User Score
6.7

Mixed or average reviews- based on 3903 Ratings

User score distribution:
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  1. Mar 25, 2016
    6
    Watch Dogs most definitely is a great example of over-hyped. The game-play and story trailers made is game look like a crazy love story to gamers, with so many things to do, and so many objects to hack. Well... That's not the case.

    Ubisoft really did make this game look fantastic, but a supposed graphics downgrade and simplified game-play mechanics made it far from reality. Physics are
    Watch Dogs most definitely is a great example of over-hyped. The game-play and story trailers made is game look like a crazy love story to gamers, with so many things to do, and so many objects to hack. Well... That's not the case.

    Ubisoft really did make this game look fantastic, but a supposed graphics downgrade and simplified game-play mechanics made it far from reality. Physics are horrible, with last-gen AI, and horrible driving mechanics.
    But if that is really the case, then is it any good at all?

    Well yes. What always counts the most in all media is the story. Everything else can be downright s**t, but the story will keep you interested. That's the case with watch dogs. It has a great story! Not only that, but the characters are very memorable. That is what kept me playing, and most likely you as well.

    Have that and some fun puzzles, and you have a slightly above average open world game! Not the best, but most definitely not the worst either.
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  2. Mar 9, 2016
    10
    if it had a litle bit better graphics it would be fantastic game ..other than that i think this game had very much potential but they ruined .i would like beside all the time that you allways do takedown in enemies ,you can fight them with hand to hand combat system .thats it i like it this game and i hope watch dogs 2 would be the perfect game because has much more potential than gta vif it had a litle bit better graphics it would be fantastic game ..other than that i think this game had very much potential but they ruined .i would like beside all the time that you allways do takedown in enemies ,you can fight them with hand to hand combat system .thats it i like it this game and i hope watch dogs 2 would be the perfect game because has much more potential than gta v wich i hate it and cant standit . graphics 8 story and side missions 9 combat 7 weapons 10 hacking 9 protagonist 9 sorry for my bad english Expand
  3. Mar 7, 2016
    5
    This game is wayyy overhyped. Don't believe the demos or even the trailers. They are lies. Ubisoft, the developers are lying to your face. This game is mediocre at best. It wants to emulate ambitious openworld games like gta or saints row but is so conservative it chooses to be Assassin's Creed instead... An open-world without any soul.

    Graphics are PS3 level. Open-world? Nope not
    This game is wayyy overhyped. Don't believe the demos or even the trailers. They are lies. Ubisoft, the developers are lying to your face. This game is mediocre at best. It wants to emulate ambitious openworld games like gta or saints row but is so conservative it chooses to be Assassin's Creed instead... An open-world without any soul.

    Graphics are PS3 level. Open-world? Nope not really there's nothing to do in the world besides reading other people's messages or monitoring their scripted personal lives... Can't punch a random guy in the face. FAIL. You play a guy who talks like a ghoul (in Fallout) and dresses like a hobo without any form of personality. He's unlikable and you are forced to play this random guy. Wtf Ubisoft? Combat mechanics are alright. Poor driving, poor ai, poorly designed npcs. The token Jordi Chin is so out of place... So what's good? Well, I guess hats off for their marketing team =)

    Stick to gta. And Ubisoft, I don't know what to say but maybe... please give your customers some respect? I mean, how dumb do you think we truly are?
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  4. Mar 6, 2016
    8
    I picked it up for $10.00 brand new and expected the worst. Its fun, I enjoyed playing it. The AI is really bad though. Just sit back behind a wall and they will all come at you single file kinda bad. I focused on stealth and felt like it would be less fun to try and play it as a shooter because the AI is so bad. The hacking was rather simple. The controls are also a bit clumsy at times.I picked it up for $10.00 brand new and expected the worst. Its fun, I enjoyed playing it. The AI is really bad though. Just sit back behind a wall and they will all come at you single file kinda bad. I focused on stealth and felt like it would be less fun to try and play it as a shooter because the AI is so bad. The hacking was rather simple. The controls are also a bit clumsy at times. But with these downfalls I still found myself wanting to play. I only played the main missions and felt like it was entertaining. Expand
  5. Mar 4, 2016
    5
    Don't buy Watch Dogs, because Watch Dogs is another unfinished, dumbed down, pushed out the door game by Ubisoft. First off, the graphics have been dumbed way down from the E3 demos, the hacking mechanics are very linear,you don't have as much control of Chicago as you first thought, and Aiden Pierce sounds like Batman when he spits out a sentence. The story is pretty boring too, barelyDon't buy Watch Dogs, because Watch Dogs is another unfinished, dumbed down, pushed out the door game by Ubisoft. First off, the graphics have been dumbed way down from the E3 demos, the hacking mechanics are very linear,you don't have as much control of Chicago as you first thought, and Aiden Pierce sounds like Batman when he spits out a sentence. The story is pretty boring too, barely anything happens for most of the main story. The multiplayer is fun, but that doesn't make up for anything. Don't buy Watch Dogs. Expand
  6. Mar 1, 2016
    7
    I had to come back and change this because I realized how many other games there are out there that are soooooooooooooooo much better than Watch Dogs. At the most, it's a 7, which I'm nice enough to give it. But at the least, it's a 5. The story is boring, the characters aren't interesting, the customization is lacking in so many ways, and the driving controls are literally the worst I'veI had to come back and change this because I realized how many other games there are out there that are soooooooooooooooo much better than Watch Dogs. At the most, it's a 7, which I'm nice enough to give it. But at the least, it's a 5. The story is boring, the characters aren't interesting, the customization is lacking in so many ways, and the driving controls are literally the worst I've seen in a game. So why is it a 7? Well, here are the things Watch Dogs does right. The world is huge, it looks beautiful (on next gen), controls and gameplay are really smooth, and the hacking feels really satisfying, apart from the mini-games used in most story missions. Some would still say that would make this game an overall 5, but there are some negatives of the game I'm willing to let go, mainly the bugs that pop up every now and then. Still a disappointment though. 7/10. Expand
  7. Feb 15, 2016
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. tenia que ser de los idiotas de UBISOFT, creo que es la empresa mas nefasta de los últimos 10 años, debería llamarse, promise-soft, puras promesas, un downgrade vergonzoso, una imitación en chafa de GTA, pero como region 5. que pena que este tipos de juegos sean lanzados, con tantos errores, con tanta mentira para que la gente lo pueda comprar en preventa... si, lamentable que en esta nueva generación muy pocas empresas sean honestas... comenzó mal con lo de que no se tenia una beta para los usuarios, muchos errores incómodos, pareciera que estas jugando un titulo de PS2 Expand
  8. Feb 8, 2016
    1
    The good:

    not fun to play
    gets boring fast
    the mission design is horrible
    Vehicle handling is poor
    Uninspired and generic open world, concept

    the bad:

    you need to pay to play this piece of s$#&
  9. Jan 30, 2016
    9
    Watch Dogs, as many hyped games, was a let down for many people, who considered it fell short on its premise of "controlling" the city from their cellphone. However, this is hardly the case. These are some of the elements you can hack:

    - Controlling traffic: traffic lights, steam pipes, bridges, blockers, road spikes, gates, garage doors and even trains. - Accessing Information:
    Watch Dogs, as many hyped games, was a let down for many people, who considered it fell short on its premise of "controlling" the city from their cellphone. However, this is hardly the case. These are some of the elements you can hack:

    - Controlling traffic: traffic lights, steam pipes, bridges, blockers, road spikes, gates, garage doors and even trains.
    - Accessing Information: personal cameras, cellphones, CCTV cameras, computers.
    - Causing distractions by: activating lifts, forklifts, junction boxes, making transformers and other utilities explode/burst, triggering car alarms, ringing enemies' phones. Additionally, you can disrupt helicopters and enemies' comms,
    - Invading: you can hack cellphones to: steal money, download music, read text messages, overhear conversations (some of them will lead you to objects of interest or give you a tip on a crime).

    In addition to all of that, you can also craft grenades, mines, proximity mines, distraction lures, jam comms, scanners (CtOS Scan). If you're still not satisfied you can cause blackouts throughout the city.

    Of course, not all of the above is available from the get-go, they require you to unlock the required skill. Speaking of skills, the skill tree is vast, allowing you to take control of more elements, but also improving your attributes (such as handling, focus, shooting, etc.).

    Weapon variety is not the best, you have: melee, pistols, sub-machine guns, shotguns, assault rifles, sniper rifles and grenade launchers.

    Now, the main story is solid, nothing extraordinary, but it's not bad by any means. Additionally, you have all sorts of side quest to undertake. Believe me, it's where you'll spend most of your time. Most of them are pretty fun and you'll all of your skills will be tested (stealth, driving, crowd control, puzzle solving, shooting, reflex, balance and more). Online activities are not too varied. Basically, you have: races (which are pretty fun), invasions and free roam.

    The music is great, but graphics - and probably voice acting - could have been a little better.

    All in all, it's a game that is totally worth checking out.
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  10. Jan 30, 2016
    8
    I'm shocked at how many haters about this game I think this is a wonderful game amazing graphics, perfect driving mechanics, the puzzles that appears when you hacking something in the missions, challenges, check-in mode and it's open world, that's awesome. Map is bigger than GTA V btw. But you can't beat civilians, but take down moments are astonishing. Online mode is, eh.
  11. Jan 20, 2016
    7
    Watch dogs is an ok game that can be much better with down improvements from Ubisoft and I feel that it has the potential to prove to be even better than GTA
    The open world of Chicago does not feel real and it all basically looks the same I feel like I'm going down the same street over and over again a lot and the driving and stealth is brutal
    Once you get past those things the game can
    Watch dogs is an ok game that can be much better with down improvements from Ubisoft and I feel that it has the potential to prove to be even better than GTA
    The open world of Chicago does not feel real and it all basically looks the same I feel like I'm going down the same street over and over again a lot and the driving and stealth is brutal
    Once you get past those things the game can prove to be a lot of fun at times when running from cops or shooting people with that awesome cover system
    The hacking is very dull and this game does not stand out like it was advertised to be and does not feel fresh at all
    The awesome: cover system shooting story enemy AI cop chases
    The OK: open world
    The bad: driving hacking auto fail stealth missions feel of the open world
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  12. Jan 19, 2016
    8
    Its the hype that ruined the reputation of this game..It is far from GTAV,its stupid to compare those two games,but Watchdogs is a good game...The missions are fun,the story is good...I reccomend it for the single player,it is a nice experience...
  13. Jan 17, 2016
    0
    This will not be a gentle read. Watch Dogs, aside from a terrible title, fumbles in its ugly, clumsy man-hands, a terrible nonsensical narrative, underwhelming character mechanics, ridiculously outdated physics, and even after keeping my distance for over a year; going back to this game with the mentality of a last-gen mop up; I can't emphasize enough just how infuriating the pacing,This will not be a gentle read. Watch Dogs, aside from a terrible title, fumbles in its ugly, clumsy man-hands, a terrible nonsensical narrative, underwhelming character mechanics, ridiculously outdated physics, and even after keeping my distance for over a year; going back to this game with the mentality of a last-gen mop up; I can't emphasize enough just how infuriating the pacing, character, and plot development really is. It's unsatisfying when it should be clutch-critical, incredibly ridiculous when it's implied to be intimate, and lofty with a constant "head in the clouds" delivery when all the performances suggest there should be a great gravity about the situation. Its bad enough that the main character is supposed to be emotionally distraught yet through game-demanding-actions consistently falls to express that, but to force the player to become just so distraught over things like game mechanics and plot development, is not only a cheap parlor trick, it's an express ticket to "wtf review-land". If you're like me and gave this game a (cough* second *cough) chance, please, for the love of all that is holy, refrain from doing so and save whatever resource it would take you to acquire it. Money, time, pride, favors of one sort or another; just spare yourself the grief and stay away from this slog. This is literally the first game I have ever played which made me wish I could get back every single second I spent in it. Every would-be redeemable element of this game odd so strongly overshadowed by disappointment that even playing through to remind myself how it concluded was something I simply could not stomach. Worst. Game. I. Have. Ever. Played. And yes, I did play the original ME3 ending. Watch Dogs, as it sits now, is not only not worth the time. It's an insult to the industry. This makes HAZE feel understandably hyped. Expand
  14. Jan 1, 2016
    7
    Watchdogs is a good game in the Ubisoft family tree of titles that are extremely similar. It has all the same types of elements to it as Far Cry or Assassin's Creed does with the collect-a-thon map searching, etc. Good idea, and decent story, but the hype hurt this game as it fell short of expectations and promises. I still had a good time with this game, and it is worth playing if you areWatchdogs is a good game in the Ubisoft family tree of titles that are extremely similar. It has all the same types of elements to it as Far Cry or Assassin's Creed does with the collect-a-thon map searching, etc. Good idea, and decent story, but the hype hurt this game as it fell short of expectations and promises. I still had a good time with this game, and it is worth playing if you are a fan at all of the other Ubi titles.

    7.2/10
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  15. Dec 30, 2015
    8
    What's happening in the commentary here is the same **** that happens on Yelp. Competition has hired a bunch of people to write a negative review and upvote other negative reviews. I've played the game for hours now and I'm very much enjoying the effort put into it. The only complaint I agree with is with the poor sound design regarding guns and cars, but pretty much every other argumentWhat's happening in the commentary here is the same **** that happens on Yelp. Competition has hired a bunch of people to write a negative review and upvote other negative reviews. I've played the game for hours now and I'm very much enjoying the effort put into it. The only complaint I agree with is with the poor sound design regarding guns and cars, but pretty much every other argument in the negative reviews here is just driven by hate for Ubisoft or whatever dumb reason, such as **** about the graphics, which by the way I never thought to be bad. I think it's pretty obvious - giving a rating of 0 while complaining about just one or two aspects about the game, which may not even be true, is childish. Expand
  16. Dec 27, 2015
    6
    Horribly overhyped dull piece of crap. Add to that the horrible police rubberbanding (which makes it utterly impossible to ever, EVER lose the cops unless you have a gadget to prevent them spotting you in the first place. Just not fun.
  17. Dec 3, 2015
    7
    This game is trying soooooooo hard to be GTA it's pretty hilarious, while it does have a new mechanic that let's you hack almost anything there isn't really much else to it, the graphics are nice, and the gameplay is fun besides the horrible driving mechanics, and the story is crap, i really didn't care much about any character, is it worth it well that depends on you, your better offThis game is trying soooooooo hard to be GTA it's pretty hilarious, while it does have a new mechanic that let's you hack almost anything there isn't really much else to it, the graphics are nice, and the gameplay is fun besides the horrible driving mechanics, and the story is crap, i really didn't care much about any character, is it worth it well that depends on you, your better off playing any other GTA game. Expand
  18. Nov 30, 2015
    7
    Watch Dogs

    Game-Play:The game-play good at some parts and bad at some others.The shooting is very good and the hacking as well but I saw some opportunities at hacking that could be used but they was not ,the movement of the protagonist was very realistic and the cover system is good as well.Now for the bad things the game does not have areal melee combat system just some one shot one
    Watch Dogs

    Game-Play:The game-play good at some parts and bad at some others.The shooting is very good and the hacking as well but I saw some opportunities at hacking that could be used but they was not ,the movement of the protagonist was very realistic and the cover system is good as well.Now for the bad things the game does not have areal melee combat system just some one shot one kill melee attack and also the driving was a nightmare I have seen better driving in PS2 games.

    Story:Also some lost potential here with a short story and a sequel bait ending but I enjoy it at some points the story will take you about 8 hours to finish it.

    Graphics:We expected better graphics in this game but they are not that great but still they are not bad.

    Notes:The open-world do not look very alive and the side mission at the start they were fun but they end up very repetitive.There are lot of guns in this game which I liked also there are a lot of different outfits.Some uninteresting characters in the game and a lot of missed opportunities at hacking hold this game back from what it was suppose to be but at the end it was a good game just that nothing more nothing less I think you should wait for a price drop before you buy it.
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  19. Nov 22, 2015
    9
    Let me start off by saying that... no, it wasn't like the one at E3. No, it wasn't like I thought it would be. Yes, I enjoyed it. The hacking was fun, the missions were fun, the free roam was fun, the story was great. I liked how it wasn't about saving a girlfriend or anything like that. It was all for family and I love that. It's a great change of pace.
    Though not everybody likes the
    Let me start off by saying that... no, it wasn't like the one at E3. No, it wasn't like I thought it would be. Yes, I enjoyed it. The hacking was fun, the missions were fun, the free roam was fun, the story was great. I liked how it wasn't about saving a girlfriend or anything like that. It was all for family and I love that. It's a great change of pace.
    Though not everybody likes the hero... I thought he was cool. He knows you don't get places by being nice.
    And if you play on PS4, it has some great side missions and other things like finding a serial killer among a lot more. I would say it's worthy of the score I gave it.
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  20. Nov 22, 2015
    8
    Despite the bad reviews on here I decided to play it through anyway. Yeah, the graphics and gameplay are a bit last gen in places, especially after what was promised - but the title offers some great set pieces and some fun moments. The game isn't anything new, but it is entertaining while is lasts. I found more positives than negatives, it feels that reviewers are venting their anger ontoDespite the bad reviews on here I decided to play it through anyway. Yeah, the graphics and gameplay are a bit last gen in places, especially after what was promised - but the title offers some great set pieces and some fun moments. The game isn't anything new, but it is entertaining while is lasts. I found more positives than negatives, it feels that reviewers are venting their anger onto what could have been, rather than what was delivered. Enjoy it for what it is, a solid piece of entertainment. Expand
  21. Nov 5, 2015
    5
    This game and every aspect in it can be described perfectly with one word. Average. Gameplay = Average. Story = Average. Side Activities = Average. Graphics(for next gen game) = Average. I could go on, but you get the idea. Bottom line WatchDogs = Average.
  22. Oct 24, 2015
    8
    I feel that this game deserves more love. People were too focused on the graphics to really see the potential of this game, and now that's the past, I am finally able to see the true strengths of this game. The first act is mediocre, but after that, this game becomes very engaging with missions that offer freedom of choice and story that's very good. The gun combat is spot on and stealthI feel that this game deserves more love. People were too focused on the graphics to really see the potential of this game, and now that's the past, I am finally able to see the true strengths of this game. The first act is mediocre, but after that, this game becomes very engaging with missions that offer freedom of choice and story that's very good. The gun combat is spot on and stealth works well. I recommend this game to open world fans. Expand
  23. Oct 19, 2015
    1
    When Ubisoft showed what the world of Watch Dogs would be like.....I was excited. What I got was nothing remotely close. "you will never see the same NPC ever" 5 minutes into the game I see 5 bloody clones. The graphics are nothing spectacular as well. What they showed was something amazing but days before release they announce a graphical downgrade that really impacted the game. The gameWhen Ubisoft showed what the world of Watch Dogs would be like.....I was excited. What I got was nothing remotely close. "you will never see the same NPC ever" 5 minutes into the game I see 5 bloody clones. The graphics are nothing spectacular as well. What they showed was something amazing but days before release they announce a graphical downgrade that really impacted the game. The game play it self is very predictable, repetitive and dull, not to mention the story did not connect to the player at all. This game must be avoided .....period. Giving a 1 only because some losers put some hours of their life into making a **** game then over glorifying it to get rich...scum. Expand
  24. Oct 14, 2015
    6
    While the sheer joy of the first 45 minutes are totally worth the sticker price, the game gets stuck in a rut pretty quickly. Also, many of the mechanics just annoyed me. Like the multiple player hacking and the weird puzzle mini games.
  25. Oct 6, 2015
    4
    The homeless, malnourished version of GTA V. Realised an hour into this game that it was minging. Took a day off work for it's launch but ended spending the day watching redtube.

    Ubisoft erection
  26. Sep 17, 2015
    8
    Alright, let me get this out of the way: I genuinely like Watch Dogs. I know it's almost fashionable to hate this game, but bear with me.
    I first learned about Watch Dogs after I've watched the live action trailer. You may have seen it too. A young couple goes to a little shady shop where an Indian guy fixes their phone, and gives them an amazing app free of charge. He then proceeds to
    Alright, let me get this out of the way: I genuinely like Watch Dogs. I know it's almost fashionable to hate this game, but bear with me.
    I first learned about Watch Dogs after I've watched the live action trailer. You may have seen it too. A young couple goes to a little shady shop where an Indian guy fixes their phone, and gives them an amazing app free of charge. He then proceeds to walk into the street and demonstrate what the phone can do. With one tap, he can control anything, from an ATM to traffic lights. You see no gameplay footage in this trailer, they only tell you the game's name and show you the cover art. I admit I was intrigued by the concept, but I wasn't really sold and made no effort to keep an eye on the game.
    A few months later I bought a PS4, and one of the games that came with it, was Watch Dogs. I didn't know Ubisoft downgraded the graphics prior to WD's release, I wasn't aware of any of the stuff that makes so many players hate the game. That's probably why I gave the game a fair chance and ended up enjoying it.
    The story is as cliched as they get. A lone wolf goes out to avenge the death of a loved one, and uncovers a huge conspiracy. We've seen this million times before. It's still enjoyable, though, and there are some strong moments. One scene in the human traffic mission immediately comes to mind. If you've played the game, you probably know which one I mean. The characters, including the protagonist Aiden Pearce, are bland and rather forgettable. The only exception is T-Bone, who's actually cool and fun.
    The controls are alright and I didn't have any major issues. The only thing I strongly disliked was the car driving. It gets better once you get used to it, but not by a whole lot. Sadly it's unavoidable because the city is large, and many missions require you to grab a vehicle and escape your pursuers.
    The graphics are fine. Bear in mind this is an early PS4 game and logically doesn't look like games that'll come out in five years from now will. For what it is, it does look good, and there are moments where it's genuinely impressive.
    The music is fine, if a bit bland, and you have an option to listen to an in-game radio. Same goes for the voice acting. Nothing really stuck with me, I just remember it being okay.
    The main story is quite short, but there are tons of side missions and an obligatory DLC or two. It should keep you entertained for a while.
    Overall, Watch Dogs is not as bad as everyone says. Sure, if I were one of the people who fell for the pre-release hype, my opinion would probably be quite different. I avoided Ubisoft's dishonest advertising, though, and gave the game a chance without forming a biased opinion. Take it as it is, don't dwell on what it could've been.
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  27. Sep 14, 2015
    10
    Very very very nice game I love this game.watch dogs is best game and better then gta v.I have game on ps4 and im always play watch dogs .yes really!.
  28. Sep 7, 2015
    7
    7/10

    Watch_Dogs is amazing but it could have been even better

    + Gameplay Mechanics
    + Hacking
    + Living open world
    + Online competitions

    - Voice Acting
    - Driving mechanics
    - Some dull missions and characters
    - Boring story
  29. Sep 2, 2015
    9
    İn last year i was hopefully waiting for this game.But it wasn't very good.İ was so disappointed.But the missions are really good.And the story is fine.But the driving mechanics of the game is good but Gta V's better.Let's say that the games fine and it deserves right 8.Game is good.İf you like open world games and good missions you might buy this game.You shouldn't buy this game
  30. Sep 2, 2015
    8
    Reviews were underwhelming so I wasn't expecting much. Turned out to be a decent game. The driving physics aren't at the same level as GTA V but being able to hack roadblocks, bridges & traffic lights makes up for it. Definitely worth playing
Metascore
80

Generally favorable reviews - based on 80 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 64 out of 80
  2. Negative: 0 out of 80
  1. Aug 6, 2014
    85
    Watch Dogs is a fun open world experience. However, the repetitive chases and the formulaic gameplay tend to get tedious and boring after a while. As such, you might want to enjoy the different multiplayer experiences and take frequent breaks to just roam around the city.
  2. CD-Action
    Jul 25, 2014
    70
    It’s a bold first step on the new terrain for Ubisoft. The game is enjoyable, offers some interesting mechanics and lasts for long enough, but is bland as a whole. The characters lack personalities, the city could use more distinctness and the story is instantly forgettable. [07/2014, p.46]
  3. Jul 18, 2014
    85
    Overall, it is almost without a doubt the best platformer that has popped up on the current generation of consoles and is a bedrock on which Ubisoft could build a brand to remember.