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. Mortvicr
    May 29, 2014
    2
    Foremost, before you buy this game I would like to warn you of the terrible car handling, as with most of these type of games from GTA, Just Cause 2 and Sleeping dogs the driving is one of the main part of the game. GTA driving mechanics weren't great, but Watch Dog are just awful, bordering unplayable.

    The cars slip and slid around like that the ice part in Zelda: ocarina of time, -    Foremost, before you buy this game I would like to warn you of the terrible car handling, as with most of these type of games from GTA, Just Cause 2 and Sleeping dogs the driving is one of the main part of the game. GTA driving mechanics weren't great, but Watch Dog are just awful, bordering unplayable.

    The cars slip and slid around like that the ice part in Zelda: ocarina of time, - Don't turn enough and the car doesn't turn, turn too much and its slips'n'slids and fish tails around like crazy, hitting every, lamp post, car, fence, wall, pedestrian and building, which makes those - Chase guy mission frustrating, or tail that guy and invade the goons are just plan unenjoyable. And there are loads of these, the main campaign is mostly tail this guy, chase those guys oh and the terrible sneak into the build or sneak out without been seen, and if they catch you it's right back to the beginning again.

    It take all the worst and annoying elements from other open world games, the parts that are just filling to add more packing to the game, Watch_Dogs is that, filler.

    This is a god awful game, and a nasty little PC port..    … Expand
  2. kstud1
    Jun 1, 2014
    0
    Bait and switch from E3, playing watch dogs I jumped into the river to escape cops, the water disappeared and i was running on the bottom of the river ground with no water and looking up I could see boats but sense there's no water I could not swim up to them, what was the extra six months for?
  3. KushAstronaut
    Jul 24, 2015
    10
    Great game. They've updated it to make it more compatible with AMD hardware, as far as I can tell. It really doesn't deserve so many negative reviews. Hardware issues aside, the game itself is a fantastic game, and is a lot of fun to play.
  4. DNGrigorov
    May 27, 2014
    0
    Quite possibly the most overhyped blunder of the new-gen. Horrible optimization, horrible graphics that we were outright lied to at E3, AI is abysmal, gunplay is abysmal, the list goes on if you want just scroll down and read through the negative reviews. They're mostly all true.
  5. kartana
    May 27, 2014
    4
    Overrated and badly optimized console port. There is nothing new here. The hacking is mostly a gimmick. It's the standard "go here, go there, click that and now escape the bad boys chasing you".
  6. 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
  7. MetalDude185
    Jun 29, 2014
    3
    Let's start with the bloody obvious. The state of the PC version is a joke. The lighting is hideously flat and a filthy monochrome in most scenes, as opposed to what we saw at E3 two years ago. It has hideously outdated particle effects and shadows. Yes, the water looks great, but that doesn't count when there is no setting in the entire game that makes it run at at least 60fps on myLet's start with the bloody obvious. The state of the PC version is a joke. The lighting is hideously flat and a filthy monochrome in most scenes, as opposed to what we saw at E3 two years ago. It has hideously outdated particle effects and shadows. Yes, the water looks great, but that doesn't count when there is no setting in the entire game that makes it run at at least 60fps on my high-end PC. In some places I felt like I was playing GTA IV. The pop-in in the open world is so terrible that it interferes with gameplay, especially when driving at high speeds. Weeks after its release there's still no patch out.

    Now for the gameplay, the hacking is has turned out to be a gimmick that becomes tired in the first few hours you actually get to play with it. There are some interesting things you can do with it but those become boring after you've seen them a few times and most things you do with it are executed by just holding down a button for a second. Other than that, there are serviceable driving mechanics in place, but there's very little to do with it, as everything in the gameworld just has nothing interesting to offer you, not to mention that the graphics are so bad that it doesn't even have the entertainment value of just looking at the scenery, like you could do if it was just a boring game with great visuals.
    Also it has semi-cover-based shooting mechanics, but there's just no punch to it and it's usually just frustrating to "play", especially when the framerate runs like a turtle.

    The story is clichéd and the main "character" is not even just unrelatable, he's boring and hasn't got a single sign of a personality or character trait, but it's not presented in any way in which we could roleplay as our own. The game clearly thinks it's got an interesting character loaded with personality and a heavy emotional story, but it just falls flat on its face, because there is no character or actual strong emotional development to any of it.

    This game would have been a huge dissapointment, if I would have been invested in the hype, so at least it didn't hurt me there, but what we have is still a hugely boring and noticeably overhyped "Triple-A" game, with a terrible PC version.    … Expand
  8. Loyen
    May 27, 2014
    3
    plain boring, forced mouse acceleration and plenty of unoptimization issues, Uplay sucks and the graphics are nowhere near what they showed at E3, just a pile of garbage.
  9. Mamurai
    May 28, 2014
    3
    Ubisoft didn't bother optimizing this game for PC at all, which means it will poorly at the moment on any system. Combine that with graphics which do not look next gen when it comes to PC and you have an overhyped game that is a GTA clone with better graphics, yet runs poorly. It certainly doesn't look better than Battlefield 3 for PC and that game is hardly new anymore. Uplay doesn't workUbisoft didn't bother optimizing this game for PC at all, which means it will poorly at the moment on any system. Combine that with graphics which do not look next gen when it comes to PC and you have an overhyped game that is a GTA clone with better graphics, yet runs poorly. It certainly doesn't look better than Battlefield 3 for PC and that game is hardly new anymore. Uplay doesn't work very well either and you will find yourself wishing you didn't have to go through that program to play a singleplayer game.

    The game is overhyped, but seems to be an ok GTA clone if they can sort out all those optimizing issues. Unless you have a high-end PC then stay far away unless they fix any of the current issues, and you want a modern GTA clone.    … Expand
  10. Bleuzarro
    May 27, 2014
    4
    So here's the thing, the game is simply horrifically optimized. They said the 2012 e3 version everyone saw was actually running on a gtx Titan. So it looked great, but clearly not everybody has a Titan. Even if you can run all other games these days on ultra, you prob will barely get by on medium unless you have a 3k$+ rig. It's sad. And AMD users are horrifically screwed over.

    Anywho.    So here's the thing, the game is simply horrifically optimized. They said the 2012 e3 version everyone saw was actually running on a gtx Titan. So it looked great, but clearly not everybody has a Titan. Even if you can run all other games these days on ultra, you prob will barely get by on medium unless you have a 3k$+ rig. It's sad. And AMD users are horrifically screwed over.

    Anywho. Aside from that, which to me really ruins the experience. The controls are terrible. It was meant for a controller. If you use a mouse you get terrible lag until you manually change the settings in the file. Thank reddit users for that info.

    The driving made me so angry at first, because the game didn't seem to take into account anything I was telling it to do. Pretty much any game ever has better driving in it. Sleeping dogs, gta, saints row. The controls are just terrible. But I eventually got the hang of it several hours later, although it certainly isn't an enjoyable experience.

    The reason I started with these things is because sure, the story may not be great and hacking is cool sometimes, but ultimately if I can't even play the game and enjoy it, all the little things about gameplay don't even matter.

    TL:DR.
    Graphics are a huge let down. Most people wont be able to run it on max settings to get it to look good. Mouse settings are finicky and driving is horrendous. GTA V is a better game to me simply because all the controls and optimization were so polished that you didn't have to worry about it and could enjoy the game and story and characters for what it was.

    PS. the story was clearly an afterthought. The idea came first then they meshed splinter cell and infamous and whatever other story they could find and tacked it on. Also another disappointment.

    Oh one other thing, game looks great at night in the rain. Put on some cheats and run wild with a grenade launcher and destroy the cops. Most fun I've had in the game.    … Expand
  11. MateusRoscoe
    May 28, 2014
    0
    It looks like a game from 2008, it doesn't respect ANY physics... Driving is the most terrible thing I've ever seen, you can "crash" with your bike into a car and you don't fall, you can drive your car into another and nothing happens, there's a lot of bugs too... The game's optimization for PC is a crap, you can't play with the recommended settings, AMD graphics cards ? Forget it, itIt looks like a game from 2008, it doesn't respect ANY physics... Driving is the most terrible thing I've ever seen, you can "crash" with your bike into a car and you don't fall, you can drive your car into another and nothing happens, there's a lot of bugs too... The game's optimization for PC is a crap, you can't play with the recommended settings, AMD graphics cards ? Forget it, it won't run well... It was about 4 years of development and this game seems like a crap indie game... Smaller map than GTA 4... If you buy it, you will see bugs, every **** moment. They're selling a unfinished game just that... Hyped us with something real good, they delayed it to finish, but they didn't finished anything, I rather wait more 4 years than buying this ****… Expand
  12. 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
  13. Eyes1
    Aug 29, 2014
    0
    The more I play this game the more convinced I am that I have been ripped off! The developer carries on like the graphics and visuals are a 'game' changer but I honestly cannot see the greatness. Especially given the amount of resources it uses. It does remind me of a time when we wrote programs and our code was not very good which resulted in our basic game utilizing massive resources.The more I play this game the more convinced I am that I have been ripped off! The developer carries on like the graphics and visuals are a 'game' changer but I honestly cannot see the greatness. Especially given the amount of resources it uses. It does remind me of a time when we wrote programs and our code was not very good which resulted in our basic game utilizing massive resources. But that cant be the case here can it....Maybe I should go have my eyes tested or something.… Expand
  14. bestreviews2020
    Nov 13, 2020
    10
    Just came here to say, here's my positive review for this amazing game.........
  15. MrBrioche
    May 29, 2014
    0
    Two words describe this piece of crap : SCRIPTED EVENT!
    They said we could choose how to do the mission... **** if you do a perfect stealth mission at a point some guard/car will pop out of nowhere and charge like you have some kind of GPS on you.
    Another thing I had to get closer of my tv, the game was giving me headache. I played for 30+ hours and so far the most ''fun'' thing I've    Two words describe this piece of crap : SCRIPTED EVENT!
    They said we could choose how to do the mission... **** if you do a perfect stealth mission at a point some guard/car will pop out of nowhere and charge like you have some kind of GPS on you.
    Another thing I had to get closer of my tv, the game was giving me headache.
    I played for 30+ hours and so far the most ''fun'' thing I've done is the Spider-tank mini game and it wasn't that fun...    … Expand
  16. Loucetios
    May 31, 2014
    3
    Horrible game, amazing engine.

    I flat out refuse to believe they have been working on this game since 2009. The engine for the game? Sure. The entire game can be summarized in one sentence "Press Y to hack." The music is **** and the gameplay is like a dumbed down GTA5 with terrible controls. All vehicles handle like go-karts, and they all handle exactly the same. The    Horrible game, amazing engine.

    I flat out refuse to believe they have been working on this game since 2009. The engine for the game? Sure.

    The entire game can be summarized in one sentence "Press Y to hack."

    The music is **** and the gameplay is like a dumbed down GTA5 with terrible controls.

    All vehicles handle like go-karts, and they all handle exactly the same. The motorcycles are a complete joke.

    I appreciated the unix nods in the intro and stuff like that but ultimately the game has absolutely nothing to do with network security or "hacking". It may as well be magic.

    The story is garbage, complete and utter trite.

    The only redeeming feature of this game is the engines ability. There seems to be amazing A.I in the game, and bullet/particle/physics effects are all very cool. They slapped a very ****ty game onto a very cool engine by the looks of it.

    Wait for the sequel.    … Expand
  17. Dhrall
    May 27, 2014
    0
    Can't even launch the game because of Uplay, until Ubisoft gets rid of the idiotic 'service' don't buy anything from them. This isn't the first time Uplay has caused issues for me either, having previously deleted 6 hours of game progress in AC4.
  18. silenterfox
    May 29, 2014
    0
    i had 2 gb nvidia 540m and i cant play this **** .producers use nvdia in ads that so funny. this is a fraud. this is a shame. we are aggrieved. im so sad.
  19. Weiker1
    May 28, 2014
    2
    Tris game is broken. Is not normal with a pc gamer with hi specs the FPS goes 15 on ultra. Many people with 780Ti with 6gb vram watch dogs runs 20 FPS.

    Very bad optimization. The last game that I buy from Ubilol. Never again.
    Que te den Ubilol.

    Sorry for muy poor english.
  20. Mel2387
    May 28, 2014
    2
    - Stupid AI
    - Basic shadow
    - Poor graphics
    - Bad shooting system
    - Hacking system not interesting
    - Game full of bugs
    - Copycat of GTA
    - Just boring !
  21. mrklotz
    May 27, 2014
    0
    This game has 9 different editions and the season pass doesn't even cover all the available DLC, to add insult to injury it also uses uplay DRM on top of steam. I guess you can view those points as problems with the publisher instead of the game's fault - that's why I didn't factor those into my score, nonetheless they are here so you can make an educated purchase or not.

    Now about the    This game has 9 different editions and the season pass doesn't even cover all the available DLC, to add insult to injury it also uses uplay DRM on top of steam. I guess you can view those points as problems with the publisher instead of the game's fault - that's why I didn't factor those into my score, nonetheless they are here so you can make an educated purchase or not.

    Now about the game itself. Ubisoft has promised us a true next-gen experience (whatever that actually means) but Watch_Dogs fails to deliver in almost every regard.

    - The PC Version is very unoptimized and is crash prone, there are also crashes related to AMD AND Nvidia drivers but you can't fully blame them for this.
    - Graphics on ultra doesn't look that good yet the game requires big hardware for it (see point above for why)
    - Car Handling is really bad
    - AI is overly scripted and generally bad; Examples: When you are in a vehicle and drive onto the rails the trains will do a full stop for you - even if they have just 4m to hit you which brings us to the next point
    - Physics are very, very bad. Generally the game feels like GTA on training wheels, Cars and trains will do physical impossible full stops to get out of your way, there is no real deforming/damage models on vehicles, you can hop out of moving trains without any injury, drive your bike with full speed into a wall and it just stops, then you drive backwards against a pole and your car is flung 100m into the air.
    - Missions are repetitive and not fun after a while, the story is also a kind of hit and miss. There is really no character development
    - The most notorious flaw however is lazy developers/ Lack of detail: Poor Water detail (no spray when you shoot it, static waves etc), static shadows, reflections are phony - they only reflect static images no cars, NPCs or even the protagonist, lack of vehicle damage model, most decorations are static and can't be destroyed by driving your car into it, no scratching walls with your vehicle, invisible walls everywhere, overdone minigames with little to no change to them, shooting civilians always kills them with a single bullet even if you hit their pinky. Hacking is very boring after 1-2hrs in the game, always the same pattern (very much like a problem with the AC series), speaking of Assasins Creed: They even copied the run animation for Watch dogs, do some sprinting and you will recognize it.

    There really is no excuse for all that laziness for a game that promised a nextgen experience and even went so far to compare itself (in it's own ads) with GTA. GTA4 does everything in the detail category better and was released 2008! Also it's highly modable which can put it above this game graphic wise and still perform better.
    I'd give this 3/10 but as so many idios give it 10 to "even out" the bad reviews, well I'm doing that too.    … Expand
  22. static1990
    May 27, 2014
    3
    Sadly this game is really unplayable at this stage,it is very bad optimized i have a high end rig and i got 15-35 fps on ultra and like 45-50 fps on low and even then it sutter.
    PS: Intel i5 Haswell 2.8ghz,gtx 780 and 8gb ram yea...shame ubisoft.
  23. Rewind84
    May 28, 2014
    2
    Fast Facts about Watch Dogs:
    1st- CONSOLE PORT !
    2st- you can not drive with out game pad
    3st- plot is average
    4st- The game is unoptimize for PC's
    5st- Gta IV can beat watch dogs !
    6st- Its not A NEXT GEN game is an old gen game !
  24. johnnyjoint
    May 27, 2014
    0
    The game is amazing!!! This is the nextgen!!! The cars are handling like a brick and missing the deformation. Those amazing pedestrians with the same walking animation. The boring storyline, and press to win hacking. Oh god 10/10!!!
  25. metaduke
    May 27, 2014
    0
    Ubi$oft really dropped the ball on this one. I guess the delay didn't help at all.

    The game launched with many bugs and complaints. One of the biggest ones is the need to install uPlay and launch it through steam everytime before you play as a sort of middleman who really hates you.

    The game crashes constantly, if you can even get in the game that is.
  26. easy91
    May 27, 2014
    0
    Brain dead AI!
    Carton cars!
    Cliched and boring story lane!
    Boring City!!!!!!!!!
    You cant fight!!!!
    Nothing to do in this game!!!
    Worthless game!
  27. ablindpoet
    May 27, 2014
    0
    Uplay and optimization needed? These are just some of the many complaint I have about Watch Dogs. I hated it. I really did. Hoping from the very beginning that it was going to be a great science fiction action game, I was generally let down. Only positive critique I can give this CASH GRAB from Ubisoft is that that water is alright. These developers expect all of us to hype up about theirUplay and optimization needed? These are just some of the many complaint I have about Watch Dogs. I hated it. I really did. Hoping from the very beginning that it was going to be a great science fiction action game, I was generally let down. Only positive critique I can give this CASH GRAB from Ubisoft is that that water is alright. These developers expect all of us to hype up about their games. Make the trailers and "game play" trailers not exactly fact. Then we pre-order the **** out of it. This needs to stop.… Expand
  28. killazz2630
    May 27, 2014
    0
    It starts out really promising, but of course this game is utter **** Read all of the other reviews, and you'll understand.

    Even a game from 2008 could beat this.
  29. Phatsnake
    May 27, 2014
    0
    Ubisoft just gave the middle finger to 40% of the PC community who use AMD Radeon cards like myself. I won't blame Nvidia for ruining the industry with their proprietary crap and closed environment. I'm blaming Ubisoft for ignoring us. I'll update my review once the game gets patched, and if not I'll be requesting a refund.
  30. SethEvandor
    May 27, 2014
    0
    Those people voting low are not just voting low for no reason. When you pull out a gun, people will suddenly turn around and look at you and people will see you take it out through a wall. When you shoot at a vehicle window, it doesn't do anything if you're not fairly close to it... When you're driving, people will just run out the way without turning their head, it's so incrediblyThose people voting low are not just voting low for no reason. When you pull out a gun, people will suddenly turn around and look at you and people will see you take it out through a wall. When you shoot at a vehicle window, it doesn't do anything if you're not fairly close to it... When you're driving, people will just run out the way without turning their head, it's so incredibly unrealistic. Damn we're talking about a game which fails on a basic level. There are a plethora of problems, stated already in the other reviews here.… Expand
  31. Silverqt
    May 27, 2014
    2
    That game - garbage! Cant even play it.
    Reasons:
    1. The framerate is absolutely **** it lags on the same place where 2 sec ago was stable fps without **** reason. 2. Why everything so stupid? That side missions are absolutely without motivation and clear reason. Its level of SEGA mega drive 1990 year. 3. Hacking looks like big **** joke for 15 years imbeciles and everywhere with that    That game - garbage! Cant even play it.
    Reasons:
    1. The framerate is absolutely **** it lags on the same place where 2 sec ago was stable fps without **** reason.
    2. Why everything so stupid? That side missions are absolutely without motivation and clear reason. Its level of SEGA mega drive 1990 year.
    3. Hacking looks like big **** joke for 15 years imbeciles and everywhere with that freaking phone like idiotic ****.
    4. Visuals Ok, but its not that level what we saw on e3 2012. And its about technical. Grand Theft Auto 4 better in details, like crush the wall, hydrant etc. Car physics cant even compare. In details gta better in 1000 times.
    5. So i cant even fight in game? or what the **** cant kick someone ass.
    Thats only 10% of my claim, cos game is really idiotic. They fool everyone once again.    … Expand
  32. albertoberto
    May 27, 2014
    0
    Ubisoft is not giving a shiet about PC and thats enought for me to give it a big fat zero. Also the graphics are awful and this is important in a game that was marketed as "next-gen". What a load of bull crap.
  33. Bob-_-
    May 27, 2014
    3
    Watch Dogs is really nice looking, but still doesn't live up to the E3 footage - there are no impressive wind effects, light doesn't cast any shadows and there are no working mirror effects in the game. Pretty much the best looking things in the game are puddles at night. The gunplay works, but is nothing special and so do the ragdoll physics. That said, physics in general (collisions,Watch Dogs is really nice looking, but still doesn't live up to the E3 footage - there are no impressive wind effects, light doesn't cast any shadows and there are no working mirror effects in the game. Pretty much the best looking things in the game are puddles at night. The gunplay works, but is nothing special and so do the ragdoll physics. That said, physics in general (collisions, environment destruction) are just broken - bus stops completely fall apart at the lightest impact, but every vehicle in the game is just about indestructible and no damage is shown to occur to it. In addition to that, the game has invisible walls, as well as trains clipping through bridges and other very noticeable bugs. The hacking mechanics are simple button prompts and honestly don't go further than that. They're a gimmick put in to make Watch Dogs stand out, but fail, since they're not integrated into the gameplay enough. The AI is plain stupid - civilians don't react to the player shooting, even if they're just on the other end of the street and could clearly notice that; the police are blind and hiding behind the dashboard of your car in the middle of the street is enough to throw them off your tail and there is no way to be harmed if you run into traffic or in front of the train, since cars and trains just stop immediately if you step in front of them, regardless of the speed they were moving with. The story of the game is pretty decent and really well acted, but nowhere near the 40 hours the developers talked about (it took me around 14 hours to get through and I see people having similar times online).… Expand
  34. nebz
    May 27, 2014
    2
    I don't recommend this game. It was nothing but average and over hyped. Ubisoft sure know how to **** people off with their DRM. I have no idea why I even bothered buying this on steam, when I have to use Uplay too, what a friggin joke! The driving controls are so god damn sensitive I feel like I am in a damn car with schizophrenia. The movement controls are so clunky and thisI don't recommend this game. It was nothing but average and over hyped. Ubisoft sure know how to **** people off with their DRM. I have no idea why I even bothered buying this on steam, when I have to use Uplay too, what a friggin joke! The driving controls are so god damn sensitive I feel like I am in a damn car with schizophrenia. The movement controls are so clunky and this optimization is a total farce! If you can't help yourself and must play this, pirate it. Don't give them a cent more.

    THIS IS NOT WHAT YOU THINK IT IS MADE OUT TO BE. DO NOT BUY.    … Expand
  35. Onikami
    May 27, 2014
    0
    Don't buy this!! The game might be great but we'll see if you can run it. Many people are complaining that the game can't run on AMD cards, which is a very valid complain, however I own a top line Nvidia card (GTX 780) and I still can't play this.

    It may very well work better on any console but for the PC this port is a joke; the port of Dark Souls one ran better than this. First    Don't buy this!! The game might be great but we'll see if you can run it. Many people are complaining that the game can't run on AMD cards, which is a very valid complain, however I own a top line Nvidia card (GTX 780) and I still can't play this.

    It may very well work better on any console but for the PC this port is a joke; the port of Dark Souls one ran better than this.

    First off, for whatever reason the moment I loaded the game the camera zoomed in to about twice what it should and made cutscenes akward and gameplay unplayable. PC gaming is more complex than console but I have no idea how slipped Ubisoft by.

    Second off, I own a GTX 780 and computer to use it and I can't run this game on ultra. I've even seen reports of people with the same high end card having trouble running the game on low. Not only are the graphics lower than what was shown in trailers but it's optimized like a joke. If you have a high end pc don't think this is another great game for you.

    You may have noticed my review had nothing to do with the game and that is true. This is because I cannot play the game!! I can't even speak of the controls, story, or system of the game as I can't get to them in a manor that they were meant to be played. How can a game that achieved gold before relasing and had this much hype fail harder than the PC port for Dark Souls or even Battlefield 4?

    It's very rare I preorder a game unless the compnay or ip has proven to be worth it (aka Valve or Bioshock) but this has taught me a lesson I should have already guessed. Never preorder anything from Ubisoft because I never will again after this failure.    … Expand
  36. VoxPaladin
    May 27, 2014
    0
    Worst game of 2014? Could be. I thought Thief was bad but oh man, this game thinks way too much of itself as being the coolest open world action game out there. For a "next-gen" game, it lacks detail, reflections and atmosphere. The downgraded graphics aren't even the worst part... The game suffers major slowdowns, especially while driving and even on the lowest settings you'll be sittingWorst game of 2014? Could be. I thought Thief was bad but oh man, this game thinks way too much of itself as being the coolest open world action game out there. For a "next-gen" game, it lacks detail, reflections and atmosphere. The downgraded graphics aren't even the worst part... The game suffers major slowdowns, especially while driving and even on the lowest settings you'll be sitting around 15-30 fps, and this is all on a high end system.. The controls aren't any better, with forced mouse acceleration, smoothing and lack of cursor in certain menus for navigation.

    What about game play? Hahahahaha, you must be joking if you think there's anything to do in this maze-like city they call an "open world". Driving is the worst of any open world game I've played. Car physics are so bad, it feels like you're driving a slab of concrete on ice. And the profiling crimes that take place are a joke. It's so repetitive and stale: Go help the woman being harassed, go chase the criminal with string A.I. No thanks.

    Digital trips are probably the worst aspect of all this. Cause mayhem with your spider tank! Run over demons with your car! But why? To compete in online leader boards. These side activities have nothing to do with the game itself and feel tacked on more than anything else. They are stupid, uninspired mini-games trying to be over-the-top and whacky just for the sake of it, without giving you any real benefit. I'd rather play Mario Party.

    Then there are the bugs and the horrible A.I. I just don't know what to say about this game anymore. It's a joke that's asking you for $60 and a few hours of your itme, a pathetic attempt at trying to be something profound and unique that just ends up embarrassing itself for all it's shortcomings.

    Avoid. Like. The. Plague.    … Expand
  37. sashaCZn
    May 27, 2014
    7
    When they showed the graphics of Watch Dogs on E3 2012, I was so shocked, I thought it was the true next gen, but Ubisoft are natural LIARS!! If we compare the E3 2012 and the final game graphics, there is just nothing, that they showed.

    Bad Side - Graphics - Optimization - Car Physics - Stupid NPCs - Stupid mini-games - Boring singleplayer - Ubisoft servers (27.5.2014) - Bugs,    When they showed the graphics of Watch Dogs on E3 2012, I was so shocked, I thought it was the true next gen, but Ubisoft are natural LIARS!! If we compare the E3 2012 and the final game graphics, there is just nothing, that they showed.

    Bad Side
    - Graphics
    - Optimization
    - Car Physics
    - Stupid NPCs
    - Stupid mini-games
    - Boring singleplayer
    - Ubisoft servers (27.5.2014)
    - Bugs, crashes, lagging and a lots of more issues
    - Animations
    - Water
    - The City.

    Good Side:
    - The idea - hacking (the realization isn't so bad too)
    Unfortunately that's all on the good side.

    I am so confused. I don't really think, that I will ever pre-order games from Ubisoft.    … Expand
  38. WickedAlmond
    May 27, 2014
    4
    Talks the talk, but can't walk the walk. The game just feels flaccid compared to its peers, mostly in the open world department. Mini games like poker and chess feel detached from the theme of the game, and are thrown in to up play-time. Most things that tie an open world game together are quite lacking in Watch_Dogs. Technology and world interactions are shallow and sometimes completelyTalks the talk, but can't walk the walk. The game just feels flaccid compared to its peers, mostly in the open world department. Mini games like poker and chess feel detached from the theme of the game, and are thrown in to up play-time. Most things that tie an open world game together are quite lacking in Watch_Dogs. Technology and world interactions are shallow and sometimes completely absent. Driving, a huge part of open world sandbox games, feels terrible and floaty, with minimal car damage making this game look like there was no effort put in from the developers. Hacking is "Press X to Hack", but I can forgive Ubisoft for that since it's a new mechanic, and when it works it's interesting. The game is mostly centered around stealth, which actually works quite well, with enemies shooting at the last spot they saw you, rather than being all-knowing beings. However, when you are forced into combat, be prepared for the most generic TPS on the market. Soundtrack is pretty garbage... prepare to hear the same handful of alright songs over and over again, until you decide to turn the playlist off. The game doesn't look like it should, this is a next gen game, and while it struggles to perform on most PCs, it looks like a decent 7th gen game. Story is pretty garbage, a huge waste of potential, with characters that really are just handled at a weird angle. Watch_Dogs is a strange case of a hugely anticipated game being handled seemingly without care by its developers, and it's a damn shame it turned out that way. There are better open world games that deserve your attention more than Watch_Dogs... looking at you Sleeping Dogs.… Expand
  39. spedeer2007
    May 27, 2014
    2
    Very bad game..

    -very bad optimization
    -a lot of bugs
    -bad driving system
    -bad shooting system
    -you cant not squat when you want
    -boring optional mission
    -hacking? You just press one button.
    Game on low details works and look worse than gta IV on medium/high.
  40. Rumblefish
    May 27, 2014
    0
    So I pay £45 for this game and find that I can't even play it because Ubisoft's servers are down all night.

    Fine, well implementing DRM was your choice Ubisoft, as was deciding not to ensure you had sufficient servers when launching a major title. Scoring this game a 0, well, that's my choice.
  41. neviem
    May 27, 2014
    4
    I was really looking towards this game, mainly due to rockstar don't giving a crap about PCs, so maybe that's also why I'm so disappointed with it. (This is about the PC version)
    Like the story is ok, but the rest just screams CONSOLE-PORT. I mean, if I want to play with a controller, I will play on my console, but when I play a PC game I expect it to be playable with keyboard and mouse.    I was really looking towards this game, mainly due to rockstar don't giving a crap about PCs, so maybe that's also why I'm so disappointed with it. (This is about the PC version)
    Like the story is ok, but the rest just screams CONSOLE-PORT. I mean, if I want to play with a controller, I will play on my console, but when I play a PC game I expect it to be playable with keyboard and mouse. In this case, it's a pain. There is some really weird mouse acceleration that is different in menu's (too fast) and in the game (too slow) and it seems that is not possible to turn it off. But the major pain is driving a car which is unfortunately a major part of this game and therefore it's ruining it from my perspective - driving a car feels like you are driving on an ice. Not to mention that if you adjust the view while driving the game will change it back again after few seconds (another obvious console inheritance). Fighting is mediocre at best - again strange control - you have to press c to get in cover, but you have to press v to get out of it.
    The major gimmick of this game is hacking - this should have had made this game special. Well, to be honest it stopped in the middle again, some parts are ok (but those are mostly prescripted), rest feels like you don't even have to use it. Not to mention that hacking while driving (eg. traffic lights) is again a pain on keyboard (well, until you will remap the keys) - you drive with aswd and to hack you have to HOLD q - that means that you either won't be able to turn left or accelerate for the time needed to hack - add to that above mentioned crappy driving model and you have the image.
    The graphics is okish, nothing spectacular on the PC, but not bad. What IS bad is optimalization - there is almost none, just just the web and you will see cry of the users playing it. For a game that requires 3GB VRAM, 6GB RAM and Core I7 to run on full I would expect something spectacular, but this is not the case.
    Overall I rate this at 4, as there is nothing else for the PC at the moment, otherwise it would be a 3. If they manage (but I'm skeptical about this) to improve the controls and mainly driving model in the following patches (there is already a day 0 patch but it's fixing only AI and something else - oh, this reminds me about AI - it SUCKS. Like enemies don't care that you are killing them with unsilenced weapons or explosions as long as they won't see you. Like guy will walk to the dead body, look at it and after a while he will walk away. Really? in 2014?) it may be 6-7, but in current state it's a nobuy advice from me.    … Expand
  42. zamach
    May 27, 2014
    1
    Extremely over-hyped with no good reason. Instead of buying this You could get a bunch of indie games and have more fun just by not playing any of them. I'm very disappointed with this title. I will think twice before I pick another Ubisoft game. 1 point for an "almost original" concept.
  43. tadashii1004
    Jun 29, 2014
    2
    Watchdogs = only GTA with Hacker's theme... Graphics are good, story correct but gameplay is awful. Driving is painful, especially when you need to drive like a mad to avoid police car or winning a race but you also need to avoid killing civilians with a limited time to do the mission... the stealth part is just useless, just take a gun and shoot people... disappointing
  44. RavenEvan
    May 27, 2014
    1
    Game could be fun, but it's not, because it's a terrible PC port. I have GTX770 + i7 and I suffer terrible frame drops and crashes. This game supposedly is "Meant to be played" on hardware with nVidia, but actually it seems that this game is not supposed to be played at all. When will Ubisoft learn how to make proper PC ports? Most of other publishers already learned that.
  45. PRAVDORUB_RUS
    May 27, 2014
    0
    I played in the creation of a new Ubisoft - do not know what 's so grand - engine - clean AC: BF can be seen with the naked eye with the 90% trimmed parkour . Physics in the game - the whole campaign she left a cloak protagonists. Machines behave inappropriately - simple details tkakih traces of burnt rubber - no. Physics destruction cars - about anything. In passable signified miracleI played in the creation of a new Ubisoft - do not know what 's so grand - engine - clean AC: BF can be seen with the naked eye with the 90% trimmed parkour . Physics in the game - the whole campaign she left a cloak protagonists. Machines behave inappropriately - simple details tkakih traces of burnt rubber - no. Physics destruction cars - about anything. In passable signified miracle play combined joystick ( for cars ) + keyboard + mouse ( for everything else ) . Puzzle empty and monotonous . Side missions did not want to pass because of wet and empty plot. And fantasy writers have really not as such - a good idea - the result - a complete PE. Less than at the end of the second chapter is becoming clear that there will be at the end of the fifth .
    Ubisoft is a failure . Trying to keep up with the GTA V - not successful . Absent any fan . Empty city and live their lives. Size 13 or 22 gig , it does not justify itself . 8 gigs ceiling.
    But what's really there - in Assassin Creed and that was fun to play - even though the story was surreal .    … Expand
  46. Hnedokneznik
    May 27, 2014
    2
    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.
  47. truesam
    May 27, 2014
    4
    Where to start... Completely crusty around the edges. Waited all day to get into the game just to find it stuttering down to 28 FPS with a 3770k and 770. Apparently you need 3GB of Vram to max the game out, but for me, I can't even play on medium or high settings without trouble. Optimization is no where to be found. Ubisoft deceived us with the E3 trailer, they set the bar for graphicsWhere to start... Completely crusty around the edges. Waited all day to get into the game just to find it stuttering down to 28 FPS with a 3770k and 770. Apparently you need 3GB of Vram to max the game out, but for me, I can't even play on medium or high settings without trouble. Optimization is no where to be found. Ubisoft deceived us with the E3 trailer, they set the bar for graphics and didn't meet it, so even if I could play on ultra it wouldn't be what I paid for. Not that I even care about graphics, but they did say they did set their own bar.

    Looking past graphics, the physics engine is absolutely atrocious. You can't make it from one street corner to the next without encountering a bug. Try putting a motorcycle in the back of a pickup or smashing your vehicle under a drawbridge. The craziest of things happen, you get smashed through the ground, or your motorcycle gets launched into orbit. The hacking system (which at one point was supposed to be the main feature of the game) has been gutted post launch. At no point in the game will the hacking involve more than a press of the action button, or at best multiple presses of the action button. The police officers in the game have the most atrocious and shallow AI. They know how to do two things, chase and shoot. Police officers at no point attempt to apprehend you or detain you in any non-lethal way so prepare to die when you bump that police car in traffic. The rest of the pedestrian AI is just as bad. Hacking street lights causes every civilian driver in the vicinity plus a few more to press their accelerators through the floorboard and cause a 15 car pileup at the intersection. I don't know what it is about hacking a streetlight, but be prepared when you do it or you might wind up killing yourself.

    Vehicle physics are bad, apparently you can drive any vehicle you wish on any piece of terrain. Even the rain isn't going to stop the supertraction each vehicle in the game gets. You will remain glued to the road/aspault/gravel/dirt rain or shine. Collision is shallow, sure you can knock your hood off and burst your windscreen, but actual deformation is nearly nonexistent. Explosions are weak, even on the highest difficulty they rarely kill you. You can stand next to your car while it explodes and come out of the accident with a few minor scratches. When you get in an accident with another vehicle the AI doesn't even acknowledge it. The NPC will do its best to just continue driving in any valid direction until their car catches fire.

    The shooting mechanics are mediocre at best, on armored enemies like police officers or gang members shots to the knee seem to disable the NPC while a headshot will instantly kill them. However, any random pedestrian in the game can be instantly killed by a shot to the foot. They are also deceptively vulnerable to cars, throughout the game I was visited by the "pedestrian killed" message far too often. You can tell the game has a hard time discerning high and low levels of momentum, this issue goes back to vehicle collision as well. Oh, and what happens when you die? Well you respawn 15 feet away with refilled ammunition. There is absolutely zero death penalty.

    The Karma system proves to be mostly irrelevant through the game. I haven't made it far enough into the story myself but a friend claims it affects a whopping ONE situation throughout the plot. There appears to be no reason to do a non-lethal play-through. The main attraction is a irrelevant slider and clean conscience I guess.

    The story thus far is completely forgettable, even worse the main character seems indifferent to the whole situation. People are after my family and I'm out just hacking street signs to post memes. Just about every element of the story is forced and shallow, story missions in particular hold the player's hand at every step as far as I have seen. The hacking system is heavily implemented into every situation so you can lure enemies into explosive traps or hack the grenades they are holding(however that works). From the beginning the game handholds the player in every way, you find yourself in shooting gallery after shooting gallery(actually I should say hacking gallery) mushed together by a bunch of cut-scenes.

    All in all the game is just forgettable, no one will be talking about it a month from now because it's just another crummy title in between the launch of the triple A's everyone looks forward to. I fear that far too much budget went into hyping this game rather than developing it. This industry standard needs to stop, the game is rough around every edge imaginable and it's just not acceptable given the development time and release delays. Ubisoft had a chance to carve a titan into gaming history with sequels we would look forward to every year, instead they pump and dumped us with expectations and day one DLC. You guys aren't even near what you promised to deliver, I hope you learn a valuable lesson from this    … Expand
  48. jonnyvonny
    May 27, 2014
    3
    This game is an awful, unfinished piece of garbage.

    - Terrible AI
    - Worse dynamic lighting than GTA IV
    - Static shadows
    - Hacking mechanics are stupid and unrealistic
    - dumb moral system
    - glitches EVERYWHERE

    Also, the last boss is a QTE. 2 stars above minimum for effort
  49. Denial
    May 27, 2014
    3
    This game really tests your nerves and patience. Firstly i downloaded the game through the ubisoft launcher, which then totally eats up all bandwidth and shuts everything else off on your computer (I have a 60mbit/12mbit line). When the game is finally installed i first get the black screen after ubisoft logo, verify files then repair files, then finally get to see the menu, start up a newThis game really tests your nerves and patience. Firstly i downloaded the game through the ubisoft launcher, which then totally eats up all bandwidth and shuts everything else off on your computer (I have a 60mbit/12mbit line). When the game is finally installed i first get the black screen after ubisoft logo, verify files then repair files, then finally get to see the menu, start up a new game and the game freezes at 80% of loading a new game. Verify files and repair game AGAIN. After that i finally get into game, but nooo this isn't enough, the game now freezes all the time 3-5 seconds, but the sound continues to run like nothing happened - This is just one more game in the line of MANY games that is being released without being tested properly. This is starting to be a really bad trend to release buggy games and after that just release patches as they see fit.

    Now for the actually review of the game;

    As we all have seen in the intros, this game should be very sophisticated and have great AI, but it doesn't. You spend a lot of time driving in this game so you would think that the driving would be a great feel, but its not. every time you get into a car and hit the throttle the whole screen shakes like its starting an earthquake, i mean wtf? The handling is very clumsy and you use more time watching for things you can hack while driving rather than watching the road, which makes for some random accidents A LOT.

    The AI in this game was advertised as being really good, however the way it is, is something really different, ie. if you get the police after you, they don't really care what you did, they just want to see you dead, whatever the cost may be (Shoot first, ask later), which gets annoying after a while.

    The whole hacking thing gets really old, really fast and the switching of traffic lights is often a burden rather than a help since you most of the time start a traffic accident/jam in the middle of the road. Also walking around can be quite tedious, because every time you pass someone it automatic lock onto them due to the hacking part.

    The side missions is just annoying after you've done them 5-10 times, i mean you spot some potential crime because you hack a phone and read the texts, thats already far fetched, on top of that you follow that person and intervenes right as the crime is about to take place, which leaves you often running after the criminal and just plain gunning him down.

    One of the positive things i've tried (There is some!) is the mini games, even though they are a bit misplaced in the game they are actually quite enjoyable and different.

    I give this game 3 in score simply because its a game that was released with massive bugs, the list is huge on the ubisoft forums. Also because this game was advertised to be way more than it actually is, which is a shame, its good fun for some hours but after that you just get tired of doing the same things over and over again. If the game just had better driving mechanics i think this game would be a lot more enjoyable. I would not recommend buying this game at full price, not even half price, i luckily only paid half price of retail, but would have loved to pay way less.    … Expand
  50. traktorist
    May 27, 2014
    0
    This game not worth money and time . Graphic not amazing at all, driving physic awful. It feels boring and chunky. There is many bugs on amd card. With my i5 and r9 280x i can't play even on low
  51. aj587
    May 27, 2014
    3
    Probably the most hyped game in the past year aside from Titanfall. The graphics are a 7/10. A lot of characters have the same faces, same glasses (particularly a copied black female and a white blond girl). The vehicles in this game are a joke. It feels like I'm playing Mario Karts with slightly better Payday 2 graphics. I have an average of 30-40 fps in the cities on high with a GTX 680Probably the most hyped game in the past year aside from Titanfall. The graphics are a 7/10. A lot of characters have the same faces, same glasses (particularly a copied black female and a white blond girl). The vehicles in this game are a joke. It feels like I'm playing Mario Karts with slightly better Payday 2 graphics. I have an average of 30-40 fps in the cities on high with a GTX 680 and i7. Fps dips randomly and often.

    Escaping cops is too easy. All you have to do is hold W for about a minute and a half. Somehow you can hack the entire city and know everything about a person, yet the law enforcement with a similar or same system can lose track of you. The cameras in this game are pointless. Sure, you can hack them but you can literally wave your gun at the camera and there will be no alarms/criminals/cops at your location unless they actually hear or see you in person.

    You can crash into 40 walls before destroying vehicles. You can floor your motorcycle into a building head-on and 90% of the time you will somehow stay on your bike. I was bored within an half-hour of free roaming. Everything seems like it was copy-and-pasted or are inhabitable or useless.The campaign is boring and there is no life to the characters. The city is lifeless. Wow, press Q to hack. Game over.

    Another reason why you should not pre-order video games. Hopefully, there will be mods in the future that can save this game. Season pass... lol. Outfits and a hillbilly to play as. Awesome $20. Surprised Ubisoft didn't charge $50 for it.    … Expand
  52. DaveDxx
    May 27, 2014
    3
    Here we go, the gameplay is fun and the story starts promising, so be ready for the backstab. Thats it, what else?
    Well, also there is :
    - No car customization - No weapon attachments - No blood/gore - No melee combat system - No shooting while driving - No realistic driving and physics - No character customization besides the same clothes with different colors - Mediocre story    Here we go, the gameplay is fun and the story starts promising, so be ready for the backstab. Thats it, what else?
    Well, also there is :
    - No car customization
    - No weapon attachments
    - No blood/gore
    - No melee combat system
    - No shooting while driving
    - No realistic driving and physics
    - No character customization besides the same clothes with different colors
    - Mediocre story with terrible ending
    - Bad use of the great side characters
    - Repetitive(boring) missions
    - Not a good game to have fun around the city for hours like GTA, Sleeping Dogs, Saints Row, AC...
    - No replayability
    - Dont even think about buying this just because it has a boring multiplayer mode.

    Conclusion, you should play this game and make your own conclusions, but right now its just not worth the full price, the experience is ok, but you'll want to erase this from your memory quickly when you complete it.    … Expand
  53. iamthewizard2
    May 27, 2014
    0
    absolutely abysmal ! even my Triple GTX 780 Ti graphics cards have a hard time keeping this game smooth on high let alone ultra quality. have to play on medium with a 30 framerate lock to keep it smooth! Thanks Ubisoft or should I say ****
  54. staszek
    May 27, 2014
    1
    This game is a huge letdown for what initially looked like the first real "next gen" experience at the E3. In reality this game looks and plays like something out of 2005. I'll give them that the game looks nice in the rain, but apart from this it is a huge letdown. Reading people's personal data is fun initially but it gets boring after you relize that mostly they are randomly generatedThis game is a huge letdown for what initially looked like the first real "next gen" experience at the E3. In reality this game looks and plays like something out of 2005. I'll give them that the game looks nice in the rain, but apart from this it is a huge letdown. Reading people's personal data is fun initially but it gets boring after you relize that mostly they are randomly generated and often don't make sense like a "Hiv positive blood donor with the income of $60,000"

    The driving is disgraceful and even more over-simplified than the latest GTA. There is no destruction model to speak of and it is riddled by constant bugs and physics glitching out. The worst thing is that all the sellouts like ING will give this game "10/10 amazung" reviews while in reality this game is not worth even $20 and you should not waste your time on it.    … Expand
  55. Ploutonas
    May 27, 2014
    0
    Nothing new from the previews sleeping dogs or saints row games, some missions or side missions, reminds you these games.

    Big limitations the way you want to play and look with your character. Cloth stores are basically ink stores, you only change colors. Mini games and CtOS towers reminds me Saints row 4. Hacking is easy and turns into a borring rutine. Over hyped and delayed for    Nothing new from the previews sleeping dogs or saints row games, some missions or side missions, reminds you these games.

    Big limitations the way you want to play and look with your character. Cloth stores are basically ink stores, you only change colors. Mini games and CtOS towers reminds me Saints row 4.

    Hacking is easy and turns into a borring rutine.

    Over hyped and delayed for nothing!    … Expand
  56. jrob23
    May 27, 2014
    5
    It's just boring. It starts out promising but then gets monotonous and the driving is abysmal. The graphics are only slightly better than PS360. What sounded so promising when it was teased so long ago is just old hat by now and too ambitious. I think Ubi released it a year too early. It needed to be fleshed out more
  57. djoug
    May 27, 2014
    0
    The game is unoptimized, filled with graphics and physics engine bugs. It doesn't hold anything to what the industry has been putting out since 2008, like GTA IV. Severe framerate and stability issues, as expected from anything coming from a subpar video games company like Ubisoft.

    Physics engine is a total mess: car handling, damage reactions, one hit kills, bullet impacts, etc. Same    The game is unoptimized, filled with graphics and physics engine bugs. It doesn't hold anything to what the industry has been putting out since 2008, like GTA IV. Severe framerate and stability issues, as expected from anything coming from a subpar video games company like Ubisoft.

    Physics engine is a total mess: car handling, damage reactions, one hit kills, bullet impacts, etc.
    Same goes for the graphics engine: lack of proeminent modern features like dynamic shadows or reflection.

    Final boss is a QTE.

    Uninteresting story and characters.

    No content besides random roaming and killing.

    Target audience is 16 years olds from Reddit/Tumblr, as proven by the inclusion of Internet "pop culture" references like "memes".

    Play GTA IV instead, this is just a wannabe Rockstar game but fails completely. Stop trying Ubisoft, just make mobile apps and leave the video game industry alone.    … Expand
  58. 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
  59. Ivan665
    May 27, 2014
    0
    No spoilers. Honest and quick review. Hello. OK first things first. Most of us were hyped about this game. Maybe we expected more than it delivers. As this is a review for the PC version, I have to inform you that the port is a sloppy job. Putting the glitches I often experienced aside, the frame rate is pretty bad at times with med. settings for me, and my rig is good enough for mostNo spoilers. Honest and quick review. Hello. OK first things first. Most of us were hyped about this game. Maybe we expected more than it delivers. As this is a review for the PC version, I have to inform you that the port is a sloppy job. Putting the glitches I often experienced aside, the frame rate is pretty bad at times with med. settings for me, and my rig is good enough for most games - Intel i7, 6GB RAM, GF GT630 4GB. Lets get to the graphics - the detail is slightly higher than in GTA 4, but the environment effects are sub par, so its not wrong to say that the game looks like GTA 4. But the most important thing for many is the game-play. And this is where this game let me down. In the environment of the game world, you are playing with what is basically someone who should supposedly have the power of Batman and Spider-man combined. Or more precisely, a mortal with the powers of a God over his environment. If you think of it like me, you will often hit invisible barriers in what you can do. The game cuts your potential, your approach, and your creativity, and firmly holds your hand, step by step. This is a great mismatch between what you should be able to do, and what actual capabilities are given to you.
    And at first it only made me feel that the release of the game has been rushed. But when I played more, this blatant incoherence spoiled the whole atmosphere for me. I am not against games that firmly hold your hand and guide you through the plot. But this was not the game, that should have taken this approach. Because it is most appropriate for quest games, and this game was not marketed as such.
    I cant speak for you but to tell you the truth - I feel cheated. I hope they fix the sequel and create a really good new series, but I am highly doubtful of that because it will require too many changes in the code, basically a brand new engine. Bottom line: Ubisoft should not attempt to produce anymore open world games, for their good and ours. Its a great strain for their designers and the studios should be used more rationally, and do what they can do best. I give this game a 0/10.    … Expand
  60. andyone
    May 27, 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.
  61. sowingsadness
    May 27, 2014
    3
    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.
  62. Frappas
    May 27, 2014
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Was way over hyped for the game it actually is. The driving is absolutely horrendous, you almost have to have a motorcycle to escape on realistic. The story line is ok, although the dialog felt really bland and boring. The only interaction I actually preferred was Aiden and Clara and they ruined that. I won't even start on the performance issues about this game. Honestly it burned two nights of boredom but that was about it.… Expand
  63. teratron1
    May 27, 2014
    0
    First of all, this game is broken beyond repair. My computer uses a graphics card utilizing two GPUs on the same PCB, which is essentially an integrated Crossfire system. Disrupt doesn't support such systems (the engine), so I had to install it on my powerful laptop with a dedicated Nvidia GPU, which worked as Nvidia is in bed with them. It stutters like **** and makes the game unplayableFirst of all, this game is broken beyond repair. My computer uses a graphics card utilizing two GPUs on the same PCB, which is essentially an integrated Crossfire system. Disrupt doesn't support such systems (the engine), so I had to install it on my powerful laptop with a dedicated Nvidia GPU, which worked as Nvidia is in bed with them. It stutters like **** and makes the game unplayable at any setting but the lowest.

    The crime system is a joke consisting out of three different cases in six different locations, each the same. The repercussions are a joke, getting money is a joke, there is two types of police vehicles, two models... The helicopter and the generic vehicle.

    There is no dynamic lighting (not even on ultra), the game looks like **** during the day. The drving mechanics are a joke, cutscenes are pretty much the only thing that's okay. But you can't drive anything, it was developed by a goddamn toddler.

    Stealth missions are an automatic fail on the first sight of discovery.

    Where is the pride? Big review houses are giving this game huge scores (8+), but it doesn't deserve 3. It's a piece of **** go around it if you can.    … Expand
  64. ynotownemall
    May 29, 2014
    5
    I played this game for about 1.5 hour, then realized I was bored and not having any fun at all. This game is quite simply boring and the graphics are well below par for how hard it rides your system. (i7 gtx660ti and 8gb ram)

    This game is a prime example of why you should never preorder games.

    Steer clear of this crap!!!!
  65. KebabuTurka
    May 27, 2014
    3
    So. Hype of this game was reaaalllyyy big. But, gameplay is awful, physic is awful, gameplay is good and graphics ... Well, GTA V on x360 have better graphics (maybe everything ?) than this game on PC. Only story is rather good.
  66. BridgetFisher
    May 27, 2014
    0
    Game is full of bugs, the whole time I played it I felt like I would rather be playing Grand Theft Auto 5, which has a bigger map, a bigger world, and it felt more alive than the dead world in Watch Dogs. For gamers I got about 5 hours of playtime out of it before beating the game. Worst part was to hack anything all you have to do is hit a button.
  67. Renendell
    May 29, 2014
    1
    It's like GTA but less aggressive, and Saints Row but less fun. And the technical problems make the overall mediocrity of this title unforgiving. It may be a nicer experience on next-gen consoles, but stay away on PC.
  68. beamkiller
    May 28, 2014
    5
    I have purchased this game in preorder back in April. I have waited for it as a little kid, but Im dissapointed at all.
    I have installed the game via Uplay, I cannot play it a whole day. I got crashes, VCRedist errors, than crash to desktop, everything.
    Now I got in to game, reinstalled the whole game... But the city is a mess, the graphics is not the best, it is not smooth. The cars    I have purchased this game in preorder back in April. I have waited for it as a little kid, but Im dissapointed at all.
    I have installed the game via Uplay, I cannot play it a whole day. I got crashes, VCRedist errors, than crash to desktop, everything.
    Now I got in to game, reinstalled the whole game...
    But the city is a mess, the graphics is not the best, it is not smooth.
    The cars physics is terrible, I didnt see this kind of driver experience back to year 2000 :D.
    Mouse acceleration is stupid, the controls are stupid too.
    Its optimised for controllers not for keyboard and mouse.    … Expand
  69. maximilianschme
    Jun 24, 2014
    5
    I am disapointed...since the E3 2013 i was so excited for this game, an open world hacking game with a nice vehicle physics!
    So i pre-ordered this game...on release i played it...and it was terrible!
    Don't get me wrong, the singleplayer story isn't bad and it is some kind of fun, i mean you always feel like superman with all the powers you got (slow motion, hacking with one button,    I am disapointed...since the E3 2013 i was so excited for this game, an open world hacking game with a nice vehicle physics!
    So i pre-ordered this game...on release i played it...and it was terrible!
    Don't get me wrong, the singleplayer story isn't bad and it is some kind of fun, i mean you always feel like superman with all the powers you got (slow motion, hacking with one button, youcan buy every weapon/item at the start of the game).
    Okay first i will say something about the positives.
    The multiplayer is some kind of nice, no extra loadscreens, you sometimes doesn't even notice it at first.
    The graphics are very nice at night, at day it is "okay" not really nice but it could be worse.
    And i really like, that you really can move into a train, not just "press a button" and see the train in third person like in e.g. GTA IV.
    The shops are very detailed, you have bunch of minigames, there really nice for a short time.
    Also i like the diffrent informations and easter eggs about the people walking in the city.

    But now the worst part of the game...uff where do i start, there is so many.
    The whole world is boring, you can't do something, every building is CLOSED, you can only move into the few shops and THATS IT!? Even in GTA IV you could move in a LOT of Buildings, but in Watch dogs, it's like the whole city is just a background for a movie...and thats how it feel, empty city, just random people.
    Oh and if i talk about people, the "dynamic" missions you can start with people are like 99% the same and totaly Random, only your reputation will increase or decrease if you hurt some civilian.
    And thats the other point, why is there an reputation system? i hate it, it was annyoing in every other game...who decided what is good and what not? I mean cops can kill people and nothing happend.
    Oh Cops, they have a aimbot, they hit you no matter what, but there also very stupid, i think it is because the Console is the lead plattform...
    The weapon handling is not fun, it is way to much, the game really forces you to invest your poinst into the skills, so the weapons are not recoil so extreme.
    The Car physics are worst, it is very arcadig, like some very old need for speed game, you have the feeling driving a box with like no kind of real physics.
    Oh and the car-damagesystem you saw in the E3 presentation? forget it, even Saints'row games have a way better car-damagesystem.
    This game is terrible...i am a big fan of open world games, i love to explore the city, driving arround, i loved to do this in the gta series, because the car physics, the npc physics and the car-damagemodel were amazing, watch dogs has something from the 90s..    … Expand
  70. DanielCorfour
    May 28, 2014
    5
    Being hyped as the herald of the new generation, Watch Dogs fails utterly and it turns out to be a continuation of the old one. With the exception of the central mechanic: hacking, there is nothing new or fresh about the game, whether it is the:

    -cliche-ridden, generic story -cliche ridden generic characters -protagonist with a Christian Bale-esque Batman voice, whose main trait is    Being hyped as the herald of the new generation, Watch Dogs fails utterly and it turns out to be a continuation of the old one. With the exception of the central mechanic: hacking, there is nothing new or fresh about the game, whether it is the:

    -cliche-ridden, generic story
    -cliche ridden generic characters
    -protagonist with a Christian Bale-esque Batman voice, whose main trait is being a generic protagonist "who didn't ask for this"
    -gameplay elements that we've all seen in other open-world tomfoolery sandboxes.

    The game's biggest fault however is that it tries to be something it's not. There is a sort of cognitive dissonance going on between gameplay-story-premise. The game really tries to convince you that you're some kind of hero, with even a reputation system tracking how much of a c*nt you are. But it fails entirely because the only way to make money is by stealing it, and being an A-hole, despite the reputation system, has no consequence whatsoever. You can kill thousands of innocent people, cause billions worth of damage, and still be the "hero" at the end of the day. These types of game have always been about running around doing crazy things. And while others, like GTA and Saint's Row, wear it on their sleeves, this game tries to pretend the whole way through that it's a "Good little boy". And that kind of thing just sticks out like a 50 year old man pretending to be a hip and cool guy.

    Aside from that, the game is generally solid. The mechanics that are there are good enough, there are plenty of things to do, and hacking, while incredibly easy and using only a single button for everything, is generally fun.

    The fun however can be severely interrupted by some serious framerate issues. The optimization for this game is terrible. So are the controls. The whole game was designed with the console in mind, and they couldn't be bothered to make a decent PC port. Don't buy this for PC. I mean it. Stay the hell away from the PC version. If you're desperate then but it for PS4, otherwise wait till Ubisoft or some modder fixes the optimization.    … Expand
  71. calbertuk
    May 30, 2014
    5
    Decent take on an open world though slightly disappointing due to zero optimization done by Ubisoft. The game doesn't look good at all compared to recent high profile releases and that's even with decent specs. Story is unoriginal and drags on and on and game tends to get quite repetitive. Not an awful game but not what we'd been expecting.
  72. lmah
    May 30, 2014
    5
    The game is very buggy at launch, it should have been in beta but I guess developers think it is okay to release AAA games in this state now, all they are doing is disappointing their fans, they could have kept this in beta for a few more months and polished it up more. Without disappointing anyone. The state the game is in makes it look like a blatant money grab, they had greatThe game is very buggy at launch, it should have been in beta but I guess developers think it is okay to release AAA games in this state now, all they are doing is disappointing their fans, they could have kept this in beta for a few more months and polished it up more. Without disappointing anyone. The state the game is in makes it look like a blatant money grab, they had great marketing for this game but released a poor product, hopefully they fix the problems so they don't completely lose their fanbase.

    The bullshots kinda ticked me off, the game looked amazing, then once you actually play the game it definitely looks last-gen and not even impressive last-gen... average. I have the settings maxed out, down sampled from 1440p and tested all the AA methods and it is blurry. Also something is definitely wrong with the ultra textures they create stuttering even on my Titan Black, 840 Pro SSDs, 16gb of Ram and 4770k (@4.5ghz) processor. Had to turn them down to High to remove the stuttering.

    Ubi fix your game seriously and improve it. Make it the game we expected.    … Expand
  73. kavinh
    May 29, 2014
    5
    Oh boy this has gotta be one of the biggest screw ups ever. So firstly the guys who bought the game got screwed flat and simple, uplay is required to run the game and it's broken for alot of players making it impossible to install the game to begin with. Secondly the game has day 1 dlc in the form of "deluxe" edition ripping out roughly 2-3 hours of game content. Ironically the pirates gotOh boy this has gotta be one of the biggest screw ups ever. So firstly the guys who bought the game got screwed flat and simple, uplay is required to run the game and it's broken for alot of players making it impossible to install the game to begin with. Secondly the game has day 1 dlc in the form of "deluxe" edition ripping out roughly 2-3 hours of game content. Ironically the pirates got the game out 3 days earlier then release and there's already a uplay crack allowing players to skip the whole uplay process making the game actually run.

    Now onto the game putting aside the fact that it runs like trash on amd cards, the game is quite literally a gta clone, the hacking aspects are supposedly the highlights of the game but there's not really anything there. You can scan for profiles blow up/hack things but the game itself feels like a modded version of gta. The story is mediocore typical guy's family member dies, hunts down the culprits.

    What annoys me the most is that the game's world has nothing that makes it attractive, there's no interaction with others in the world outside of robbing their banks and a basic mechanic of stopping crimes before they start which quite literally is go to the area find the guy wait till a bar glows red then chase after him.

    The hype is honestly not worth it, it's just an average game with a mediocre story and honestly from the hours I've played I'd rather just play gta 4 again.    … Expand
  74. PcGamer1990
    Jun 25, 2014
    0
    Well it was a boring game.Im glad it ended i was just playing to finish it...Very common story and u could predict it easily.Not to mention the graphics section , it was like a tank full of holes...Stuttering , fps drop for not so "wow" graphics...And to mention that it reminded a copy of GTA 3.It was like playing GTA 3..Not to mention the propaganda part where CTos2.0 was going to helpWell it was a boring game.Im glad it ended i was just playing to finish it...Very common story and u could predict it easily.Not to mention the graphics section , it was like a tank full of holes...Stuttering , fps drop for not so "wow" graphics...And to mention that it reminded a copy of GTA 3.It was like playing GTA 3..Not to mention the propaganda part where CTos2.0 was going to help the community in chicago by spectating the whole world throught cameras...0 privacy?...Anyway nothing good on it.Neither graphics nor plot.… Expand
  75. Armin
    May 28, 2014
    5
    This game is a huge disappointment. If you expected anything from E3 2012 when the game was first revealed with a demo. The game was overhyped. Not even the mission from E3 2012 is in this game. Most of the missions provide no excitement. The story starts off great with the first mission but then it just runs off a cliff. Its almost as if minimum effort was put onto the story speciallyThis game is a huge disappointment. If you expected anything from E3 2012 when the game was first revealed with a demo. The game was overhyped. Not even the mission from E3 2012 is in this game. Most of the missions provide no excitement. The story starts off great with the first mission but then it just runs off a cliff. Its almost as if minimum effort was put onto the story specially when there could of been so much potential. As for overall gameplay, they seem to try to mimic a hitman style of gameplay in the missions. There are a couple of bugs but some things that seem more of a miss.

    The only thing that is good about this game is the police AI. Thats the only part they did well in. Police chases are great on foot and in the car.    … Expand
  76. badd3vil
    May 28, 2014
    5
    1. stupid physics.
    2. CARS(((
    3.. And finally - this game is unoptimized sh*t.. run slowly on my 8gb and 7970 with high setting..
    this is not NextGen.. I worry about AC Unity..
  77. op8
    Jun 2, 2014
    5
    4.5/10
    Its good fun for the first couple or so hours, then the novelty quickly wears off and it all just gets so boring and repetitive.
    They try and entice you to do all the side crap, but its just boring busy work. Fundamentally the game is over simplified. Its very "last gen" in appearance (I hate using that word but ppl will understand what I mean). -graphically unimpressive.    4.5/10
    Its good fun for the first couple or so hours, then the novelty quickly wears off and it all just gets so boring and repetitive.
    They try and entice you to do all the side crap, but its just boring busy work.
    Fundamentally the game is over simplified.
    Its very "last gen" in appearance (I hate using that word but ppl will understand what I mean).

    -graphically unimpressive.
    -stuff like baked on lighting.
    -too many plain looking textures. (I have a monster of a rig and play on the highest settings @ 1440P).
    -character modelling looks plain and very last gen (but hey, they've made sure your coat tails wave around like crazy!!)
    -reflections on windows that don't match what they are reflecting because its all just drawn on. (seriously its really bad)
    -lack of bullet physics (e.g.no bullet splashes when firing into water).
    -hilariously bad A.I.
    -lack of overall realistic physics simulation.
    -duller then dishwater main character.
    -reasoning and motivation behind story lines is totally weird.
    (apparently if you walk into a prison with a gun and give yourself up
    you will get booked into the prison automatically like it was a Hotel, and get put into a cell within minutes).
    -did I mention the main character was dull?

    I mention the graphics because the game was billed as being a great looking innovative game,
    but it is nothing of the sort.

    I wont go into the performance issues, but its safe to say this is one *seriously* badly optimised PC game.
    There's tonnes of other stuff that makes this a below average game experience, but I think you get the picture.    … Expand
  78. fredinator
    Jun 5, 2014
    5
    Watch Dogs failed to deliver its main aspect and that is hacking. Sure you can hack everything but it feels like you just push buttons remotely. Instead they tried to copy GTA and added some hacking to it
    But they really failed with the multiplayer. There are so many problems with it that I don't want to write them all. Just know this. It does not work very well and when it works you may    Watch Dogs failed to deliver its main aspect and that is hacking. Sure you can hack everything but it feels like you just push buttons remotely. Instead they tried to copy GTA and added some hacking to it
    But they really failed with the multiplayer. There are so many problems with it that I don't want to write them all. Just know this. It does not work very well and when it works you may be getting a deathmatch rather than something with hacking.
    The singleplayer is not bad but it isn't very good either. If you can get the game for around 30 that is fair.
    The DLCs btw. are mostly all ripoffs.    … Expand
  79. 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
  80. Bloquer
    May 28, 2014
    5
    In a few words, hype have killed this game. Ubisoft now you have a big crap in your hands, how will you fix it? Now you only need to make a DLC with follow and hack missions to destroy it
  81. AdrianChan
    May 28, 2014
    5
    Watch_Dogs is a disappointment. It is kind of repetitive and the driving is one of the worst I have ever seen. Graphics are good but not impressive.4 Digital trips are actually quite boring. It is something that you only play once and you will never touch it again.
    but it has introduce some interesting new elements to the genre. The story is not bad and I personally think that the    Watch_Dogs is a disappointment. It is kind of repetitive and the driving is one of the worst I have ever seen. Graphics are good but not impressive.4 Digital trips are actually quite boring. It is something that you only play once and you will never touch it again.
    but it has introduce some interesting new elements to the genre. The story is not bad and I personally think that the multiplayer is quite good too. Besides, it has a massive open world for player to explore and there is a lot to do in the city
    It at least deserves a pass and it is definitely not a 0 or 3
    Quite a lot of improvements is needed. If they plan for a sequel they must not let us down again like this one.    … Expand
  82. Fosco1
    May 29, 2014
    5
    The game itself is beautiful, the graphics is good, so is the story and the gameplay, and believe me... it doesn't lag so much to me.
    BUT UBISOFT'S SERVERS... AND THE BUGS AND CRASHES...
  83. whatzitooya
    May 31, 2014
    5
    Watch Dogs' Disrupt is a new engine developed specifically for this game. It's based on the Assassin's Creed series' Anvil Engine and Far Cry 2 & 3's Dunia Engine which i could not ask for a better combination. But really though this one is a total disappointment. While undoubtedly beautiful, watch dogs has, surprisingly, a decent amount of glitches. Not to mention the stutter whichWatch Dogs' Disrupt is a new engine developed specifically for this game. It's based on the Assassin's Creed series' Anvil Engine and Far Cry 2 & 3's Dunia Engine which i could not ask for a better combination. But really though this one is a total disappointment. While undoubtedly beautiful, watch dogs has, surprisingly, a decent amount of glitches. Not to mention the stutter which indicates the lack optimization for PC. The worst part for me is the AI, they're really dumb, even though Disrupt's AI is based on Dunia. I even dare to say that Far Cry 3's psychotic and insane pirates are far smarter than any enemies in Watch Dogs. And the mechanics are too repetitive, many different tasks ended up on you chasing off the main target. Also, i won't advise you to get all of the unlockables since some of them involves a long and boring activities like playing a texas hold em poker or drinking challenges. Overall this is a very boring game, except if you want to know the main story.… Expand
  84. barney0001
    May 28, 2014
    5
    Was looking forward to Watch_Dogs, paid good money for it, it's utter bollax.

    Bullet points:- -Doesn't work properly on Nvidia Surround, didn't they test it in 4 years development!? -Bugs!! -Constant FPS drop outs on high end PC, massively so when driving -Bad driving -GFX are nice to be fair, shadows are awful though Hopefully they'll improve things with a patch or two,    Was looking forward to Watch_Dogs, paid good money for it, it's utter bollax.

    Bullet points:-
    -Doesn't work properly on Nvidia Surround, didn't they test it in 4 years development!?

    -Bugs!!

    -Constant FPS drop outs on high end PC, massively so when driving

    -Bad driving

    -GFX are nice to be fair, shadows are awful though

    Hopefully they'll improve things with a patch or two, until then DO NOT BUY!

    UPDATE:

    OK, you make this game playable, try these tips:-

    -Use a controller, I'm using a 360 USB PC controller
    -Use the -disablepagefilecheck method of launching the game
    -Set your PC GFX like this to help stop FPS problems:- (Thanks to whoever wrote this)

    Refresh, Aspect Ration, and VSync are grayed out because...
    Window Mode: Borderless. This helps with FPS
    GPU Max Buffered Frames: 1. I read that nVidia cards work better with 1, so I just set it like that
    Textures: High
    Anti-Aliasing: Off
    Widescreen Letterbox: Off
    Graphics Quality
    Level of Detail: High
    Shadows: Medium
    Reflections: Medium
    Ambient Occlusion: HBAO+ Low
    Motion Blur: Off
    Depth of Field: Off
    Water: Medium
    Shader: Medium

    With these tips the game becomes playable at least, the driving still needs attention but the games not too bad.

    Good luck!    … Expand
  85. JackRB
    May 28, 2014
    5
    This is probably the biggest let down of the year for me. I had such high hopes for this game as I'm sure most people did. The game has the following main problems:
    -This game is too damn short! It is the same with most Ubisoft games nowadays but this took one day of playing it about 13 hours to complete the main storyline. I like games with long storylines and the GTA series has always    This is probably the biggest let down of the year for me. I had such high hopes for this game as I'm sure most people did. The game has the following main problems:
    -This game is too damn short! It is the same with most Ubisoft games nowadays but this took one day of playing it about 13 hours to complete the main storyline. I like games with long storylines and the GTA series has always got this right with the quickest person to complete it getting it done in around 24 hours which is pretty impressive.
    -The dialogue is bad, I mean it is ridden with clichés and you don't feel attached to characters, in particular Ray and Aiden the title character. You literally spend 4 missions going from a bar fight to Ray moving in with you and joining your team. Clara is also boring and I really just don't feel any emotion or attachment to any characters. Aiden was marketed as a hero and vigilante but the only real way to make money is to hack into innocent peoples bank accounts.
    -It ends up in the later missions just becoming bloodbaths while at first yes you can hack and sneak around and use security cameras, which was pretty cool, it ended up just being a few circuit boards that you can blow up and that's about it, and I found myself using my Assault Rifle more than anything else.
    -The game is unfinished, while yes the core game is there, I noticed a whole host of things were missing from the game or unused; vehicle horns are there but you're the only person who actually uses them, you are the only person capable of driving motorbikes and as no factions can use boats, you can escape from virtually any chase in a boat. Until you get to later missions and snipers shooting the boat a few time causes it to explode, or often when you crash into another boat it just disappears and you are left to swim.
    -The hacking offers little freedom, the hacking opportunities become scripted events where you `ride cameras` to get to a destination and there is no freedom involved here as there is a set path that you have to take and then hack into and then you're done.

    The positives were as follows:
    -The first mission, well the first few, were really cool and set a tone for the game that the rest failed to keep up to. For about an hour we had some fun cool missions and it actually seemed that we were going to get emotional development between the characters but we only met Nicky once before she was kidnapped and any chance to give us relate-able characters were all destroyed.
    -The graphics for the most part were solid, but were about the same as Grand Theft Auto's graphics so don't expect any game changers like we were promised.
    -The missions while they lasted while challenging were generally enjoyable and while they did tend to be shoot-outs, that was still a very fun experience, although is astray from what Montreal were originally intending I'm sure.
    -Car crashed are really realistic, by far the best sounding and looking in a game so far, although then they are ruined by the fact that no one ever gets injured or killed in car crashes and when cars go upside down you or an NPC just teleports out of it which breaks immersion in things that otherwise look pretty cool.    … Expand
  86. atkinsonandrew
    May 31, 2014
    5
    Played it and completed the story on a PS4. This game was hyped up a lot. The ads and demonstrations prior to launch didn't reflect the tone of the game very well. I couldn't help but think the story was trying to strike the same chord as The Last of Us did, but it didn't at all. The characters were all pretty hate-able, especially Aiden Pearce, the main character. He's completely insanePlayed it and completed the story on a PS4. This game was hyped up a lot. The ads and demonstrations prior to launch didn't reflect the tone of the game very well. I couldn't help but think the story was trying to strike the same chord as The Last of Us did, but it didn't at all. The characters were all pretty hate-able, especially Aiden Pearce, the main character. He's completely insane and doesn't understand when to stop. There is hardly any context to the characters' lives before the death of Lena.

    The gameplay felt like a mixture of GTA and Assassin's Creed (which sounds really damn cool), but the execution was pretty poor. It has all the bells and whistles of GTA, but you're forced to sneak around and take enemies out one by one. Hacking isn't very difficult and it get's really repetitive after the first few times.

    The best part of the game are the mini-games. There are at least 6 fully fleshed out mini-games (not including poker) that are pretty fun. I played Spider Tank and NVZN for at least an hour each.

    Multiplayer is practically non-existent. It's not even worth it to try and explain it because it should have just been left out completely. They probably could have made a better game if they had.

    The game does look really nice though. Although there were some glitches and pop-ins here and there, it showed off the PS4's capability well. The character models looked excellent, and the cars look believable. The reflections on the buildings is bad though; the game looks exceptionally better when it's night time (in-game) or when it's raining. Some of the explosions and things you can do are awesome though. Getting away from the cops by raising a bridge and ramping over it is surprisingly satisfying. The black-outs are really cool, especially at night.

    Although it looks nice, it feels limited, and I don't really want to play it now that I've completed the main story. It's forgettable, but I enjoyed causing grandiose explosions and stopping cops with barriers that pop out of the street. Not a next-gen game by any means.    … Expand
  87. Lambretta
    May 27, 2014
    5
    Everybody thought that Watch Dogs would compete with GTA series. The truth is you will see more Assassins Creed and Far Cry in the game than GTA. The story is interesting and lenghty, the hack puzzles are challenging at the end, the fights have their moments BUT THIS DRIVING!!!! Seriously i thought it was a joke on the beggining. You simply cant drive. No physics, no handling, no logic,Everybody thought that Watch Dogs would compete with GTA series. The truth is you will see more Assassins Creed and Far Cry in the game than GTA. The story is interesting and lenghty, the hack puzzles are challenging at the end, the fights have their moments BUT THIS DRIVING!!!! Seriously i thought it was a joke on the beggining. You simply cant drive. No physics, no handling, no logic, nothing. GTA 3/Mafia had better driving than this 12 years ago. I also used a 360 controller on the pc, but still the same.
    The 70% of the missions is "jump the fence, kill everyone, hack this with a puzzle, escape".
    I played the game on realistic difficulty. Every time i just headshot everybody with silenced gun and procced.

    Battlefield 4 for example has very bad driving experience for cars and buggies, but its like the 1% of the game so it doesnt matter. But on watch dogs driving is 50% of the game and important to complete some missions, so it matters and ruins the whole experience. If it wasnt that the game is for 8/10 in my opinion.

    Is Watch Dogs a GTA replacer? No. In any way. All GTA clones always fail to imitate it. It gives the illusion of freedom and sandbox, but its restricted to gossiping citizens, and hacking them for stealing.
    Does WD live up to the hype? ABSOLUTELY not. So much marketing and advertisement before release, everybody expected something extraordinary and revolutionary. Big dissapointment. I feel bad for people who preordered.

    Is WD an OK game? Yes but not perfect. And since you expect perfection, its mediocrity is even more harsh. If you are rich or pirate go ahead and try it. But if you cant afford many games I strongly recomend to wait a GTA 5 release on the PC.    … Expand
  88. 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
  89. 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
  90. 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
  91. i_nesm
    May 31, 2014
    5
    I was really looking forward to playing this game, I found the story interesting and original, but the controls are awful, specially the mouse, it's a mess. I don't think I can play it like this.
  92. DaGleese
    May 28, 2014
    5
    Not so impressed so far...

    If I turn a blind eye to the massive problem's I've had with Uplay, and just focus on the core game, my impression so far is the following: Sluggish driving with and without an xbox 360 controller. Your vehicle feels like it is being sucked in to pretty much EVERY obstacle that enters it's proximity The story... I have no idea what is going on to be    Not so impressed so far...

    If I turn a blind eye to the massive problem's I've had with Uplay, and just focus on the core game, my impression so far is the following:

    Sluggish driving with and without an xbox 360 controller. Your vehicle feels like it is being sucked in to pretty much EVERY obstacle that enters it's proximity

    The story... I have no idea what is going on to be honest, just got up to the bit where you meet up with badboy17, and so far... Aiden was at a baseball game... he escapes and causes a blackout, he goes home and sleeps, he goes to a birthday party of a kid with no friends, he kills a pervert, then he meets badboy17. I have no idea what I'm doing here, what I'm fighting for, why am I breaking the law? Perhaps the story develops throughout the game, but at the moment it's really not sunk me into it at all.

    The AI is among the worst I've ever seen. To the point that I'm starting to think it's some kind of optimization problem. The AI somehow knows when you stealthtakedown an enemy NPC in a hidden spot, they know you took him down and they know exactly where you are at all times. Every AI members heads straight to your location on melee takedown and as of that moment you can no longer hack wthout being taken out. The best thing to do is find a bottleneck doorway that they will have to enter thorugh to get ot you and proceed to blast each NPC that enters until they are all dead in a pile of 30 men in the doorway, then step over the bodies and walk through the rest of the mission completely uninhibited and completely bored. I seriously think perhaps my copy is bugged or something, but I tried verifying files etc and it's still the same. This CAN'T be the actual AI of a 2014 game, surely!

    The shooting with mouse and keyboard is bad, the controller is worse! It just feels laggy all the time, I wondered if perhaps it was too much for my PC (Core i7 4770k, gtx 770, 16gb ram) but on fraps I'm getting 50-60FPS at all times using nvidias recomended settings for the game, so I guess this is just how it plays?

    The game just does not feel right to me at all, it doesnt feel fluid, running is like wading through a tar pit and driving is like sliding around on a bar of soap in a bathtub. I really like the concept, but between the so far unremarkable story and just poor core mechanics of the game, I actually don't feel any drive to keep on playing.

    I hope that it is all just an optimization issue, I could handle the poor story if the game was a joy to play, but as it stands at the minute it's buyer's remoarse 101 for me.

    I'll see how this game looks in a while after updates and then I'll update my score and opinion when the game's condition (hopefully) has improved.    … Expand
  93. BigDaddyQc
    Jun 3, 2014
    5
    I'll be quick. nd this is from a legitimte copy from Steam/PC:

    My RIG (Worth more than 3,000$): Windows 8.1 i7-4930k 4ghz 16gb RAM 21330mhz EVGA GTX 780TI Superclocked SSD Pro: -Good idea in general for the idea around the game -Good selection of vehicule -Hacking is fun while driving -Good amount of weapons/Tools -Some good visual effects -Open world with barely no    I'll be quick. nd this is from a legitimte copy from Steam/PC:

    My RIG (Worth more than 3,000$):

    Windows 8.1
    i7-4930k 4ghz
    16gb RAM 21330mhz
    EVGA GTX 780TI Superclocked
    SSD

    Pro:
    -Good idea in general for the idea around the game
    -Good selection of vehicule
    -Hacking is fun while driving
    -Good amount of weapons/Tools
    -Some good visual effects
    -Open world with barely no loading screen
    -Side mission are repetative but entertaining
    -interesting multiplayer
    -Good amount of content/collectibles
    -Interesting skills tree / skills points
    -Slow motion/bullet time hability

    Con:
    -Graphics are nowhere near what was advertised (shame on you Ubisoft)
    -Very badly optimised. Performance/frame rate can vary ALOT. Main issue is STUTTERING. Frame rate can be good most of the time but when you drive a car the game as a very poor way of streaming textures thus the game will have those mirco freeze/stutter. It is unnaceptable to have this kind of performance on a rig of this kind. This game was supposedly developped on PC as the lead Platform. This is a lie and shame on you Ubisoft. You did exactly like Assassin Creed III and IV. But this game runs worst than both.
    -Story is very average.
    -Graphics are not that good. No where near Crysis 3 and/or what was shown at E3 or in every trailers
    -Music is bad
    -Characters are not interesting and pretty dull. Alot of stereotype.
    -Chicago police have no boat?!
    -Car physic/driving is terrible. Very arcade style and not realistic. Breaks immersion in a game where they try to make it real.
    -Money has no purpose. you gain money fast and beside buying gun, you wil quickly have more than 100k and have nothing to do with it. No house or garage to buy.. Only thing left to do with that money is to magically order cars via your phone.
    -No customisation/attachments for your weapons. Gun shops have tons of things but no accessory of any sort.
    -No customisation for car.
    -No way to keep any car. No garage. You do have acces to "safe houses" to rest/safe your game, but they are pretty much useless. Thus the lack of customisation I guess.

    Overall a very average experience 5/10. In this day and age where this kind of open world game will be compared to GTA, this one dont have what it takes to live up to the hype. Those expecting a GTA V with hacking will be dissapointed. The game had no where near the budget of GTA, and I can live with that. But for me, just the fact that this badly optimised PORT from consol and the fasle advertising from all the trailers means that UBISOFT really needs to go back to their hoeworks. Specially after a 6 months + delay.    … Expand
  94. fabiovtec
    May 27, 2014
    10
    The game is not optimized for amd systems. The performance is very bad because ubisoft only worked with nvidia and this game is nvidia GameWorks.
    -1 for ubisoft and this garbage
  95. IDeathstalkerI
    Jun 2, 2014
    5
    The more you play the game the more you get bored.. Watch dogs is more like Sleeping dogs, I know you know why.. Because Sleeping Dogs is True Crime that is owned before by ubisoft, Same graphics, and physics just with a different story and characters.. I hate Sleeping dogs car handling but it's playable but in Watch Dogs, it's a pain in the ass! one tap on a key and your car will turn soThe more you play the game the more you get bored.. Watch dogs is more like Sleeping dogs, I know you know why.. Because Sleeping Dogs is True Crime that is owned before by ubisoft, Same graphics, and physics just with a different story and characters.. I hate Sleeping dogs car handling but it's playable but in Watch Dogs, it's a pain in the ass! one tap on a key and your car will turn so sharp like a retard.. I hope that the "The Division" will not suck like this :( the game has a potential but it needs a lot of polishing..… Expand
  96. ARavingDerelict
    May 30, 2014
    5
    Over All: Decent story, good graphics, **** controls, no consequences, annoying multi-player & doesn't know what type of game it wants to be.

    Watch Dogs suffers from many flaws, the biggest of which is that it doesn't know what type of game it wants to be. It's story and characters are decently developed and interesting, but their dark and serious emotional tone is the complete    Over All: Decent story, good graphics, **** controls, no consequences, annoying multi-player & doesn't know what type of game it wants to be.

    Watch Dogs suffers from many flaws, the biggest of which is that it doesn't know what type of game it wants to be. It's story and characters are decently developed and interesting, but their dark and serious emotional tone is the complete opposite of the ridiculous and highly unrealistic game play. The controls are clunky and clumsy, the driving makes GTA look like Grand Turismo and there doesn't appear to be any consequences or continuity.

    Getting killed ends with re spawning with all your guns and money right where you wanted to be anyway. A 40mm grenade will completely take out a car, unless its driven by a rival player then it does next to nothing.

    The multi-player, when working, is more annoying than anything. When you want to play you can only be the aggressor, when you don't want to play you are always the victim with no way to shut it off other than to stop the game and put Uplay in offline mode. You may be about to hack a ctOS point when another player invades your game and you can no longer interact with anything except the new player.

    The hacking is cool from an information perspective, but it gets old fast. You only ever use 1 button for all things, and everything is the same level of difficulty.

    The difficulty makes no sense, instead of making the AI smart enough to understand what your doing the game just gives your attackers the answers. A helicopter spotlight will follow your movements with pinpoint accuracy even if it cant see you. When you surface after hiding cops will just report your location out of nowhere.

    In short, this is your standard Ubisoft / EA game. They spent so much time on the graphics and story that they forgot that people actually PLAY games, rather than just watch them. Games like this make you wonder if the developers of the various aspects have ever actually met each other.

    Over All: Decent story, good graphics, **** controls, no consequences, annoying multi-player & doesn't know what type of game it wants to be.    … Expand
  97. xenochrist
    May 31, 2014
    6
    This game is not good.
    The pc version is even worse.
    The car driving sucks, there is a lag in the steering, the camera sucks, and the damage and speed is **** Also, alot of the game is driving away, which is such a chore. The combat is lame, it is clunky and the no gore makes it really empty feeling. the stealth is fun, but the dumb controls and ai makes any man rage. Exploring the    This game is not good.
    The pc version is even worse.
    The car driving sucks, there is a lag in the steering, the camera sucks, and the damage and speed is **** Also, alot of the game is driving away, which is such a chore.
    The combat is lame, it is clunky and the no gore makes it really empty feeling.
    the stealth is fun, but the dumb controls and ai makes any man rage.

    Exploring the world for unlockables was the only thing i found fun.

    The game overall is a chore to play. each missions is just a mini game with cut scenes. you do the same mini games but at different locations and different 'story' to them.
    the hacking theme is almost childish. 'press q to be a haxooorrrr'    … Expand
  98. DOSfan
    May 27, 2014
    5
    high production values in all the wrong area's. overall just kind of mediocre and one button interactions. the game is ok, but nothing amazing or ground breaking.

    probably should stop making games for 6 platforms and then integrating smart phones.
    but hey, rich ppl gonna make bad games. cuz they don't play games.
  99. TheWalkingFat
    May 27, 2014
    5
    In some aspects this game is amazing, like the technology factor. But it seems to have disappointing graphics. And characters that overall were cliche. I'd rather play a game like GTA than watchdogs
  100. thetruehero
    Jan 22, 2021
    10
    Really cool open-world game, not gta 5 level, but still million times better than games like cyberpunk 2077.
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Awards & Rankings

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

Critic Reviews

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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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