Watch Dogs - PlayStation 4

I held off on doing a review on this game because I wasn’t really sure if I would like it, and I didn’t want to do like many and give a bad review because I didn’t understand or get into it deep enough.This game is awesome… Plain and simple.It’s not perfect because like many games, when they get so complex and detailed, sometimes the control mechanics can be cumbersome and takes some adapting to use the controls. I have seen where people are saying it’s a combination of Grand Theft Auto and Assassins Creed. I can see why this comparison is made, but this game is much BETTER than both for a few reasons. The first reason is that it is not a sequel series.I am a firm believer that game sequels have a tendency to go stale unless they are online multiplayer formats. The whole hacking genre of this game is pretty sick. Like I said, it took a few missions to really get into it, but I am getting addicted to it quickly.The free roam capability that is comparable to GTA is much more advanced. I think the next generation development has allowed the game to literally allow the player to go where they want. The interactive environments are really awesome. You knock trash cans over when you are running through alleys, you can drive through chain link fences when eluding police, etc. That’s another thing, The police pursuits are exciting! The cops aren’t as easy to outrun like they are in GTA. The AI is far superior. You have to rely on the expanding free roam environment and hacking into traffic systems to get away. Which brings up the issue of controlling vehicles. The vehicle driving mechanics could be better, and I find myself losing perspective when hitting high speed turns because the camera angle puts you in blind spots. When you make vehicles crash behind you, the slow motion camera capture of the crash is cool to watch, but the down side when the perspective returns to you, you can sometimes crash yourself because the view returns you to a bad spot. But I can live with this because the game has so many strengths that outweigh this. My solution is to use the available motorcycles. They are smaller and more nimble and easier to get through traffic . Not to mention, its easier to ride a motorcycle between barriers that you trigger during police pursuits.The hacking puzzles are top notch, and makes the hacking theme seem more realistic. And people need to realize that Watch Dogs is not some boring hacking puzzle game. It is packed with high paced shootouts which are reminiscent of Max Payne on PS3, but with next gen detail. The graphics are amazing. The roads and sidewalks have cracks and stains and the leaves on the trees, the rain drops and the appearance of the roads when they are wet. You can definitely tell this is a game on a next gen console.This is a game that grows on you the more that you play it.

Watch dogs is a very fun and interesting game. I've played it for probably 8-10 hours (not really sure exactly) and I am still thoroughly enjoying it.The story is interesting and keeps me coming back for more; I want to know what is going to happen next. It's also fun to use the weapons given to you and the variety of hacks. There are plenty of side missions to go around, and will provide for plenty of hours of fun.The graphics are very good, especially at night time and when it's raining. Of course the graphics aren't perfect, but I don't get why people are bashing them - they are very good and fluid. I haven't had any frame rate issues or anything like that.The controls have a small learning curve because of the hacking aspects and such, but are very easy to get used to. The running and climbing are almost exactly like assassins creed. The sneaking around and hiding can be a little clunky at times though, especially during shootouts. Sometimes when I'm trying to get off of a wall and run, or trying to sneak to another wall, he won't move the way I want to and I'll end up getting shot.The driving may not be as good as GTA V, but I don't see the huge problem with it. It is easy to get used to, and it is not hard to drive at all. The driving seems to be made so that it is easy to squeeze between cars and bump off of them. The car you are driving does not get heavily damaged very easily.Overall, this game has very good graphics and fun gameplay. It may not be perfect, but it is definitely worth the money and will provide many of fun hours of gameplay. Go get it.

My son loves this game

The premise of Watch Dogs is simple: vengeance. You are an elite hacker who reached out too far one day and paid a hefty price. Now you are out to find those who wronged you. Along the way you have at your arsenal a cell phone that gives you a one-button ability to access a database of information about the NPCs in the game, as well as standard RPG/sandbox fare of a gun and other items.Music & SoundThe soundtrack for this game is varied, both in terms of musical styles and subtlety. What gives Watch Dogs its strength is using the environment as its soundboard. That is not to say that you do not hear music at all, rather you experience it in a vibrant world in a manner that a person normally would; walking past bars or in cars, for example. The sound effects are where the subtlety comes in. From the footsteps across gravel and the radios of the police, to Aiden Pierce's labored breathing and heartbeats when he is wounded, everything fits together to create the vibrant city that is Chicago.GraphicsI won't say too much here, but the game has a gritty feel to it. I don't know too much about Chicago, so I cannot compare map-to-map, but the detailing in the city and the nooks & crannies really give you a lot of places to run and explore. In short, the game is beautiful and has a lot of amazing scenery.GameplayIn your quest to find out who wronged you, you earn experience and skill points that can be used to gain access to new abilities and to expand upon existing ones. In many ways, it felt like "Last of Us" when it came to picking up items like "electronics pieces" and "unstable chemical"; both of which (as I am sure that you can surmise) can potentially be used for nefarious and/or distraction purposes). Also like "LoU" you will be spending a lot of time sneaking around, but where "LoU" leaves you at the mercy of the movements of the bad guys, Watch Dogs gives you a fun toy in your "hacker/cell phone".Are you running from the police and need a quick distraction? Pull out your cell phone and hone in on that stoplight. Hold down a button for a moment, and suddenly the light changes from red to green, and there is an accident, slowing the cops down and buying you time. If you are a bit more evil, your phone will pick up on shorts in transistors: you can blow them up, but you could risk killing someone, and that will keep the heat on you. And just like in other games like "GTA", if your Heat level is too high, you will find yourself locked out of the game's All-Knowing version of HAL, ctOS, and suddenly information about NPCs... your fellow citizens, will be cut off to you. All that you will be able to do is minor chaos.So sure, you can run around and drive like an idiot (boy does handling ANY vehicle suck, even with some skill points added), but you will pay for your chaos by losing some of your access at first. As the story progresses and you become more powerful and gain access to more useful "hacker" abilities, you will become more resourceful for those times when you can't get to ctOS, but losing ctOS truly leaves you feeling lost...ControlsIf there is anything about this game that left me a bit frustrated, it was the controls. While you use the right analog stick to alternate between hacking targets, it isn't a "snap to" situation. In many ways this function acts like a mouse, creating an annoying little cursor that you having to move around to find a "hack spot", like when you are learning to use a distraction device. A second complaint involves the lack of a pure "jump" button, rather than having to get close to something and hope that you can jump on it. Oh, and if you hit the wrong button when you are sneaking around, you'd better pray that you don't reveal yourself. An early example is in the stadium; I was trying to get past the guard and was sneaking from cover-to-cover ("X") button. I got to the end and rather than having a nice, easy way to jump up to the goal I had to move around until I got the prompt ("O" button) saying that I could jump there. Way to handhold us kiddies, Ubisoft.In The EndWith the frustrations with the controls aside, Watch Dogs is a fun title that has some nice abilities for the player to use in an urban environment that has consequences. With a smattering of GTA, a bit of Last of Us, some Metal Gear Solid for posterity, and a with healthy dose of its own originality, Watch Dogs brings a lot to the table and doesn't disappoint.This is a unique title that has a lot of different playing styles thrown in. There are objectives that you must accomplish as you play Aiden Pierce, but as long as the heat (read: police) isn't onto you, there is a beautifully detailed city that you can explore. Do you want to hack random people and steal their money? Or will you have some morals and leave the targets alone? It really is up to you, and those decisions will affect your "Notoriety" later on. All-in-all I have found myself drawn into the story of Mr. Pierce, enjoying the difficulty curve and exploring Chicago while experimenting with the "powers" that he has, and I cannot wait to see more.