Watchdogs Review

Watchdogs

Watchdogs is the first really big next gen AAA title, and it's so awesome that for some reason Ubisoft decided to put an underscore in the title for no reason at all. The game is actually set in near future Chicago and follows hacker Aiden Pearce as he deals with some family issues, which involves finding out who killed his niece, and that's really all there is to it. The premise behind the game is that Aiden can hack into any significant electronic devise as they're all connected together via a system known as ctOS, allowing instant control and access to the city of Chicago.

I have to report that the setting is a nice change, it seems we get the same old cities appearing over and over again in video games, and so Chicago is refreshing. The only other game I can recall being set in Chicago is the original 'Driver', which was a very good game, and that did have something to do with the unique setting. It does become clear why Chicago isn't used so much when you start playing the game, it isn't the most diverse city and so driving around it can become pretty monotonous, it certainly becomes a lot less memorable than iconic destinations such as Los Santos which have a lot more character and feel a lot more vibrant, 'living' is the cliche term usually reserved for that type of city, and I'm not sure Watchdogs fits those requirements.

Chicago looks nice, if a bit drab.

The main event of course, and the selling point of this game is the hacking elements, which I am pleased to inform you work an absolute treat and controlling various electronic devices seamlessly is great fun. Ubisoft have even integrated this system into the free roam as well so things such as bonus tracks and bank accounts can be accessed through hacking civilians. NPCs in general are a hidden gem of the game, the attention to detail that went into creating just ordinary civilians is amazing. They each have an individual role and unique personalities which really does immerse the player in the dynamic world of Chicago. This is a very exciting and very original concept that I hope rubs out on some future games, as the system really is fantastic, it may not be as revolutionary as Ubisoft thinks it is, but it is undoubtedly one of gaming's greatest mechanics, a bit like the hacking really.

You would be forgiven for thinking that this was more of a puzzle game, but you would be wrong, there are many combat elements too which the game doesn't punish you for using, which is always nice of them. The gunplay is basic, it leaves a lot to be desired, but it works as a general mechanic and I haven't come across any serious issues with it yet, so it won't get any complaints from me, it's just not quite at the level of many other RPGs, even Ubisoft ones. You could also play the stealthy option, one that I find more challenging. It works exactly how you would expect from the makers of 'Assassin's Creed', and this system resembles a lot from that franchise. The various enemies of the game have a nice variety, from street thugs up to juggernauts, and they each require their own unique strategy to kill which always makes missions a lot more dynamic. It must be said though that the police and other enemies are slightly flawed in the fact that they have no power in the water, so any chase can be easily seen off by diving in the water, and it's Chicago so there's a lot of it.

 You really do have to be a terrible player for this to happen.

The multiplayer elements of the game are also rather interesting, instead of being the usual separate mode Watchdogs decided to integrate it into the single player experience. The core principle being that a player can enter another player's world and attempt to hack information off of them, unless they of course try and eliminate you. I will be honest and say that I probably didn't enjoy this as much as I should of, in theory it's a really good idea and there where some times when it was genuinely good fun, but it just got a bit repetitive in the end, and I was forced to turn it off, but then again maybe that's just me, in principle it is a very good idea, and something that maybe should be tried out more, and it does look to be in the next few years.

We now come to the campaign element of the game, something an RPG should utilize effectively, so that the gaming world can be constructed around the storyline, that's the trick the best RPGs pull off, and unfortunately Watchdogs isn't one of them. There are definitely a nice variety of missions on display, they never feel repetitive, but the actual storyline is very weak in a lot of places and I did find myself becoming slightly bored in some sections. It does do its job, it's definitely not terrible, but for an AAA game it is slightly disappointing. This is apparent when you come to the later missions of the game, they really become quite frustrating, and when you can't really see the point in them this does lead to an unpleasant experience. Some of the missions also suffer from the usual Ubisoft dictating syndrome, which tells you exactly how YOU MUST PLAY, don't try and have fun, do it our way. I really do hate that.

I guess the main issues of the plot arise from the poorly developed characters, at no point at all did the game feel epic, the characters on display were dull and all just seemed to have the same blank expressionless persona, something that would make the story a whole lot more interesting. This really does hit home when you compare it to other games in the genre, comparing Aiden Pearce to John Marston just makes me want to cry. If the story doesn't float your boat, which it probably won't, then there are a ton of different side missions which will easily distract you from the main plot, which may be a good thing, it definitely stopped me from losing my sanity. The sidequests involve solving murders to hacking into people's private lives, which really is great fun, and these missions provide a nice refreshing challenge and are just genuinely good way to waste your time.

Being nosy is just all part of the fun

The campaign isn't the only glaring fault, the worst part may be just the pathetic attempt to produce a soundtrack. There really isn't any ambient noise and the actual music is either a few isolated bongs when starting missions or the terrible selection of music available through the radio. The stereo is so bad that I only recognized one song throughout the entire playlist, and I wouldn't exactly call that a good song, and there's only one station, it really is rather pathetic when you compare it to the diversity and prestige of the GTA radio stations. But the biggest flaw of all by an absolute mile is that NPCs will pop in at a ridiculously late stage, the draw distance is simply diabolical. It's so poor that sometimes you have to alter your position on the road because a car has just spawned about 10m in front of you, and it really does change the mission dramatically, couple this with the poor texture loading time and you have a game that isn't particularly nice to play, and a game that also performs very poorly. Remember that E3 presentation, yes we all do. Fuck you Ubisoft, it looked so nice then.

That draw distance is simply abysmal, almost unplayable at times.

Overall I feel that this is only a good game, in theory it dwells on a great idea but it may not have been the revolution in gaming that we were expecting. The savior of this game might just be the quantity of things to do, because technically this game lacks any quality. The mundane plot and flawed physics may just put you off, but in the end the product is an overall fun experience, if you can control your frustration. This game really does prove that an idea can only be so good, but it needs to be integrated with other features to make it a great game.

Final Score: 82/100   ****