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. RamdodgewaspYT
    Jun 18, 2014
    10
    Wonderful Game 10/10, Yeah I had some problems on first day, but I'm not a idiot so I got past it, the game is fun sure unrealistic but do you wish to wait days to hack something? Of course not and if you pay attention for once in your life the recommended and minimum does say Nvidia but I have met people who say with AMD they still get by. Overall graphics are beautiful, Uplay works, A.I.Wonderful Game 10/10, Yeah I had some problems on first day, but I'm not a idiot so I got past it, the game is fun sure unrealistic but do you wish to wait days to hack something? Of course not and if you pay attention for once in your life the recommended and minimum does say Nvidia but I have met people who say with AMD they still get by. Overall graphics are beautiful, Uplay works, A.I. isn't too stupid or too smart, the physics are fine the way they are, the campaign and side quest are fun, and the little easter eggs are funny as ever!… Expand
  2. palipr
    Jun 18, 2014
    0
    Enjoyable game-play but extremely dumbed-down! You have a lot of 1 button hacking and connecting a few pipes here and there to look forward to in this game. Things went really downhill about 15 hours into the game when all of a sudden I could no longer load my game. Check the Ubisoft forum, the thread has 298 pages of posts from all platforms! I haven't been able to play this $70 gameEnjoyable game-play but extremely dumbed-down! You have a lot of 1 button hacking and connecting a few pipes here and there to look forward to in this game. Things went really downhill about 15 hours into the game when all of a sudden I could no longer load my game. Check the Ubisoft forum, the thread has 298 pages of posts from all platforms! I haven't been able to play this $70 game (deluxe whatever edition) for over two weeks!!! TWO WEEKS! The only "fix" is to start over! Honestly by now I would have started over but I don't have any guarantee that the same thing wont happen again!

    I plan on finishing the game (whenever they get around to fixing it) to hopefully get my monies worth out of it and I will never be buying another Ubisoft game on launch again...    … Expand
  3. Apac
    Jun 18, 2014
    0
    This Game îs a LIE. The PC version has been downgraded (Bad graphics, teribble controls etc.)
    so it looks worse and makes the console users think their console worth buying.
    The E3 graphics can be unlocked (search theworsemod on Google) thing with makes it look better , but dosen't improve the overall performance. I would strongly recommend not to buy this game because you will be    This Game îs a LIE. The PC version has been downgraded (Bad graphics, teribble controls etc.)
    so it looks worse and makes the console users think their console worth buying.
    The E3 graphics can be unlocked (search theworsemod on Google)
    thing with makes it look better , but dosen't improve the overall performance.
    I would strongly recommend not to buy this game because you will be giving money away two big liers,
    Sony and Ubisoft, who made a deal to downgrade the PC version( the PS4 version has extra content and
    the Watchdogs movie will be made by Sony Pictures).
    I think the ALL the critics wich rote the Metascores review WERE bribed!    … Expand
  4. CYB34
    Jun 18, 2014
    0
    I completely regret buying this game.

    For a 2014, single player TPS: - Awful camera movement - Awful driving physics and animations. - Awful shaders during daytime - No sense of acomplishment, reward or progress - Dull story and characters - Replayability 0 - Uninstalled after a few hours. Graphics and animations... they're a must for new games. Nothing impressive there.    I completely regret buying this game.

    For a 2014, single player TPS:

    - Awful camera movement
    - Awful driving physics and animations.
    - Awful shaders during daytime
    - No sense of acomplishment, reward or progress
    - Dull story and characters
    - Replayability 0
    - Uninstalled after a few hours.

    Graphics and animations... they're a must for new games. Nothing impressive there.

    I know it's rough, but I'm really disappointed, I was expecting much more. I'd rather start over GTA 4 than try to finish this game.    … Expand
  5. 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
  6. 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.
  7. Natejka7273
    Jun 17, 2014
    0
    Game literally has to be hacked to play correctly. You know you're looking at a disturbingly unethical company when you can edit a few lines of code to make the game look better and run better. Use Far Cry 3's SLI profile, theworse's patch, and disable the page file to make the game play like it should rather than how Ubisoft wants to make "next-gen" consoles look good. Until UbisoftGame literally has to be hacked to play correctly. You know you're looking at a disturbingly unethical company when you can edit a few lines of code to make the game look better and run better. Use Far Cry 3's SLI profile, theworse's patch, and disable the page file to make the game play like it should rather than how Ubisoft wants to make "next-gen" consoles look good. Until Ubisoft changes its anti-PC strategies, I suggest avoiding future titles, even if you, like me, own a PS4/XOne.… Expand
  8. MyklR
    Jun 17, 2014
    5
    I don't understand the complaints about the graphics, this game has freaking outstanding graphics, but that's about where the awesome ends. Driving is crap, once you get moving in the car more than a few blocks, you start to stutter and pause for many seconds at a time and when you get unstuck, you find yourself in a tree or smashed into something else. One button hacking is boring, TheI don't understand the complaints about the graphics, this game has freaking outstanding graphics, but that's about where the awesome ends. Driving is crap, once you get moving in the car more than a few blocks, you start to stutter and pause for many seconds at a time and when you get unstuck, you find yourself in a tree or smashed into something else. One button hacking is boring, The whole "online" aspect of it, people just popping into your game randomly to screw with you is really a massive game killer for me.

    All in all, this game is all hype. Can be fun, wait for a 50% off or more sale to buy it. I got it for free so, I got my money's worth.    … Expand
  9. Valko
    Jun 16, 2014
    0
    Damn, it runs so **** on my AMD card and 4670k. Bad optimising, boring story and awesome promo company = 1 of 10 points. Good luck with Far cry 4, Ubi!
  10. ghost2512
    Jun 16, 2014
    9
    first off for those saying the visuals is a step down from E3 2012 it is true but can be made to achieve by using mods ..as for the game is pretty awesome .. one of the best new IPs out there . an interesting take on hacking . the only downside is the driving . it needs to be getting used to. other than that the story is good gameplay is fun.
  11. JKroni
    Jun 16, 2014
    9
    The user score for this game is ridiculous. I have to admit the game has A LOT of problems, but the biggest problem it has is the hype that built around it.
    First I'm going to talk about the problems I experienced with the game, then I will talk about graphics and finally I will tell you why I still like the game a whole lot.
    I had to deal with frequent crashes (a minimum of one in two    The user score for this game is ridiculous. I have to admit the game has A LOT of problems, but the biggest problem it has is the hype that built around it.
    First I'm going to talk about the problems I experienced with the game, then I will talk about graphics and finally I will tell you why I still like the game a whole lot.
    I had to deal with frequent crashes (a minimum of one in two hours), bad performance (running 680s sli), bad mouse and keyboard handling (played with my xbox controller after the first 5 minutes ingame) and finally a bug corrupted my save file and I had to start the game all over again. Also there were the Uplay problems on the release day that were really easy to avoid.
    The frequent crashes were annoying but I can live with that. Bad performance? Turn the settings down. Yes it's that easy. Playing with the controller was actually very nice after I got used to it. The corrupted save files really pissed me off but I really wanted to play that game and I was no that far into the game anyways.
    Now let's get to the graphics. Complaining about stupidly hyped graphics is ridiculous, especially if you own a crappy PC that is not even close to running high or even ultra settings. The game looks nice, you can't argue that. It is not the best looking game ever that's for sure but it plays in a very high league. The textures partially blew my mind because they are god-tier on ultra. You have to consider that Watch Dogs is an open world game, so uber graphics as you can see in Metro: Last Light for example (if you don't like the example just take one of the best looking games you personally know) are not possible in this setting because then performance would be even worse. Considering that Watch Dogs performs pretty okay, hopefully a future patch will make it even better.
    To round it all up, yes, the game has its problems but I had tons of fun playing it. It is far from perfect, definitely not the game of the year, but damn, it's fun!
    The hacking is fun because you just have to press a button (many people complained about that) because it keeps gameplay fluent. The minigames are fun. There is actually a lot of stuff to do in the city (I already have more than 20 hours ingame and I never got bored) and your actions affect the city a little bit. If you just randomly kill people and cause a blood bath on every corner of the street, people will notice you and call the police. If you are very nice the police won't even come after you because the citizens see you as a hero.
    My conclusion is the following: the hype really hurt the game, the game is far from perfect but it really is fun! Go buy this game ;)    … Expand
  12. Shahzaky
    Jun 16, 2014
    4
    As a port, the fact that they have all the common graphic options is good, but unfortunately the actual gameplay functionality is very "consolified". The wheel which selects gadgets are anything but good and the controls feels sluggish. The story is weak, The glitchy presentation becomes annoying really fast, the missions are boring and a lot of ideas are directly taken from the gtaAs a port, the fact that they have all the common graphic options is good, but unfortunately the actual gameplay functionality is very "consolified". The wheel which selects gadgets are anything but good and the controls feels sluggish. The story is weak, The glitchy presentation becomes annoying really fast, the missions are boring and a lot of ideas are directly taken from the gta series but most of them are not as well implemented as its rival. Police are non existent until someone gives them a call then the all appear from nowhere and start shooting headless. As others have mentioned, theres nothing to do in the city and I would much rather have the city size cut by half and make the remaining half come to life. I have nothing bad to say bout the graphics, I think its rather good though as we all know, its nothing like when the game was firstly announced. Watch Dogs is probably more likable on the console but its still a mishmash of mediocre stuff.… Expand
  13. Clean
    Jun 16, 2014
    10
    This game had sold 4 million units worldwide in the first week of launch. What does it mean? It means that Ubisoft is now the best developer in the world, and this game is the master of all games in the universe.

    While everyone is parsing how great this game is, unfortunately haters are pulling down the score of this game here. Accept the truth, recognize the master piece of design    This game had sold 4 million units worldwide in the first week of launch. What does it mean? It means that Ubisoft is now the best developer in the world, and this game is the master of all games in the universe.

    While everyone is parsing how great this game is, unfortunately haters are pulling down the score of this game here.

    Accept the truth, recognize the master piece of design from this game! Everyone, join me!    … Expand
  14. V1rTus
    Jun 16, 2014
    2
    The game came out quite crude and uninteresting. Ubisoft is nothing new except the towers can not think. In each game, stupid tower. How much can you? In Far Cry 4 again will probably tower. Stupid and miserable NPC control. In general, the game - dog ****
  15. Rothy
    Jun 16, 2014
    5
    I would go so far as to describe this game as average. There really doesn't appear to be anything special about it, which is disappointing given all the lead up and hype prior to the games launch.

    Some points that really annoyed me. The driving mechanic felt poor - more akin to driving the Mako from Mass Effect than driving a car in GTA. The hacking - I found the hacking more    I would go so far as to describe this game as average. There really doesn't appear to be anything special about it, which is disappointing given all the lead up and hype prior to the games launch.

    Some points that really annoyed me. The driving mechanic felt poor - more akin to driving the Mako from Mass Effect than driving a car in GTA. The hacking - I found the hacking more challenging in Assassins Creed 4 (A game about pirates) than in this game (a game about HACKING!). There's no attachment to the main character, he's dull, tedious and nothing feels like it has a flow about it - it's just awkward. Also having one button to do almost everything, all you need to do during a car chase or almost anything else if hold 'Q'.

    Dull.    … Expand
  16. 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.
  17. politon2k
    Jun 15, 2014
    6
    + Acceptable story. + Good gameplay. + Lot's of things to do. - Obvious downgrade, and Ubisoft still not recognize it. - NAT error 100% of the times i try to play online (and it's not my problem, because for the first two days i've played perfectly online. Tried all Ubisoft suggestions/solutions, none of them worked, loss of time). - After the credits, the game was not responding. I close+ Acceptable story. + Good gameplay. + Lot's of things to do. - Obvious downgrade, and Ubisoft still not recognize it. - NAT error 100% of the times i try to play online (and it's not my problem, because for the first two days i've played perfectly online. Tried all Ubisoft suggestions/solutions, none of them worked, loss of time). - After the credits, the game was not responding. I close Watch Dogs, reopen it to complete some secondary missions, and surprise: Now my save file is corrupted and the game is unable to load it (it freezes during the process.… Expand
  18. A_Darker_Prince
    Jun 15, 2014
    2
    I'm going to be slightly generous in this review. This game can definitely be fun. Hacking people's phones (even if it's one-button pressing) is a unique spin, as is hacking traffic lights, road spikes, road blockers and all that. I also really enjoyed some of the stealthy missions, I enjoy stealth games.
    But that's about as far as the good stuff goes. Here comes the bad. Now, I had to    I'm going to be slightly generous in this review. This game can definitely be fun. Hacking people's phones (even if it's one-button pressing) is a unique spin, as is hacking traffic lights, road spikes, road blockers and all that. I also really enjoyed some of the stealthy missions, I enjoy stealth games.
    But that's about as far as the good stuff goes. Here comes the bad. Now, I had to install this game onto a USB, so that may be the reason for some of these problems, but still, I had to install this game three times, with 45 minutes per installation. You could understand my immense anger in doing that, it shouldn't have had to happen. Also, the game locks up on me. A lot. I've had it lock up on me eight times, each time being on a bridge. And now I'm on a mission where I have to take down an idiot in a firetruck. Who goes onto a bridge. It locks up on me every time, giving me an Error screen...
    But, those are the glaring technical issues. Other issues are as follows:
    - WHY can't I shoot from my vehicle, and WHY can others shoot me from theirs!?
    - The Enforcers...I hate them, they soak up WAY too much ammo to drop, but they can kill you in a matter of seconds?!
    - Skill tree. Another cliche in gaming.
    - Revenge. Another cliche in gaming.
    - While Aiden is bearable, he's kind of an ****

    If the technical issues didn't occur, or if they don't occur when the game is installed onto an XBox 360 Hard Drive, I'd immediately give this game a 7 out of 10, but as it stands, this game is unplayable.    … Expand
  19. Sojum
    Jun 15, 2014
    7
    I had to update my review after completing the game. It's a solid experience. I don't agree with complaints about graphics or driving. But the missions can get a little tedious and repetitious, and the hacking is not nearly as deep as it should be. The voice acting is top notch and the direction is well done too. Plot complaints are actually addressed as the story ends - there's moreI had to update my review after completing the game. It's a solid experience. I don't agree with complaints about graphics or driving. But the missions can get a little tedious and repetitious, and the hacking is not nearly as deep as it should be. The voice acting is top notch and the direction is well done too. Plot complaints are actually addressed as the story ends - there's more self-awareness of the double-standards of Pearce's vigilantism than the negative reviews would have you know. There are even some poignant moments. Maybe not worth full price, but certainly worth picking up when it hits the $30 - $40 range.… Expand
  20. Susken
    Jun 15, 2014
    3
    Don't play it, don't buy it. The game is just bad, its repetitive you will have the same gun fights over and over again. It does not matter if you play stealthy or go in guns blazing. Its the same thing. Just get into the red zone and kill anything on sight there are no consequence's, well ok maybe the cops will come but that is it. And you can do this all the time in any mission justDon't play it, don't buy it. The game is just bad, its repetitive you will have the same gun fights over and over again. It does not matter if you play stealthy or go in guns blazing. Its the same thing. Just get into the red zone and kill anything on sight there are no consequence's, well ok maybe the cops will come but that is it. And you can do this all the time in any mission just repeating the pattern all the time. There is not much to do, well yes the city is huge but the misions are all the same. And the graphic is realy nice i must say but i dont think there is much diference in Low settings and on Ultra plus it does realy not matter because the frame drop is the same. It happens all the time and is anoying as hell. The story is boring as hell. The ending sucked. I was realy looking forward to this but it was only hype.… Expand
  21. wastchdogssucks
    Jun 14, 2014
    0
    WORST GAME I HAVE EVER PLAYED. not even close to real physics. I was on the top of a parking lot building, police came after me somehow, and watched the cop car teleport to the top of the building. this is ridiculous. if you had the option to buy this game or GTA 5 get GTA 5, even if you already have it, buy it again. this game is just terrible and will not buying games from this company again.
  22. Darkin20
    Jun 14, 2014
    7
    Game is pretty fun and has some interesting dynamics but the fact that there is a save game corruption that you can't get out of and need to restart from scratch is inexcusable. Maybe when they get that fixed i'll bump up the score but taking 2 weeks already with no end in sight is not a good thing. Too bad, I was really liking the camera games.
  23. austerus
    Jun 14, 2014
    3
    After playing a finishing the game, I return to "fix" my previous rating of 7. This is definitely not a 7.

    I don't really understand how people can say this is a different kind of gameplay. The Watch Dogs (all platforms) gameplay is nearly identical to GTA V or Assassin's Creed. You have the same "main story" structure, about the same actions to perform and same side-quests/minigames.    After playing a finishing the game, I return to "fix" my previous rating of 7. This is definitely not a 7.

    I don't really understand how people can say this is a different kind of gameplay. The Watch Dogs (all platforms) gameplay is nearly identical to GTA V or Assassin's Creed. You have the same "main story" structure, about the same actions to perform and same side-quests/minigames.

    The main difference is that this game contains a much more annoying forcible push to multiplayer but in modes that are unimaginative and repetitive. They get really old and really fast and are much worse than the also repetitive single player "side quests".

    The city isn't breathing life, it's idiotic. Shoot a person? Police are on to you and you lose "street cred", ok. Run over a civilian? No police but you get a drop in reputation. Cause an accident killing tens of civilians or intentionally push a car to crush pedestrians? Nothing.

    Civilians behave idiotically following accidents. Often they remain in burning cars or sit around burning cars waiting to explode. They don't tend to each other, no police goes on the scene and no ambulances come as well, no matter how many dead.

    The story is bland (although not as predictive as some say), the world isn't immerssive (nowhere near Assassin's Creed for example), the characters are stereotypical cardboard and some are downright annoying.

    Also, Aiden is unable to jump over stuff. Sure, he can vault over obstacles, but he can't jump over a half a meter pit to get from a railing to a roof (the kind of jumps they breeze through in Assassin's Creed).

    I am willing to disregard technical issues but the failing in storytelling and gameplay I can't forgive.    … Expand
  24. stek
    Jun 14, 2014
    10
    WD отличная альтернатива GTA, которая обладает своими уникальными возможностями, такими как:
    - action и racing геймплей в который гармонично вплетены фишки с управлением системами города
    - интересный stealth геймплей, с применением гаджетов, и возможностей хакать системы города - огромное количество качественно проработанных мини-игр, которые мотивируют покататься по городу и изучить    WD отличная альтернатива GTA, которая обладает своими уникальными возможностями, такими как:
    - action и racing геймплей в который гармонично вплетены фишки с управлением системами города
    - интересный stealth геймплей, с применением гаджетов, и возможностей хакать системы города
    - огромное количество качественно проработанных мини-игр, которые мотивируют покататься по городу и изучить его
    - интеграция multiplayer'а в single

    При этом WD имеет:
    - отличную графику (во всяком случаи на мощном PC)
    - Отличную музыку
    - Большое количество качественной и разнообразной анимации
    - Большой проработанный город с разнообразными районами и интересными дорожными развязками.
    - Прикольную симуляцию жизни горожан
    - Много классно поставленных и разыгранных сцен
    - Интересных и харизматичных персонажей.
    - Классные спецэффекты.

    В общем WD отличный качественный продукт.

    Может WD не такая концептуально вылизанная как GTA, но тем не менее это отличная альтернатива GTA b просто очень качественная игра в открытом мире!    … Expand
  25. reviewguyhere
    Jun 14, 2014
    0
    Never has a game ever been such a chore to finish.
    -clunky floaty controls
    -ridiculously boring plot progression -boring combat -repetitive 'hacking' -invincible super cops This game sucks and it's poorly optimized for PC. I wouldn't even rent this. Borrow from a friend or watch a let's play if you want to see what it's all about. This is not a 'game.' At best it's a buggy proof of    Never has a game ever been such a chore to finish.
    -clunky floaty controls
    -ridiculously boring plot progression
    -boring combat
    -repetitive 'hacking'
    -invincible super cops
    This game sucks and it's poorly optimized for PC. I wouldn't even rent this. Borrow from a friend or watch a let's play if you want to see what it's all about. This is not a 'game.' At best it's a buggy proof of concept. Ubisoft, if you want to make a game about hacking then make a game about hacking not an inferior GTA clone with an extra feature that amounts to nothing more than a single button press.    … Expand
  26. 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
  27. Yoshi1
    Jun 13, 2014
    9
    Watch Dogs does have a few minor problems and its not perfect. But there has never been a game in history that is perfect. Watch Dogs single player has loads of entertainment for the price with a great Story, but I had problems with lip syncing. The game also has multiplayer with players trying to hack into your game or you can enter there's.This can be disabled if you don't want to otherWatch Dogs does have a few minor problems and its not perfect. But there has never been a game in history that is perfect. Watch Dogs single player has loads of entertainment for the price with a great Story, but I had problems with lip syncing. The game also has multiplayer with players trying to hack into your game or you can enter there's.This can be disabled if you don't want to other player to hack into your game. The game features amazing physics and water reflections. The problem is its not optimized for PC, even though Ubisoft said high end PC was one of there main priorities. Overall It's worth buying when the price drops and gets some patches.… Expand
  28. Vladius
    Jun 13, 2014
    4
    Watch Dogs is the only game I ever regretted buying.
    This overhyped title promised us an unforgettable experience; instead we got a bugged game with a storyline full of fillers and clichés and boring side missions.
    Although this game has some very few redeeming moments (some story missions, cop chases), but their number is very little compared to the whole picture.
  29. MrBla
    Jun 13, 2014
    1
    It uses uplay, that's all you need to know. Uplay is no good, annoying software. Even if you buy a steam version you are forced to use uplay. do not buy it until ubisoft drop the uplay.
  30. IcyTorrent
    Jun 13, 2014
    0
    Cannot play because of uPlay (what an irony). When uPlay is up it wants to do a perpetual cycle of updating and when it isn't it just won't log on. Ubisoft support is terrible. Impossible to get a refund even though I haven't got the opportunity to play the game. Never going to buy another Ubisoft game until this terrible service is removed.
  31. forceinfinity
    Jun 12, 2014
    9
    The ridiculously low score has nothing to do with the actual quality of the game itself. Only people who cannot play it and are having issues which Ubi are addressing.

    I am giving a review score based on THE GAME ITSELF, NOT THE BUGS AND ISSUES this game has, unlike almost everyone else. The game itself is pretty good. I have no complaints about it besides they rushed it out the door    The ridiculously low score has nothing to do with the actual quality of the game itself. Only people who cannot play it and are having issues which Ubi are addressing.

    I am giving a review score based on THE GAME ITSELF, NOT THE BUGS AND ISSUES this game has, unlike almost everyone else.

    The game itself is pretty good. I have no complaints about it besides they rushed it out the door without much testing which is unfortunate.

    Aside from the stuttering frames, being forced to play in 720 with low-medium settings on a decent AMD rig, the loading issues, and the occasional bug, it's a great and fun game. This is a great idea for a new IP and was pulled of very well.

    It's a big turnoff that they offer day 1 DLC and the game is unplayable on day 1. day 1 DLC sucks ass.    … Expand
  32. GridironCJ
    Jun 12, 2014
    2
    Quick rundown:

    - Horribly optimized for PC
    - Even at max settings, it's rather underwhelming for a PC release
    - Generic sandbox gameplay that doesn't go beyond what GTA V did
    - Poor story
    - Poor AI
    - Poor physics
    - Did not live up to the hype and not worth the way

    You're better off waiting until GTA V is released on PC, which has finally been announced.
  33. Midnights
    Jun 12, 2014
    7
    You should play this game to blackout the whole city. The best thing in the game is creating that 15 second blackout. All streets, buildings, traffic lights i mean everything goes in to a darkness and the silence later on. It worths trying.

    Other than that, it worths playing.
  34. 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
  35. MarcelLeo
    Jun 12, 2014
    7
    Entertaining, pretty looking and interesting story. Yet not very optimized for pc and does not promote exploration (EVERYTHING shows on the map). Playing through act 3 now, the main story keeps me hooked!
  36. BrokenPipe
    Jun 11, 2014
    0
    Bored after 2 hours, deleted. I'm actually very surprised this game is so boring. I can play tetris for 6 hours, but I was unable to find ANYTHING interesting in this game after 2 hours.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=idA9BEA4Hxs
  37. 0hope
    Jun 11, 2014
    6
    Although it's been a while since game came out i still felt like i should write something soo.....
    Even with new AMD drivers (14.6.) you wont get that better performance in Watch Dogs, this brings that 'nVidia meant to be played' to whole new level which is just sad.
    And 2nd thing about Watch Dogs that put most ppl away are rather sloppy controls. I'm not talking about hardware issues    Although it's been a while since game came out i still felt like i should write something soo.....
    Even with new AMD drivers (14.6.) you wont get that better performance in Watch Dogs, this brings that 'nVidia meant to be played' to whole new level which is just sad.

    And 2nd thing about Watch Dogs that put most ppl away are rather sloppy controls.
    I'm not talking about hardware issues and crap (which exist like crappy forced mouse acceleration) but how simple things like aim camera and free camera movement speed are inconsistent and that requires some getting used to, just like driving controls ...

    So yeah once you pass that you can actually enjoy game and its not GTA clone as some expect it to be.
    There is plenty of stuff to do in city but you are not pulled by hand for everything and that stuff requires good old explorations.    … Expand
  38. Talltreest
    Jun 11, 2014
    9
    I'm not sure I understand the negative comments at all here. While I do understand that games are a subjective experience like books and movies I found the story engaging, the hacking to be novel and fun, the driving and chases were a blast (look I realize this isn't a driving game). The side missions, secondary objectives, crime fighting etc, etc is HUGE. Those previous commentsI'm not sure I understand the negative comments at all here. While I do understand that games are a subjective experience like books and movies I found the story engaging, the hacking to be novel and fun, the driving and chases were a blast (look I realize this isn't a driving game). The side missions, secondary objectives, crime fighting etc, etc is HUGE. Those previous comments mentioning that there's nothing to do are just wrong. I think many of the comments here are based on either console or playing this with a controller on a PC (a ridiculous idea in both cases). Those complaining about graphics on the PC side clearly have under-powered rigs as I've been delighted with the game. If you enjoy story driven open-world games and aren't just out to steal cars and smash stuff up you'll really enjoy this game. Comparing it to GTA and other open world games I find it refreshing to finally be playing a character I actually LIKE and can root for! Kudos to UBI-soft Montreal for creating a character who isn't a black and white stereotype.

    EXCELLENT GAME!    … Expand
  39. ryanch94
    Jun 10, 2014
    9
    I think this is a fantastic game that has well lived up to the hype. I got it on pre-order for PC and was among the first to play, visually it looks stunning and has many advanced graphics effects which a high end graphics card can take advantage of. I really like the concept of the game and the hacking mechanics are extremely fun to use. The story is interesting and had me wanting moreI think this is a fantastic game that has well lived up to the hype. I got it on pre-order for PC and was among the first to play, visually it looks stunning and has many advanced graphics effects which a high end graphics card can take advantage of. I really like the concept of the game and the hacking mechanics are extremely fun to use. The story is interesting and had me wanting more after each mission. The multiplayer modes are very fun, with my favourite being Online Hacking. The idea of being invaded is a unique one which I don't think any other game has done before, and I think that's a very cool feature.

    Unfortunately I do have to acknowledge the release day issues, while I had no problem downloading the game and running it in offline mode, for the first couple of days signing into uplay was patchy which meant multiplayer aspects of the game were unavailable. Now though all the issues have been ironed out and I'm enjoying the experience.

    There are plenty of things to do after you finish the campaign, as I type this I am still just 50% complete on the progression wheel so I've quite a bit more to do.

    Finally, although I have seen many complaints from users about the performance of the game I myself have not experienced any issues with performance on this game so I think this issue will differ from system to system.    … Expand
  40. Type4101
    Jun 10, 2014
    5
    Another lazy port in a long-line of lazy ports, Watch Dogs is a game that has too many other problems to suffer from poor optimization that should have been seen coming for miles. Ubisoft always does this, and it can no longer stand. The game itself should be solid--if a bit derivative--but many technical issues hold it back, and design decisions seem geared towards "dumbing down" theAnother lazy port in a long-line of lazy ports, Watch Dogs is a game that has too many other problems to suffer from poor optimization that should have been seen coming for miles. Ubisoft always does this, and it can no longer stand. The game itself should be solid--if a bit derivative--but many technical issues hold it back, and design decisions seem geared towards "dumbing down" the gameplay for reasons unknown. It is as if the developer believes people want less depth and creativity than other games in the genre provide. In the end, Watch Dogs is not the worst game, but doesn't live up to the massive hype. Sales have been brisk (I bought it too), so Ubisoft will certainly not learn a lesson from this one. I expect more poor quality games and lazy ports from the company until people stop buying the broken releases.… Expand
  41. maniac1982
    Jun 10, 2014
    0
    Simply put this game is ok for the 7 hours I got to play it. How it locks up on the load screen and support never answered me back after going on 6 days now. No patch to fix yet either now a week and a half later. On top of that if you have a AMD card then don't get this game for some reason they teamed up with Nvidia and it runs very well on their cards. However AMD cards are a nightmareSimply put this game is ok for the 7 hours I got to play it. How it locks up on the load screen and support never answered me back after going on 6 days now. No patch to fix yet either now a week and a half later. On top of that if you have a AMD card then don't get this game for some reason they teamed up with Nvidia and it runs very well on their cards. However AMD cards are a nightmare which totally sucks. F YOU NVIDIA… Expand
  42. UnidentifiedZ
    Jun 9, 2014
    10
    From the looks of this, from the bad reviews that you all give, I see that you all have AMAZING graphics cards, but what about your CPU? Your RAM? I have no problems with this game at ALL.
  43. lise_ecc
    Jun 9, 2014
    1
    This game runs PERFECTLY on my pc (660gtx ti, machine 1.5 yrs old), so this review isn't about technical (performance issues)! That doesn't mean the UI is good - far from it. Bad camera angles, responses, controls, atrocious driving. Worst of all, it's BORING. Terrible terrible writing and game design. It really makes me wonder how many game review sites get paid off by AAA companies.
  44. mrpole
    Jun 9, 2014
    0
    Garbage. Horrible framerates on a i7 3370k@4.2Ghz with 32GB ram, sata 3 raid 0 SSDs and dual 680GTX in SLI. No proper mouse keyboard support, with no strafing, really? If I wanted to play with a console controller I'd play on a console. The only saving grace is a got it free with a Kingston SSD I bought for my other PC, if I paid any money for this, I would be even less forgiving, thenGarbage. Horrible framerates on a i7 3370k@4.2Ghz with 32GB ram, sata 3 raid 0 SSDs and dual 680GTX in SLI. No proper mouse keyboard support, with no strafing, really? If I wanted to play with a console controller I'd play on a console. The only saving grace is a got it free with a Kingston SSD I bought for my other PC, if I paid any money for this, I would be even less forgiving, then again I guess I can't rate it lower than a zero.… Expand
  45. Khaelmin
    Jun 9, 2014
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I've made an account just so I can write a review that gives some justice to this game. It's obvious that the majority of the unfavorable reviews come from people who didn't bother to play the game for more than a few hours. It's true, I had the exact same reaction after the first couple of missions. The driving seemed awful, the hacking... simplistic and the world cluttered to the point of it overwhelming you.

    But you know what? I'm glad hacking simple objects is as easy as tapping a button. If I had to solve a puzzle every time I wanted to change all of the lights to green just so I can confuse the cops chasing me, then I really would have been frustrated. The hacking process gets more complicated, it just depends on what you're trying to access. I think it's well implemented and fun, without ever becoming too repetitive.

    The driving seems awful, but again, it's cleverly done. You can't just hop in a minivan and expect it to handle like a sports car. Some cars are unwieldy, because they're unwieldy in real life as well. Driving a Camaro or a sports hatchback is a whole different experience. What do you know? It's actually fun.

    I don't generally care about the graphics, but even so, the game is not an eyesore. I think they're more than adequate.

    The story and the voice acting are really good. Some of the characters are very likeable, some are the hate magnets they were designed to be. And most importantly, the story does what it should do. Get a reaction out of you. The human trafficking mission broke my heart, especially since one of the girls I found around was of my own nationality.

    Even the side missions, whom you would have expected to be crappy, manage to be engaging enough to make you want to finish them all.

    I've experienced no technical difficulties whatsoever with the game, although some complain about them.

    The bottom line: It's not a copy of Assassin's Creed or GTA. It stands on its own, and it's doing a great job out of it. It's a good game, and it damn well doesn't deserve all of the negative reviews.    … Expand
  46. 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
  47. Goombaka
    Jun 9, 2014
    0
    The game doesn't even work, the lack of respect from Ubisoft is remarkable, a lot of people have the 90% bug and were left with a broken game.

    That's why people stop buying things...that's why people pirate things, because of the lack of the respect for the consumer. Sorry but this is what i'm seeing through all of this..This is my opinion, Ubisoft doesn't care about us, they already    The game doesn't even work, the lack of respect from Ubisoft is remarkable, a lot of people have the 90% bug and were left with a broken game.

    That's why people stop buying things...that's why people pirate things, because of the lack of the respect for the consumer. Sorry but this is what i'm seeing through all of this..This is my opinion, Ubisoft doesn't care about us, they already got their money...they will do the fix whenever they want.    … Expand
  48. lordeleo
    Jun 9, 2014
    0
    DOES NOT WORK.
    Simple as that.
    We pay for a game that doesn't load.
    We get stuck on loading screen at about 90% FOREVER ...
    I'm sure Ubysoft didn't had TIME to TEST they're game.
    Score? ZERO!
  49. RNEGDE2012
    Jun 9, 2014
    0
    Wow, Ubisoft... Really?! Make us wait so long for a game that doesn't work? WTF!
    The game itself is mildly entertaining despite all the flaws, but seriously, why postpone the release if the finished product is a piece of sh!t? I hope there is a solution to the damn loading screen bug soon! I've made it to 88% and I really don't want to start over again.
    Never buying another Ubisoft title    Wow, Ubisoft... Really?! Make us wait so long for a game that doesn't work? WTF!
    The game itself is mildly entertaining despite all the flaws, but seriously, why postpone the release if the finished product is a piece of sh!t? I hope there is a solution to the damn loading screen bug soon! I've made it to 88% and I really don't want to start over again.
    Never buying another Ubisoft title ever! That's a promise.    … Expand
  50. payne666007
    Jun 9, 2014
    0
    game broken , wont even load ,bad optimized graphics, no support , and i got a high end pc..........Ubisoft dont give a **** about us , and they already got a dlc to pay for more when we cant even play the game . solution they say start over but still , the loading bug is back again , and they propose a patch in fall when it will come out on the wii . ehat a joke 3 or 4 months withoutgame broken , wont even load ,bad optimized graphics, no support , and i got a high end pc..........Ubisoft dont give a **** about us , and they already got a dlc to pay for more when we cant even play the game . solution they say start over but still , the loading bug is back again , and they propose a patch in fall when it will come out on the wii . ehat a joke 3 or 4 months without playing .....LOL!!!!!!!!!give me back my money you thief with no respect… Expand
  51. pandamax2
    Jun 9, 2014
    1
    Remember E3 2012? Then you might as well remember the first ever watch_dogs gameplay, it was so stunning and we all were so excited. But in the end it when it comes out it was nothing but an overrated, badly coded console port.
    Not to mention the tons of things that need to be fixed through a patch like
    #glitches
    #bugs
    #poor performance in high end systems
    #random crashing and freezing.
  52. phillipseiffert
    Jun 9, 2014
    2
    It is the 5th of June 2012. Ubisoft holds a press conference on E3 2012 and announces the game Watch_Dogs by showing a glimpse which stuns gaming enthusiasts with its graphics and features.
    //
    It is the 26th of June 2014. Ubisoft is not able to prevent people from playing before release. As a consequence of that Ubisoft servers are constantly down, what slows down the ability to play the    It is the 5th of June 2012. Ubisoft holds a press conference on E3 2012 and announces the game Watch_Dogs by showing a glimpse which stuns gaming enthusiasts with its graphics and features.
    //
    It is the 26th of June 2014. Ubisoft is not able to prevent people from playing before release. As a consequence of that Ubisoft servers are constantly down, what slows down the ability to play the game on release day. A lot of gamers have problems with uPlay, Ubisoft's own client. All in all: Release day was a mess. On my side, however, I was able to download it one day before release day, but were not capable of playing because the game crashed when being on main menu. One day later, it worked with redownloading it.
    I was able to play Watch_Dogs two days long until a loading screen bug hit me on 28th May. I enjoyed playing Watch_Dogs since it was fun to explore the whole world, main and side missions. Indeed, the game has been dramatically changed since E3 2012. These two years changed everything so that you can see E3 2012's glimpse as a betrayal regarding the gameplay we actually got. Of course changes have to be made during development, but these were so radical.
    The reason why I give Watch_Dogs two points is simply that I wait for an official announcement of a patch for two weeks now. This is unacceptable when considering that so many people are affected. Ubisoft missed to care about their customers, Ubisoft missed to patch the game early, Ubisoft missed to get rid of a Beta bug. There is no excuse for this mess.
    Watch_Dogs release is even worse than DICE+EA's Battlefield 4. And that, ladies and gentlemean, says a lot.

    -ps    … Expand
  53. Ack36
    Jun 9, 2014
    0
    Game is broken and unfinished.
    Contains game breaking bugs.
    Stutters on any system.
    Your save WILL get broken in time.
    Game could get a higher score from me for graphics, but Ubi totally shows disrespect by selling dlcs for broken game.
  54. DeliciousPubiQQ
    Jun 9, 2014
    0
    This game is so bad it keeps crashing also you get that bug that the game loads to 90 % and then stoppes working because of corrupting data ? what's this spending 70 € and then you can't even play it?
  55. jarmenz
    Jun 9, 2014
    0
    The game went fine (nothing special regarding a "hacking" (one button pushing) open world game) then few days later I was struck with "90% bug" aka "Stuck on loading screen" and haven't played the game since. Impossible to continue due to fact the save file is somehow corrupted. Ubisoft has ignored me and thousands of other customers with the same issue for way too long (tomorrow it willThe game went fine (nothing special regarding a "hacking" (one button pushing) open world game) then few days later I was struck with "90% bug" aka "Stuck on loading screen" and haven't played the game since. Impossible to continue due to fact the save file is somehow corrupted. Ubisoft has ignored me and thousands of other customers with the same issue for way too long (tomorrow it will be 2 weeks). They are getting ready for E3 and are trying to hide the smoke. A game breaking but which is ignored for so long - "polished masterpiece". Do not buy this game nor any other future Ubisoft games! The hype is fake and the media sites are in their pockets!… Expand
  56. DOYSH
    Jun 9, 2014
    0
    In Watch_Dogs you play as Aiden Pearce, a Batman wannabe with an awesome button smartphone that can hack everything from security cameras to toys.

    He is aided by Christy Mack and the lead singer of a White Zombie cover band. It is the most original game I have ever played and in no way, shape, or form, Assassin's Creed with a smartphone and less polish. It's also wonderfully    In Watch_Dogs you play as Aiden Pearce, a Batman wannabe with an awesome button smartphone that can hack everything from security cameras to toys.

    He is aided by Christy Mack and the lead singer of a White Zombie cover band.

    It is the most original game I have ever played and in no way, shape, or form, Assassin's Creed with a smartphone and less polish.

    It's also wonderfully optimized in true Ubisoft tradition, any frame drop you experience is due to your PC being overwhelmed by the brilliance of Ubisoft's latest Masterpiece.

    Game of the year!

    P.S., the only reason I rated this 0/10, is because our earthly scales cannot accurately rate a divine masterpiece such as Watch_Dogs, and I daren't insult the gods by trying.    … Expand
  57. 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
  58. SadMaskSalesman
    Jun 8, 2014
    2
    I have to say, verisimilitude is not the strongest part of the game, manly if we talk about physic, everything broke with a single touch... Beside that the history is not so interesting... The game play is not so revolutionary... I think that, if the Ubisoft had not overrated so much this game, would be probably more accepted by the public
    When I bought the game I was with the feeling    I have to say, verisimilitude is not the strongest part of the game, manly if we talk about physic, everything broke with a single touch... Beside that the history is not so interesting... The game play is not so revolutionary... I think that, if the Ubisoft had not overrated so much this game, would be probably more accepted by the public
    When I bought the game I was with the feeling "Oh, I certainly will finish the game 100%"... Well, today I just want to finish the game as soon as possible to trade for a game cube game to my old video game collection : D    … Expand
  59. Azriam
    Jun 8, 2014
    6
    I guess my score is a bit generous relative to other reviews, but I'm trying to judge this game fairly without the expectations that I had drawn from the overmarketing.

    Firstly, the story was a bit stupid; I'm not going to reveal any spoilers but the story had me running in circles. It tried to be original but it was ironically predictable. The idea of a vigilante who tries to avenge a    I guess my score is a bit generous relative to other reviews, but I'm trying to judge this game fairly without the expectations that I had drawn from the overmarketing.

    Firstly, the story was a bit stupid; I'm not going to reveal any spoilers but the story had me running in circles. It tried to be original but it was ironically predictable. The idea of a vigilante who tries to avenge a death throughout the whole story is a bit bland. If you're looking for a colorful story, you shouldn't touch this game...

    Secondly, I really liked the gameplay. Don't get me wrong though, the gameplay is straight out of multiple gaming textbooks. For example, the whole hacking system is just another way of giving the main man some advantages, whether those advantages are vision of enemies, exploding random stuff, etc. This whole notion about using hacks to give the main man leverage can easily be replaced with another notion that gives the same advantages (e.g. magic). After a couple of infiltrations, the gameplay gets kinda bland. But I guess if you're still planning to get this game, the gameplay did satisfy my love for stealth. Oh yea, some cars are just undriveable; the driving can suck.

    Thirdly, this game is advertised as open-world; however, you won't do much roaming after the story is over. There is nothing to stick around for.

    So..... if you're still looking to buy this game, go ahead. But be warned, once you're finished with the story (maybe 15-25hrs?) you'll never touch this game again. Oh and another warning, be sure you have all the specs for this game; it gets throttley at times...    … Expand
  60. hedning86
    Jun 8, 2014
    1
    I'm not sure what I would rate this if I could play it properly. It is a bit boring and derivative, and I really don't like the the car handling (but that could be my preferences), but otherwise there might be potential in the game. I say might because I've had to restart the game twice due to corrupted save files, so since the game was released broken I have to give it the score a brokenI'm not sure what I would rate this if I could play it properly. It is a bit boring and derivative, and I really don't like the the car handling (but that could be my preferences), but otherwise there might be potential in the game. I say might because I've had to restart the game twice due to corrupted save files, so since the game was released broken I have to give it the score a broken game deserves. When a fix is released for the save corruption bug I might change my mind, but until then this was a waste of money.… Expand
  61. jacobspeeds
    Jun 8, 2014
    7
    Really enjoyed this game. Getting it to run smooth took a while but it can be done with a lot of reduced settings...i had to run it at ultra low settings even having an SLI setup which on activating crashes the game (so i couldn't use)....reducing the textures removed all the stutter i experienced specially driving. Reminds you a lot of of splintercell's blacklist and assassin's creed.Really enjoyed this game. Getting it to run smooth took a while but it can be done with a lot of reduced settings...i had to run it at ultra low settings even having an SLI setup which on activating crashes the game (so i couldn't use)....reducing the textures removed all the stutter i experienced specially driving. Reminds you a lot of of splintercell's blacklist and assassin's creed. Plenty of side missions to unlock various weapons and abilities. The game is like a puzzle. Finding stuff takes some thinking and creativity making it a lot of fun! The cars look really good and the physics is awesome. I thought the plot was interesting too. I really recommend waiting for the game to be patched before experiencing the terrible and annoying lag. Even GTX titans can't run it smooth because of the bugs.… Expand
  62. 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
  63. Arctudus
    Jun 8, 2014
    7
    Fun game to play but not a masterpiece. If you are waiting for a new game to play then pick it up for a few hours of fun, but don't bother if you are looking for a complex game with an in depth story line. Overall, if you want a GTA style game and are looking for a new game to play then pick it up, but otherwise, stay away.
  64. EV3RLiGHT
    Jun 8, 2014
    1
    What a truly pathetic first IP entry from Ubisoft.

    Let's list the problems: 1. The most graphically downgraded AAA yet. 2. 70+ Million dollar budget and at least 4 years of development (including a 7 month delay!) 3. Lackluster story, cliché scenes and "meh" voice acting. 4. Terrible and incredibly boring protagonist, I could not connect with him at all. 5. Stupid logic in    What a truly pathetic first IP entry from Ubisoft.

    Let's list the problems:
    1. The most graphically downgraded AAA yet.
    2. 70+ Million dollar budget and at least 4 years of development (including a 7 month delay!)
    3. Lackluster story, cliché scenes and "meh" voice acting.
    4. Terrible and incredibly boring protagonist, I could not connect with him at all.
    5. Stupid logic in missions, i.e. you are a "mass murdering vigilante". How f*cked up is that?
    6. Terrible optimisation on PC, runs like ass and plays like it too.
    7. Speaking of gameplay; no melee combat, terrible physics engine, I've seen better driving / handling in "Crazy Taxi" and "Ridge Racer".
    8. Ubisoft seemed to spend 90% on the marketing machine to hype up this poor excuse of a game, and 10% on actual development.
    9. Tonnes of bugs, errors and stupid bullsh*t that is game-breaking.
    10. Escaping from the cops is as easy as 1, 2, 3. Just hop into a f*cking boat!
    11. Stupid, senseless combat.
    12. You can smell the sequels as soon as you spend 6 hours installing with UPLAY!
    13. Uplay!
    14. Uplay!
    15. The missions are so repetitive, it just makes a grown man cry.
    16. Udon'tplay.

    Good stuff:
    1. Some-what original idea.
    2. Spider-tank trip.
    ... that's about it.

    TL;DR - Don't buy this garbage! Torrent it if you need to. If you want to "experience the next gen" play GTA V because GTA V is much more next-gen then this lazy piece of work. Shame on you Ubisoft. Can't wait for you to f*ck up The Division.    … Expand
  65. Temoari
    Jun 8, 2014
    1
    My score could be higher, if Ubi-soft didn't advertised this game that much.
    Ubi-soft sad that this game would be a REAL next-gen game, greater than any other sand-box game.
    And what the hell is up with the system specs? I don't even understand why they are so demanding.
    Graphics are mediocre. World is empty. Main character is a disaster. Car physics are awful.
  66. Pier
    Jun 8, 2014
    4
    I can play this game at ultra, but the controls are simply horrible, even after semi fixing the mouse modifying a config file. It doesn't matter how good is the story if you can't play it or the games crashes.
  67. erndevil666
    Jun 8, 2014
    7
    Игра вышла очень даже хороша, но не то что Ubisoft обещало нам дать. Как говориться "Хорошая реклама дает свои результаты". Начнем с позитивной стороны: 1)Очень динамичная игра 2)Хакерские штучки 3)Открытый хорошо прорисованный мир 4)Множество разносторонних заданий 5)Конечно, же перевод 6)Разнообразие в оружии 7)Хорошая RPG составляющая 8)Замедление времени. Ну и, по моему взгляду, неИгра вышла очень даже хороша, но не то что Ubisoft обещало нам дать. Как говориться "Хорошая реклама дает свои результаты". Начнем с позитивной стороны: 1)Очень динамичная игра 2)Хакерские штучки 3)Открытый хорошо прорисованный мир 4)Множество разносторонних заданий 5)Конечно, же перевод 6)Разнообразие в оружии 7)Хорошая RPG составляющая 8)Замедление времени. Ну и, по моему взгляду, не малые недостатки: 1)Не внятный, порою не понятный сюжет 2)Некоторые задания заставляют ой как помчаться, что дико раздражает 3)Связь прокачки с доп. заданиями 4)Задания с шахматами (не люблю шахматы) 5)Деревянные автомобили. В итоге: очень хорошая игра, но не более того, играть сразу скажу стоит, но после прохождения компании весь интерес куда-то уходит.… Expand
  68. 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
  69. mpelley92
    Jun 7, 2014
    4
    The developers had some good ideas for Watch_Dogs. The only thing stopping them is releasing this game in this condition... It's unfinished. The lighting is all wrong, the shadows are all wrong and the physics feel like physics from DRIV3R, except that was actually a decent game. Ubisoft Montreal needs to prioritize releases and make sure they finish every part of the game and work onThe developers had some good ideas for Watch_Dogs. The only thing stopping them is releasing this game in this condition... It's unfinished. The lighting is all wrong, the shadows are all wrong and the physics feel like physics from DRIV3R, except that was actually a decent game. Ubisoft Montreal needs to prioritize releases and make sure they finish every part of the game and work on polishing.

    Don't get me wrong, I'm going to play the crap out of the campaign in this game, but once that's over it will have nothing to offer me and I will move on.

    I borrowed the game from a friend and that's how I'm able to write this review. Otherwise, I will not be paying the $60 they are asking for it. I give it 6 months to be in the wally world $18 bin.    … Expand
  70. JimmyDamage
    Jun 7, 2014
    6
    A fun open world hacking game. Graphics are decent and so is the gameplay. However, the product suffers from performance issues that can bring high-end machines to its knees.
    The biggest downside of Watch Dogs is the Uplay DRM, being offline, failing to sync savegames and trying desperatly to mimic Valve's Steam minus all the great features. Basically paying customers are suffering    A fun open world hacking game. Graphics are decent and so is the gameplay. However, the product suffers from performance issues that can bring high-end machines to its knees.
    The biggest downside of Watch Dogs is the Uplay DRM, being offline, failing to sync savegames and trying desperatly to mimic Valve's Steam minus all the great features. Basically paying customers are suffering because of bad business and service from Ubisoft.    … Expand
  71. yloquen
    Jun 7, 2014
    9
    I'll admit I was I was a bit skeptical, after the initial response to the game, but I'm glad I decided to try it because it's a ton of fun. Sure the PC version, as always, is a bit riskier, because of the potential of crappy performance, and it seems some complaints are legitimate (I read some about AMD graphics chips). Personally I was annoyed that I cannot run it with vsync, because itI'll admit I was I was a bit skeptical, after the initial response to the game, but I'm glad I decided to try it because it's a ton of fun. Sure the PC version, as always, is a bit riskier, because of the potential of crappy performance, and it seems some complaints are legitimate (I read some about AMD graphics chips). Personally I was annoyed that I cannot run it with vsync, because it really kills performance. With vsync off it mostly runs at 1080p / 60 fps on high details (my machine is i5-2500k, gtx 760 oc). Do a bit of research on your hardware before purchasing, to avoid frustration.
    As for the game - I really enjoyed the 1v1 seamless multiplayer - hacking and tailing, which allows other people to come into your game and try to stay undetected, while you search for them. Similarly you can invade other people’s games, but the key point is that the aggressor can never use weapons (or he gets kicked). This type of multiplayer involves many game mechanics - sneaking, hacking, shooting and driving - all in all a great experience and I’m looking forward to its evolution.
    Stealth gameplay also deserves a mention - you can choose lethal or non-lethal approach and a lot of the hacking mechanics complement it very well. Hacking was probably the focal point of all marketing surrounding Watch Dogs - in my view it adds interesting twists to traditional game mechanics - car chases, online racing, hacking, and stealth.
    As a conclusion - if the game sounds interesting to you, don’t get caught in the hate, and try it out.    … Expand
  72. OBLOMchick
    Jun 7, 2014
    0
    Absolutely boring gameplay. Graphics and physics worse than GTA 4 (yes, I say «four») — static shadows, fake reflections, poor damage system, stupid AI. I regret that I spent money on this game.
    Facts about Watch Dogs:
    - Stupid NPC - Woods cars - Not interesting player's company. - Nothing to do in city - Static shadows It is game not about hacking. One button click is not hack. It    Absolutely boring gameplay. Graphics and physics worse than GTA 4 (yes, I say «four») — static shadows, fake reflections, poor damage system, stupid AI. I regret that I spent money on this game.
    Facts about Watch Dogs:
    - Stupid NPC
    - Woods cars
    - Not interesting player's company.
    - Nothing to do in city
    - Static shadows
    It is game not about hacking. One button click is not hack. It is game not about freedom. You have only few opportunities which stay so boring after 2 hours.
    Not funny at all. Some bugs and stupid AI. Very repetitive. Minigames is... just not fit in the game. Hacking is "hacking" by button. Im sorry, but this is not good game.    … Expand
  73. tsg84
    Jun 7, 2014
    7
    I didn't like the game the first couple times I played it and my initial thought was that I wasted my cash. However, the more I played it the more it grew on me. I found myself having quite a bit of fun and even asking myself some far-fetched reality-based questions because of some ideas the game presents. I feel the negativity seen in these "reviews" is purely the fault of the hype. ThatI didn't like the game the first couple times I played it and my initial thought was that I wasted my cash. However, the more I played it the more it grew on me. I found myself having quite a bit of fun and even asking myself some far-fetched reality-based questions because of some ideas the game presents. I feel the negativity seen in these "reviews" is purely the fault of the hype. That isn't to say that some of it isn't justified, but i don't think many of the player reviews have been completely fair.

    Sure there were some technical issues at launch for PC, and sure the graphics aren't quite the leap into "next gen" as many of us had hoped. Sure the options are limited in terms of customization and online, but when you get past everything the game DOESN'T let you do that you thought or hoped it would, you CAN have quite a bit of fun with it.

    My major complaint with the game is that I wish the online would have been expanded and more thoroughly realized, but this is a first installment in a completely new franchise and as such it is highly conceptual. While it often falls short of it's potential, some of Watch Dog's strange choices (Strange as open city sandbox games go) do begin to make sense as you continue to play IF you keep and open mind.

    Now before I go any further, please notice that I only gave the game a score of seven. I am not arguing that it's a definitive next gen title, but rather that for what it is, it's nowhere near as bad as people have made it out to be. Once you filter through your pre-conceptions and get past all the pie in the sky promises and expectations your local Gamestop clerk indoctrinated you with to get you to pre-order, you'll find a fairly decent game that can actually pretty fun to mess around with.

    I will concede to one poster that the music choices you have while driving are limited. (And that they're meh!) Those of us used to GTA and Saints Row like our "radio stations" and the variety the offer. Instead you get whatever Aiden has downloaded to his mobile streamed in the vehicle. It was odd at first, but when you think about it most of us do the whole Bluetooth / Pandora thing these days anyhow. It sort of fits in a world where technological modernization is the norm. The exception being the interviews with the mayor you're randomly forced to listen to.

    The NPCs are nuts. I've enjoyed the shootouts so far, but every now and then you either hear something REALLY stupid said, hear dialogue repeated excessively or see clones everywhere. Once I intervened in a crime and while rushing to the victims rescue I realized both NPC's looked identical! It was a poor design flaw, but comical nonetheless. These types of things happened occasionally but not so consistently for me that it became a problem.

    The story so far hasn't really grabbed me. Its interesting to see the CTOS technological systems effect on the city, and it makes you think about where things are advancing for us in the real world. THE SINGULARITY! OH NOES! All craziness aside its enough to make you a little paranoid as to wonder who could be looking at your texts or listening to your phone calls...... Good thing we have the NSA to keep us saf--...... Crap....

    I think the biggest letdown for me was the online. Unlike other open world games like GTA, RDR and SR the online in watchdogs isn't separated from the game's story mode meaning no real customization, no great co-op, etc. lot of missed potential, but honestly I felt the game was more reminiscent of Far Cry 3 set in a city in third person. Hacking the CTOS towers to open up the maps, gang hideouts and convoys, and even the "crafting" felt a lot like FC3 to me in terms of the structure. Although the crafting was just... there... and the lack of customization to the weapons was very disappointing.. Ubi has implemented these types of features quite well with Far Cry 3 and Assassins Creed. it's a shame the same amount of polish didn't go into Watch Dogs.

    That brings me to combat. I seriously don't know what people's gripes with the cover system were about. I've had no issues. Also the driving is not as bad as the trolls posting red dot reviews on this game are claiming. just depends on the vehicle, and whether you drive sensibly or like a moron.

    The hacking isn't bad either. It's simple, and nothing you haven't seen before in some form or another in some other game, but I guess some people went and learned binary just so they could pwn Watch Dogs like a boss. It's not incredible, but its a bit deeper than your sisters facebook password.

    Regardless of what people would have you believe, the game is not a complete failure. It's no GTA or Saints Row, but I honestly don't think it was intended to be. It's a little bit like mashing up concepts from Far Cry 3, Assassins Creed, mixing in some awkward yet simple "hacking" mechanics and pouring it all in a Chicago shaped sandbox. it isn't the orgasmic experience some expected, but it is by no means horrible    … Expand
  74. Synt0xx
    Jun 7, 2014
    2
    Just bugged, the game is nice, but you cant play infact of a bug which lets you stuck in the loading screen since release and ubisoft cant find that issue
  75. BalicanBreeze
    Jun 7, 2014
    6
    The port is rather bad, there are a lot of menu and control issues. If those got fixed, the score would probably be raised to a 7 or maybe 8. It's not a bad game, just a bit boring story and outdated mechanics. Some of the mini-games are cute, which certainly raises the score. Inferior to similar open-world games like Sleeping Dogs, Saints Row and GTA. The concept is great, and this gameThe port is rather bad, there are a lot of menu and control issues. If those got fixed, the score would probably be raised to a 7 or maybe 8. It's not a bad game, just a bit boring story and outdated mechanics. Some of the mini-games are cute, which certainly raises the score. Inferior to similar open-world games like Sleeping Dogs, Saints Row and GTA. The concept is great, and this game could have been so much more. It feels rushed, despite the delays.… Expand
  76. metacriticFAN
    Jun 6, 2014
    0
    Well I was really impressed with the trailer and I started reading and I found out that I WILL NOT BE BUYING THIS GAME BECAUSE

    1 - YOU NEED UPLAY
    2 - IT DOES NOT WORK WITH AMD CARDS OR PROCESSORS.

    I live in Montreal and I am so ashamed of Ubisoft Montreal.
  77. WatchDogsSuxs
    Jun 6, 2014
    0
    Absolutely horrendous, I waited for this game ever sense the adverts at GameStop and on Steam came. I AM VERY DISSAPOINTED! I couldn't log into uplay for 3 hours+ when I tried it said some stupid error code and lagged. When I finally got to play the first story mission, it crashed about 10 times in 2 hours, and I have a very good pc. I was so disappointed with the driving physics too theAbsolutely horrendous, I waited for this game ever sense the adverts at GameStop and on Steam came. I AM VERY DISSAPOINTED! I couldn't log into uplay for 3 hours+ when I tried it said some stupid error code and lagged. When I finally got to play the first story mission, it crashed about 10 times in 2 hours, and I have a very good pc. I was so disappointed with the driving physics too the drift is way too far and its so hard to control. Also stupid NPC's one guy was smashing into a wall for 20 minuets and I had to restart the mission and continue all over again to be greeted with another crash. Once I wanted to free roam and explore the city, I saw that it was so small, there is nothing to do in the city. To much hype for this game. I see it as Crash Bugs not Watch Dogs. Anyone else agree with me?-WDS… Expand
  78. Vicodine
    Jun 6, 2014
    0
    Even If I started at 10/10 and deducted .1 point for every single thing that is so horribly wrong with this game, I would still reach 0.

    The long version, 20 things I hate about this overrated, overhyped piece of crap: -Horrible port -Stupid handling of cars, barely controllable with keyboard -Never even think about touching a mouse while driving. The camera gets **** up so fast    Even If I started at 10/10 and deducted .1 point for every single thing that is so horribly wrong with this game, I would still reach 0.

    The long version, 20 things I hate about this overrated, overhyped piece of crap:

    -Horrible port
    -Stupid handling of cars, barely controllable with keyboard
    -Never even think about touching a mouse while driving. The camera gets **** up so fast
    -The story gets from dumb to stupid to i don't care so fast
    -The AI is so stupid
    - Pedestrians try to look clever with scripted stand there/talk/talk on the phone... but the reactions to any action you take are so stupid. I tried to play as a Protector but killing them was a bigger pleasure. Such stupid AI doesn't deserve to live
    -Not to mention how bad drivers they are
    -The AI characters/cars spawn and despawn like 10 meters from you. It's the **** that GTA 3 did, that cars behind you despawn instantly, and a few meters ahead also. Same goes for any AI that is not story driven. Shame.
    -The combat is unfair. The tips say that when you move, the AI will lose track of you. Ok, but when they know where you are, they see you and shoot at you through anything you are hiding behind. Succesfully
    -The 1 button to hack is mediocre at best. Not many things at all you can do with it, and it gets boring. You can get rich by spending 5 minutes at a highly populated square and then you just don't care
    -Side missions are repetitive as **** and appear way too often. I don't even bother anymore, stopped doing them after 2 hours of gameplay
    -The mini games ,,, well good to have them, but they are not "that" great. Slot machines, poker, trips, AR game... boring.
    -No matter what I do I cannot find anything to do while I'm not in a mood of going through another painful and stupid part of the main story. I just end up killing everything that moves or ramming a truck full speed into incoming traffic, watching the bad physics handle the crash
    -Yeah, physics aren't that great either. Gravity works, sometimes, but that's probably it...
    -If it ain't a sniper rifle, you won't hit anyone that is further than 5-10m from you. No chance. Well, a bit but not in a combat situation while covering.
    -Yeah the cover system. I expected and still expect "Press C to cover, C to exit cover", but no, you have to walk away from the surface you are covering behind to "uncover". And it takes a few seconds of holding the right directional key for it to really work and unstick you from the wall.
    -Weapon wheel is bad. I get killed so many times while switching weapons, just because after each load of game it puts a sniper rifle as my selected weapon. I really don't know why.
    -Who thought of putting character progression into an open-world action game. And levels. And skillpoints. Why ? Why ???? Just teach me how to do what in the process. Gain "skills" by going through the story, completing objectives, not by spending ****ing skillpoints and leveling up.
    -The mouse. Oh the mouse. That's the first thing that **** me up. It acts just silly, it starts as if you are moving through maple syrup, then it starts responding lightning fast. Really great in combat.
    -The damage to the cars is stupid, except for blown tires which are awesome, i mean look awesome, the physics are broken on that one more than anything else.

    The short version:
    Don't you dare buy it. Don't support Ubisoft for developing and releasing a game that had so much potential, yet still managing to **** it up so bad. If you want to play it, just pirate it. Please. Don't give them a single cent for this.    … Expand
  79. V0ldek
    Jun 6, 2014
    10
    The game is just what I expected it to be. Is it bad? Hell no! It's the game of the year for me (at least for now, but I think it will hold this status). I don't care about graphics (water is amazing, though) and hacking everything is just too damn great. Story is awesome, I like the main character. Freedom is absolutely here, just like in Deus Ex: HR - you can sneak, hack, take outThe game is just what I expected it to be. Is it bad? Hell no! It's the game of the year for me (at least for now, but I think it will hold this status). I don't care about graphics (water is amazing, though) and hacking everything is just too damn great. Story is awesome, I like the main character. Freedom is absolutely here, just like in Deus Ex: HR - you can sneak, hack, take out hostiles quietly or go for the frontal assault. I don't want to convince anyone that this game is uber-awesome: I love it, I sold my soul to it, I go back to playing it right now. 10/10 would bang.… Expand
  80. Killatomate
    Jun 6, 2014
    1
    This game has the worst mouse+keyboard controls ever seen in a video game. totally unresponsive, sluggish, inaccurate, inconsistent (constantly changing), with FORCED MOUSE ACCELERATION (positive and negative accel).
    unplayable.
    it also happens to have the worst driving i have ever seen in a game. horrible steering, unresponsive gas, unresponsive brakes, NO PHYSICS, no    This game has the worst mouse+keyboard controls ever seen in a video game. totally unresponsive, sluggish, inaccurate, inconsistent (constantly changing), with FORCED MOUSE ACCELERATION (positive and negative accel).
    unplayable.

    it also happens to have the worst driving i have ever seen in a game. horrible steering, unresponsive gas, unresponsive brakes, NO PHYSICS, no e-brake/drifting, nothing.

    extremely long boring cutscenes and videos cannot be skipped. wanna restart the game to change mouse sensitivity? watch 8 minutes of boring cutscenes again!

    playing this game feels like a bad dream. you feel paralysed and unable to control your character. its like playing soccer with your legs tied togther. ITS NOT FUN! ITS A NIGHTMARE!

    fug Watch Dogs and fukk Ubisoft.    … Expand
  81. Blackstarhalo4
    Jun 6, 2014
    10
    Absolutely amazing! This game exceeds expectations, and I would definitely play the story again! Seems a bit like a GTA clone at first, but its totally unique! 10/10
  82. DatTriple
    Jun 6, 2014
    3
    Repetitive, extremely dumbed down and over all boring game. "Hold X to hack"? Could they at least have made a mini-game sequence like in the Mass Effect series? The game is full of clichés and uninteresting characters.
  83. yY2
    Jun 6, 2014
    2
    One of worst games i ever played:

    -Story is dumb
    -Side missions have 0 creativity and are all the same
    -Gameplay is boring

    +Only interesting thing was hacking, but it got old very fast too.
    DONT BUY THIS
  84. Br4d
    Jun 6, 2014
    4
    Despite the abundant technical issues.. If you're a PC gamer, you might want to skip this one if you don't own a controller. Driving is almost impossible without it.. And you'll be driving from the mission icon, to the actual mission CONSTANTLY. This game defines 'mediocre at best' and has some of the silliest logic i've seen in a long time. One example of many. - Find someone with aDespite the abundant technical issues.. If you're a PC gamer, you might want to skip this one if you don't own a controller. Driving is almost impossible without it.. And you'll be driving from the mission icon, to the actual mission CONSTANTLY. This game defines 'mediocre at best' and has some of the silliest logic i've seen in a long time. One example of many. - Find someone with a $120,000 bank account.. Hack their pointless phone conversation.. Find someone with $32 in their account, rob them blind- ... One button Hacking is a gameplay mechanic they really let me down with.. Actually this whole game was a letdown for me. I would not recommend buying for full retail price. DONT BELIEVE THE HYPE and save your money .… Expand
  85. 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
  86. TheOsman
    Jun 6, 2014
    1
    The golden idea of being able to hack a city, but the worst execution of developing this idea into something that is not even in the same league as other sandbox games like GTA 5 or even Prototype.

    1) Shoot a civilian in the toe? DEAD. Run over his legs with a car? DEAD. Even their reactions to situations are always the same, always generic and disappointing. 2) Anyone can shoot at    The golden idea of being able to hack a city, but the worst execution of developing this idea into something that is not even in the same league as other sandbox games like GTA 5 or even Prototype.

    1) Shoot a civilian in the toe? DEAD. Run over his legs with a car? DEAD. Even their reactions to situations are always the same, always generic and disappointing.

    2) Anyone can shoot at you from vehicles. Police, criminals, they all shoot at you and can kill you from cars and even helicopters. And can you do the same? NO. You have to sit in your car and take it or drive away. Was it so hard to add this feature as well you lazy and boring developers?

    3) No using melee on anyone either. Only specific take downs, only on certain enemies. Why would you not add this simple feature when you have an awesome weapon, a BATON? Again, lazy development cannot be explained by the style of the game when it takes away fundamental freedoms a player should have.

    4) All the guns, available all the time, no need to buy ammo ever either. You can basically walk around carrying more than 20 guns plus all types of other equipment. Where is the realism? Why was there no reason to make this game the least bit challenging?

    5) Worst story line ever. reminded me of the old House of Dead arcade games. The dialogue was written by someone who has never seen real humans interact before, and the voice actors read it like a cheesy Hollywood movie which bombed the box office 50 years ago. Even the radio interviews of main antagonists are so cringe worthy and fake, can't help but think this was on purpose to let people laugh at the game and say "wow this is really bad"

    6) BORING AND REPETITIVE GAME PLAY. And in a world where you can potentially hack the city? Absolutely. All the main plot missions are basically the same, infiltrate by hacking, stealthily kill people the exact same ways over and over again, then listen to **** dialogue that will kill you from the cringe if you listen to it. All those side missions? The same action every time in their respective categories of either shooting up a bunch of people in their cars on their way to somewhere or some other non-original objectives to choose from.

    The list is never ending, just type in Watch Dogs Bugs into Youtube and ask yourself why anyone would release such a malfunctioning, poorly developed game, and have the decency to use a console port for PC like everything else was so perfect. DO NOT BUY this game, clearly just created to make money for unimaginative and lazy people. If a developer is reading this, you ruined a perfectly good idea into a pile of **** great job.    … Expand
  87. Zuul
    Jun 6, 2014
    0
    - the driving mechanics ruin the game
    - cars feel like plastic toys and the handling makes it unplayable
    - the ai is bad
    - the draw distance is very low, cars, npcs and objects pop up in front of you while driving
  88. Faloslord
    Jun 6, 2014
    0
    Nextgenshiiet like are old shiieet of olddogs. THIS like a douchebag in shieet . I could burn my money and get the same shhhiet. I can say some wolrd about this game :
    - This shiieit
    -This game suck my balls -Developers can suck my balls too , and go fucthisshiiietyourself. -I want kill peoples ather this NEXTGENNNNjaaaGAME. -IF U BUY THIS GAME UR MOM DIE from cancer of the rabies    Nextgenshiiet like are old shiieet of olddogs. THIS like a douchebag in shieet . I could burn my money and get the same shhhiet. I can say some wolrd about this game :
    - This shiieit
    -This game suck my balls
    -Developers can suck my balls too , and go fucthisshiiietyourself.
    -I want kill peoples ather this NEXTGENNNNjaaaGAME.
    -IF U BUY THIS GAME UR MOM DIE from cancer of the rabies uterus.
    -When i buy and play this game my dog is suicede. My cat try kill me . My dad try rape me. OMG WHYYY.
    -My turtle call in polece and say thet i mad and i plaistered thiiisshiiietnextgensheeeeit    … Expand
  89. Ercuru
    Jun 5, 2014
    4
    Several things:
    - was fooled by Ubisoft promises about what i would have
    - not so interesting in long game
    - we have seen many of gameplay features in others games like GTA, Assassin's creed
    - bad realization of hacking (5 minutes run in city and several thousands dollars from NPC phones - are you joking?)
  90. Skippy224
    Jun 5, 2014
    9
    I'm pretty shocked to see the amount of negative user scores for this game. I think it bought a fresh perspective into open world activities and had a pretty rich story line too. Very pretty game too if you have the right hardware.
  91. 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
  92. SpyderScythe
    Jun 5, 2014
    10
    I had a blast with Watch Dogs. Very interesting open world with a ton of things to do, time would fly by like crazy when playing. Online is intense fun. Being able to tail someone else playing the game and has no idea you're there or hacking someone and they definitely know you're there can be a blast! I love this game a lot, and Ubisoft did a good job putting out a stellar new IP. I'mI had a blast with Watch Dogs. Very interesting open world with a ton of things to do, time would fly by like crazy when playing. Online is intense fun. Being able to tail someone else playing the game and has no idea you're there or hacking someone and they definitely know you're there can be a blast! I love this game a lot, and Ubisoft did a good job putting out a stellar new IP. I'm really excited with the direction they could take this idea.

    A must buy!    … Expand
  93. inverguy
    Jun 5, 2014
    3
    Firstly I need to say that I got this game with my new graphic card for free as such enjoyed it as a free product, although as something most ppl need to pay for I would be extremely annoyed with. This is pretty much a copy of GTA5 but it is much worse. Cars drive like crap, but you can get used to this. Feels like more of a shooter with one magic button to hack stuff.

    I think the    Firstly I need to say that I got this game with my new graphic card for free as such enjoyed it as a free product, although as something most ppl need to pay for I would be extremely annoyed with. This is pretty much a copy of GTA5 but it is much worse. Cars drive like crap, but you can get used to this. Feels like more of a shooter with one magic button to hack stuff.

    I think the biggest disappointment is multiplayer (hacking and following). If you get some basic ideas how the game works there is no way for someone to successfully complete one of these successfully. Although the reward system is constructed the way you will always level up over time.

    In my humble opinion you can get more fun out of £7 indie games than this so unless the price is dropped to around £20, don't buy it.

    PS: don't get into this internet hype about this game... you will be disappointed if you expect too much.

    PS: the trailer of this game is VERY misleading. Watch some "gameplay" videos first !!!!    … Expand
  94. Wolfgrin
    Jun 5, 2014
    3
    Sadly a very boring game after you played if for a hour or two, it almost feels like that's when the developers also gave up on the game and just used copy and paste to finish it. Worse game so far I have bought from Ubisoft, feels like a EA game with all that comes with that......
  95. Kaidan
    Jun 5, 2014
    0
    8 Crashes in one hour.

    Really disappointed with Ubisoft on this one. I was excited to hear when they were pushing back the release date because it would mean a more polished game at launch right? Ubisoft made this game for Nvidia rigs only. If you have ANY AMD components, you'll likely suffer the same fate as me, crashes gallore (this isn't AMD's fault - more on this later). I have a    8 Crashes in one hour.

    Really disappointed with Ubisoft on this one. I was excited to hear when they were pushing back the release date because it would mean a more polished game at launch right?

    Ubisoft made this game for Nvidia rigs only. If you have ANY AMD components, you'll likely suffer the same fate as me, crashes gallore (this isn't AMD's fault - more on this later). I have a Nvidia GTX 770 but an AMD FX 8350 processor. I thought I would be fine with a Nvidia card.

    I thought wrong. After doing some googling it turns out that Ubisoft gave AMD the back of its hand and worked exclusively with Nvidia in the creation of this game. Essentially, Nivida was allowed to place as much input as it wanted into the development of Watchdogs, but AMD wasn't allowed to even say hello. The result?

    Terrible performance (and crashes) with AMD rigs until AMD scrambles to put up a driver patch just because Ubisoft played favorites. Don't count on Ubisoft riding in to fix the problem for AMD users- Nvidia paid them off to make sure nothing like that's gonna happen. Don't get me wrong, this isn't a bash on Nvidia, I've been a long time fan of their cards, but Ubisoft needs to work openly with both manufacturers and not play favorites or the whole pc gaming community will end up suffering as a result.

    Jason Evanelho from Forbes wrote a great article on this madness entitled "Why Watch Dogs is Bad News for AMD Users-- and Potentially the Entire PC Gaming Ecosystem" - well worth the read    … Expand
  96. Jonathan117
    Jun 5, 2014
    4
    Honestly; The biggest waste of money so far this year, also an awful disapointment.
    Pros:
    -Voice Actors are fairly good, although a bit stiff at times. -Hacking works fairly well, even though it is fairly limited to the press of a button and really requires no skill what so ever. -Story is ok, although a bit hard to get into. -Fairly cool mechanism where you can see everyones    Honestly; The biggest waste of money so far this year, also an awful disapointment.
    Pros:
    -Voice Actors are fairly good, although a bit stiff at times.
    -Hacking works fairly well, even though it is fairly limited to the press of a button and really requires no skill what so ever.
    -Story is ok, although a bit hard to get into.
    -Fairly cool mechanism where you can see everyones background by hacking their phone.
    Cons:
    -Performance wise this is the worst I have seen in years (a patch is incoming so this might be addressed)
    -Boring side missions, ''shoot this'', ''identify that'', ''catch that car''. Not. Fun. At. All.
    -Way, way worse graphics than what we originally saw at E3
    -Only a few types of enemies, doesn't help that they are extremely easy to deal with.
    -Lack of customization in every aspect.
    -Skills you can unlock are extremely limited in scope and rarely does anything epic.
    Summary:
    The game seeks to be an original, hacking game. This however failed miserably, the hacking is decent but far from what we expected, pressing a button and ♥♥♥♥ exploding everywhere is only enjoyable for a short time. Other than the hacking this game is pretty much a scaled down version of GTA, Mafia, Saints Row. No customization, few enjoyable weapons, boring vehicles, no interesting character interaction. Want realism, great action, a decent story? Play GTA (Once, if ever, it comes out on PC #RockstarHatesPCgamers. Want fun, a great story and loads of weapons, customization, funny dialogue etc... Play Saints Row. Want a great story, great atmosphere and extremely enjoyable albeit linear gameplay? Play Mafia 2!
    This game is not recommended, waste of 70€, regretting the purchase more every second I think of it.    … Expand
  97. BumblebeeTMB
    Jun 5, 2014
    0
    Сюжет не интересен, игровой процесс "Нажми Х чтобы победить", процесс взлома даже не близок к реальности, машины сделаны из чугуния, НПЦ бессмысленные, игра говно. Хорошо что не поддержал рублем. Идет оно нах.
  98. Cyliann
    Jun 5, 2014
    0
    So let me get this straight.. They have been making this game for over 4+ years, having several massive delays to "bring it up to quality standards" while boasting some of the most intrusive and annoying DRM (with outages at release like SimCity) there is just to have pirates crack the game a whopping week before release? I mean, holy f*ck Ubisoft, you screwed up big time with this one.So let me get this straight.. They have been making this game for over 4+ years, having several massive delays to "bring it up to quality standards" while boasting some of the most intrusive and annoying DRM (with outages at release like SimCity) there is just to have pirates crack the game a whopping week before release? I mean, holy f*ck Ubisoft, you screwed up big time with this one.

    As this game is a colossal failure beyond my abilties to write in the form of sentences, I'm simply going to list all the problems in this "Sandbox" game:

    Watch_Dogs automatically tries to force you into the "Good Karma" route as doing literally any actual "random" event on the world map is just "DURRR, EYM A CRIME SOLVUR, I LISTEN IN ON YUR PHOON N DEN GO 2 SUM PLEYC 2 WITNES SHET LOL". Playing as a bad guy? Well, you'll have no opportunity to say, take advantage of a situation but the worst crime here is the system itself. You need to stay close enough before & when the crime is being commited and If you step in just a little when the game deems it to be 99% close to a crime being commited (as symbolized by the PROBABILITY OF BEING A VICTIM TO A CRIME PERCENTAGE METER above a person's head), both parties (the robber and the one getting robbed, for example) will both fitz into a seizure, ignore eachother and start to casually powerwalk away from the location, and the game saying "HAHA, YOU FAILED TO PREVENT A CRIME, THE CRIMINAL SAW YOU THROUGH THE EYE IN HIS NECK AND NOW HE WILL GO AND COMMIT A CRIME ANOTHER DAY XD". It's just development stupidity beyond my imagination. What did I do subsequently? I shot the criminal in the back of his head and went away smiling. But shame that I got no reward stopping a future crime, nor did I get the opportunity to loot his corpse as the only thing I gained was a "MURDERER!!!!" popup at the top right of my screen.

    The police in this game has to be some of the worst I've seen in a while. They are either ignorant, deaf and dumb clutz when you are sneaking around, taking them out loudly with a baton or they're all super-cops, unloading a 100% accuracy barrage of bullets from all directions after rushing to a scene at 160 km/h because they got a report that someone got bumped by a car. I even had the audacity to try and lose them by driving in reversed traffic at full speed in a sports-car. Nope nope nope, said Ubisoft, they have cybernetic implants along with a 600% boost to their handling and breaking capabilities when chasing you, Ubisoft states while jerking off. Don't ask why, our game is perfect and completely justifiles a 60€ pricetag that will drop faster than my libido after orgasm once people start reading reviews for our rubbish. Another police problem would be that patrol cars don't react to traffic laws being broken whatsoever. Drive in opposite lane? No problem. Bump and scratch into people? No problem. Be inches away from driving over a dozen pedestrians? No problem.

    Another huge immersive problem would be the people themselves in the city. Apart from a few heavily scripted instances, the personality and overall consistency of the inhabitants are completely off. I've seen dozens of hobos playing virtual reality videogames on their high-end phones while listening in on people that "recently had a panic attack" talk in very deep, collective and calm voices about casually commiting illegal activity. And when that Isn't blatantly obvious, there's also the fact that ALL pedestrians are capable of literally pouncing away from your car If you approach them at even miniscule speeds. This includes eldery people and while seeing an old lady in her 80-90's spasm 4 feet away from my car's hood within the blink of an eye, It's not very realistic while also concreting in the "Good Karma" ideals that the developers have in mind, not letting you do mass murders so easily or realize the absurdly bad car physics to hitting a human body. The cutscenes also look abyssmal with every single NPC set of teeth resembling the detail with that of carved bricks of limestone.

    Cars and every aspect of the driving element in this game is copypasted from Sleeping Dogs. While functional, It's FAR from what people expect in this kind of game and more importantly, it's way different from what was advertised as the only "dynamic" thing about cars in this game is that a few plastic covers will fall off after enough damage. The fact that some cars will THROW themselves on the horn 0.0000001 seconds if you slightly bump their rear end is also another example of horrid game design when combined with the constantly occuring scenario where I'd be driving through an intersection, have a truck drive past, I speed up, and the truck suddenly slams on his breaks as he's 85% done crossing the intersection, causing me to crash into his backside because the turd AI in this game told him "SCARY SCARY SITUATION, HE CLOSE, U SLAM BREAKS NOW OK?" It's cheap, It's false advertising and It's Watch Dogs. Stay away.    … Expand
  99. Sabatasso
    Jun 5, 2014
    5
    This game is the best example of what's wrong with computer games today;
    A) It has good graphics and a large world where you can go about your own business
    B) It is very simple and pose hardly any resistance; success one way or another is guaranteed for the player What part B coul've said is that it's dumbed down to a level where it's actually an insult to the people who buy the    This game is the best example of what's wrong with computer games today;
    A) It has good graphics and a large world where you can go about your own business
    B) It is very simple and pose hardly any resistance; success one way or another is guaranteed for the player

    What part B coul've said is that it's dumbed down to a level where it's actually an insult to the people who buy the product, which is actually Ubisoft's speciality.

    What do I rate this game at? Well, it's not a 0 but it far from a 10. I'd say 5 is a fair and balanced grade that says everything about this product as a whole.    … Expand
  100. DragonBall89
    Jun 5, 2014
    3
    The game is a major disappointment and although i can't say that there aren't any things that i like, those are nothing comparing to those that i dislike.

    I can't shot from either car or motorcycle, the driving is..... it's hard to get use to it, if its even possible. If you're playing in multiplayer and the other player has a controller you are doomed. You can practically fly    The game is a major disappointment and although i can't say that there aren't any things that i like, those are nothing comparing to those that i dislike.

    I can't shot from either car or motorcycle, the driving is..... it's hard to get use to it, if its even possible.

    If you're playing in multiplayer and the other player has a controller you are doomed.

    You can practically fly through the entire game with a silenced pistol.

    and other smaller things like crashes and so on.

    I won't get into the story but let's say it really ain't worth the money, i bought watch dogs but no way in wherever that i buy any dlc, actually i just finished the story part of the game 2 days ago and didn't even touched the game since.    … 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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