Watch_Dogs Review

Please be aware, this review is only based on the single player aspect of the game, as I haven't tried enough of the mulitplayer to warrant reviewing it.

After a 6/7 month delay, Watch Dogs is finally upon us!

This game was high on my list of games which I wanted to get on launch day of the new next gen consoles. So when Ubisoft announced the delay, and not long before it was due to launch, you can understand the disappointment I felt inside!

Big open world games like this are what I love playing. Being able to roam around a huge city/world at my own leisure, and do what I want to do, whether it be side missions or the main story is what I love. That choice and freedom, and knowing that there are hours, and hours and hours of play there keeps me hooked to a game. The variety of these side missions is in abundance in Watch_Dogs, and being able to change the pace like that is again something I love!

Story missions can take it out of you mentally. Well for me they do, so to go and do a digital trip or hack a ctOS tower is a nice break. Hell... even just driving round causing mayhem can be a nice break before you go back into the full flow of the story.

Now, the storyline. It's deep, fulfilling and gives meaning to what Aiden is trying to accomplish. It allows you to get to know him as a character, and what he's doing, and why he's doing it. He even questions himself as to why he's doing what he's doing when you go to save Jacks.  When it comes to the gameplay, some missions can get quite repetitive. Going in looking for something, or to hack something, then a gang will show up and there will be a shoot out before I've killed them all or escaped. (Depends on if I'm feeling generous or not  :wink: ) However, the mechanics for the shooting and all our war in general are that good that it doesn't bother me. I could happily take my silenced pistol and headshot people all day! There is such satisfaction about a silenced headshot!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRTzYgV5sXM

The AI... FANTASTIC! People feel 'real'. Scanning over people and pretty much learning about them is amazing. Going from a Diabetic to a Pyromaniac feels real, and believable. When your in a gun battle with ctOS guards or the Viceroy, the AI characters don't stay still in their positions like in most other games. The AI here move about, flank you if you stay in a position too long. They adapt to the environment and I love this! It keeps me on my toes and alert to whats going on!  :laughing:

The game is beautiful. The graphics are stunning, and I have to give special mention to the water features. They are amazing, whether it's from the rain effect, or you're driving a boat round the rivers and lakes, the water is amazing! The characters look amazing as well!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SWwEh18I0a8

Hacking is simple, and can be done on the fly rather quickly. So things like changing traffic lights, exploding steam pipes, raising bridges are super easy to do! There are more tricky things to do, such as when you're intruding into a network and you have to re-route the network to gain access, they can be tricky, specially if your timed by one of the systems your hacking! So much pressure. If the time does run out, it resets everything and you have to start again. Annoying if theres a fair bit to remember where everything goes!  :laughing:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-fjrSU4sbo

Once I've played enough of the multiplayer, I'll review that too, but the score so far is based on the single player elements only.