beginning
    - Everything you can hack is displayed on the screen. Since there are so many pop-ups, it feels annoying like spam.
    - Some graphics bugs, thunderstorm looks like screen flicker, coat flutters around wildly
    - Settings are not recognized properly, PC crashes on graphics settings
    - Some bugs    … Expand
  90. siki
    Jul 24, 2020
    8
    the story and idea is great but optimizing for pc is not very good here and there some bugs
  91. bar0yka
    Dec 20, 2022
    8
    hikayesi güzel grafikler güzel oynanış güzel ama yine büyük eksiklikler hissettiren bir oyun. Ona rağmen 8 puan man
  92. JamesHarvey
    Feb 28, 2021
    8
    The game is very good, the problem was ubisoft promising something that didn't make sense, surreal graphics and other things, but still I think the graphics of this game are very beautiful, the game's hacking system is inferior compared to the successor, but it is still a lot of fun ... for me the story is the strongest point of the game, it is worthy of a movie ... Aiden Pearce is a greatThe game is very good, the problem was ubisoft promising something that didn't make sense, surreal graphics and other things, but still I think the graphics of this game are very beautiful, the game's hacking system is inferior compared to the successor, but it is still a lot of fun ... for me the story is the strongest point of the game, it is worthy of a movie ... Aiden Pearce is a great protagonist and has beside him several cool supporting characters like T-Bone, Clara or even Jordy ... I particularly find it easier to drive on watchdogs 1 than on watchdogs 2… Expand
  93. kndr
    May 18, 2021
    8
    I love person of interest and this is the closest it can get.

    Story and characters are good. They don't feel cringe like in wd2 or legion. Hacking is not that deep but it is still nice. Controlling a security camera to locate enemies, changing lights to slow down cops, causing blackout to escape. Gunfights are great. Activating focus, throwing some grenades and watching your    I love person of interest and this is the closest it can get.

    Story and characters are good. They don't feel cringe like in wd2 or legion.

    Hacking is not that deep but it is still nice. Controlling a security camera to locate enemies, changing lights to slow down cops, causing blackout to escape.

    Gunfights are great. Activating focus, throwing some grenades and watching your enemies fly makes you feel like a badass. Just remember cool guys don't look at explosions.

    Car handling is really bad. Very rarely it works but mostly unberable. You keep hitting every object and npc in your way.

    Digital trips. Especially alone and conspiracy is really great. Alone focus on survival and conspiracy on finding targets. It is really interesting concept.

    There should have been weapon customization.

    Walking while raining feels so good.

    This is the best and only watch dogs in my eyes.    … Expand
  94. xlukey
    May 25, 2021
    8
    It is not a game that you will play over and over again. Due to its bad storyline you will probably complete it and not run again for months. If you ignore it, you will give yourself some pretty good time. Gameplay is not perfect (in some places is even worse than storyline) but it is definitely a very playable game.
  95. Woolee
    Sep 29, 2021
    8
    Basically it got hate because it didn't look like E3 trailer and that's fair, but i never saw that E3 trailer, maybe i'm lucky, but i wasn't even waiting for this game. In fact first time i heard about this game was the day it released lol. So basically i had no idea what this game even was and i found out it's open wo
  96. AgentLvi
    Dec 27, 2022
    8
    Great game. The story is decent. The scoring is great, visual is really amazing, the voice & sound is also amazing
  97. JakeFoxUwU
    Jan 22, 2022
    8
    Не сказал бы, что согласен с большинством критикующих эту игру. Да, сюжет не огонь, но атмосфера хороша (её бы к сюжету второй части).
  98. DreamOfHero
    Apr 3, 2023
    8
    Watch Dogs is a game that still has a lot to offer even today, despite the fact that the main character may seem a bit stiff. While you're busy hacking into other characters' houses or phones, you can't help but wonder how Ubisoft managed to predict certain social trends with such precision, like the No-Vax grandma on "Tutte" or the onlyfanser/tiktoker taking selfies in front of a car inWatch Dogs is a game that still has a lot to offer even today, despite the fact that the main character may seem a bit stiff. While you're busy hacking into other characters' houses or phones, you can't help but wonder how Ubisoft managed to predict certain social trends with such precision, like the No-Vax grandma on "Tutte" or the onlyfanser/tiktoker taking selfies in front of a car in the garage. Additionally, the phone call about a girl, her hair, and a bird will forever be etched in my mind, making me wonder just how deviant the developers at Ubisoft must be.

    However, there are a few flaws worth mentioning. For example, there's no option to completely disable aim assist, which can make the gaming experience feel a bit too assisted, even when set to the minimum level. Furthermore, I had to drop the game due to the only mandatory drinking game in the main quest (Act 3). Unfortunately, it's not possible to customize the keys for mini-games, which put me in a difficult situation, especially considering my handicap that prevents me from using my left hand. Despite my two-hour effort to find a solution, I couldn't resolve the problem and had to abandon the game.

    In summary, Watch Dogs is a fantastic game, but it's a shame that certain technical limitations prevented me from fully enjoying the gaming experience.    … Expand
  99. Kuzya_Zeleniy
    Sep 26, 2022
    8
    An underrated game. Ubisoft promised players so much that everyone expected the game to be no worse than GTA V. But it turned out not at all what they expected.
    The graphics that were shown in the trailer were exactly the same in the release of the game. Although the graph still turned out to be good.
    Also, many did not like the main character. Everyone said he had no character. The    An underrated game. Ubisoft promised players so much that everyone expected the game to be no worse than GTA V. But it turned out not at all what they expected.
    The graphics that were shown in the trailer were exactly the same in the release of the game. Although the graph still turned out to be good.
    Also, many did not like the main character. Everyone said he had no character.
    The plot is generally not bad. Although everything looks banal. Throughout the game, we want to avenge the death of our niece.
    This game had good prospects, but in many ways it did not fulfill them.
    But overall I liked the game! Everyone expected a masterpiece, but it turned out to be just a good game.    … Expand
  100. AwAtF
    Mar 13, 2022
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Personally, I think this game its overrated. The story shows to you a criminal who lost her sister-in-law, the only person who was happy with him. For his fault, Maurice killed her, and Aiden thinks that the only way to redeem is the revenge. But thats a big mistake. He tries to kill maurice, a few days, her sister gets kidnapped and he tries to go after damien, but hes does criminal things. After a while, he mets clara lile, her helper, after, he meet T-Bone, unfortunately, he starts to loose, things at the end of the because his obsession to kill damien, he loses clara, she is killed; he loses his family because they don't wanna be on risk, he loose his dignity and finally, when he kills damien, he kills his friend, jordi-chin. I personally think that the story represents how bad is the revenge, and how a criminal, usually can't become good person. Honestly, i hate the end because jordi-cin for no reason is still alive, but the story is breaking-down, you feel bad for the characters around Aiden pearce. The graphics are generic, in 2014 were good, but nowadays, i recommend to put graphical mods because some moments growned very bad at the time. The world is interesting, has some interesting activities but are very short and its easy to get the final trophie (platinum, in ps4, for example). The gameplay its very good, and the car persecutions are spectacular, with all of the hacks and slow motion, the final boss its very original, because you needd to drive around the city escaping and trying to go places wich in a short time, get hacked. The atmposhere is good, and dark. The game has a lots of bugs. Good performance. I recommend it, but only for 30$… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

2
#2 Most Discussed PC Game of 2014
20
#20 Most Shared PC Game of 2014

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
77

Generally favorable reviews - based on 18 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 18
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 18
  3. Negative: 0 out of 18
  1. Pelit (Finland)
    Sep 3, 2014
    79
    Ubisoft's flagship title has a really, really repulsive protagonist. The entire storyline feels like it was cranked out of a automated story generator. On the positive side, Watch Dogs looks really good on PC, especially after modding the graphics to match the visual splendor of the early E3 demos. [Aug 2014]
  2. PC PowerPlay
    Jun 29, 2014
    70
    There are some strong gameplay elements in Watch Dogs, but overall it's merely an adequate open world game. [July 2014, p.46]
  3. GameCritics
    Jun 23, 2014
    80
    Nothing could have realistically lived up to the immense level of hype that Ubisoft stirred up for this game, and while I value strong narratives and envelope-pushing technological advancements, I place just as much importance in the ability to enjoy the gameplay that's being offered to me. Watch Dogs is one of the more exciting sandbox games of the last few years, and if this is to become Ubisoft's next big franchise, I'm excited to see where they take it.
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