Biohazard's Review of Watch Dogs
Jun 8, 2014 13:41:05 GMT -5
NickLiv3, ÖßvïÖµ§l¥, and 4 more like this
Post by Biohazard Abyss on Jun 8, 2014 13:41:05 GMT -5
Wanted to write a proper in-depth review of the game, because I can.
The Review:
Hyped up over a very lengthy amount of time, Watch Dogs was a game anticipated by hundreds of thousands of gamers. Some even hyped it up as far to say that it was going to be a "GTA killer," meaning Watch Dogs would be digging the grave for GTAV. I myself thought nothing of the game, as I did not have high, nor low expectations for it. I certainly believed it wasn't going to live up to the extreme amount of hype that followed it, thanks to Ubisofts abundance of advertising and the E3 2012 gameplay demo, shown here:
Watch Dogs centers around our protagonist, Aiden Pearce, a vigilante on a quest for revenge. Pearce was a criminal before the events of Watch Dogs, unbeknownst to his family, he was a hacker who simply stole money from numerous bank accounts to make maximum profit. Due to his criminal activities, they resulted in the death of his young niece as a hit was ordered on him. The hitmen attacked his car with himself and his family inside, all of them surviving the attack except for her, putting Aiden on his venture for revenge. Pearce is a character loved, and hated by some as he is not very colorful due to the loss of his niece. He acts very straightforward and aggressive, as he will do anything to achieve his goal while keeping his sister and nephew safe. This means to not expect him to be having any humorous scenes or actions, as he is a vigilante who doesn't mind putting a bullet in the back of the head of his targets. His dark personality can be compared to that of a character like Batman, but since he does not hold back like Batman when it comes to killing, Pearce is a lot more unforgiving.
The main thing as everyone knows about the game is the hacking, as Chicago is run under one system called cTOS. Aiden's phone gives him access to numerous objects that you can interact with that are controlled via cTOS, from bridges to steam pipes. His access to cTOS is what allows him to solve puzzles, take missions in stealthy manners, and escape the police by disabling their vehicles via a variety of ways during car chases. Hacking is no complex matter though, as hacking an object is merely performed by holding X on Xbox, or Square on PS3, but what comes out of hacking is the strategy. In order to have the player manage their hacking ability, Aiden's phone runs on a battery level, meaning each hackable object expends a certain amount of battery life that naturally recharges over time. This leads you to really planning out your use of access to cTOS, to make sure your mission runs smoothly. The hacking in Watch Dogs is certainly innovative, as the whole incentive Ubisoft puts on the player is to use the environment to their advantage.
Since cTOS allows you to approach missions in stealthy manner, most missions can be either taken with stealth, or guns-blazing. This allows the player to approach missions in various ways, whether they want to try and complete the entire mission undetected, or only eliminate certain enemies via hacking and stealth, before deciding to shoot up the place. The shooting mechanics of Watch Dogs are certainly entertaining as firefights feel intense. If vulnerable, enemies will take you down fast which is why Watch Dogs has a regenerating health system, a la Gears of War, Call of Duty, etc. The only thing that displeases me is that like any game with lock-on, headshots are extremely easy to pull off, especially from far distance. So firefights really only get intense when the AI is closing in on you, forcing you to stay in cover and keep on your toes.
Stealth in the game works absolutely fantastic, as the AI reacts very realistically to your actions. Kind of like Metal Gear Solid, or Hitman, enemies will detect your presence if you are in their line of sight for too long. When in sight, an exclamation mark will appear over their head with a red meter that begins to fill. When that meter is full, they will become aware of your presence, alerting other enemies in the area as well. Aiden can not only distract and lure enemies with various tools and hacking abilities, but he can also perform stealth takedowns to eliminate enemies without alerting their comrades. Shooting up the place might seem easier, but there comes not only great fun, but great satisfaction when completing missions and side missions, completely undetected. This encourages players to be as quiet as they can, as going loud could result in penalties like enemies phoning for reinforcements.
One of the downfalls of Watch Dogs is the infamous driving mechanics. While they're not a complete abomination like most people say, the driving does break a lot of the realism of the game, as the collisions are absolutely ridiculous. The mechanics themselves seem extremely sloppy at first when you pick up the game, but a lot of practice eventually leads you to taming them, so then they're a thing of the past. The car collisions break the realism of the game though as just like in Saints Row, it feels like every car you step foot into, the vehicle mass multiplies by some insane number. When you crash into another vehicle at high speed, yours completely plows it out of the way unless there is an extremely weight difference. I've drove a compact into a pick-up truck and sent it like thirty feet once during a high-speed pursuit. This does make some of the chases hilarious in a goofy way though, so some players might actually appreciate it, as it isn't gamebreaking.
Owning the Xbox 360 version, I can say that Watch Dogs looks exceptional on it, especially since it's a cross-gen, open-world game. Of course Xbox One, PC, and PS4 versions look better than the versions on the last-gen consoles. The last-gen versions sacrifice detail, and some things like plants and grass in order for the console to run the game effectively. These differences are of course not massive, meaning Watch Dogs is no less a good recommendation for people who don't own a current-gen console or a powerful-enough PC. One of the best things about Watch Dogs has to be the rain. As silly as it sounds, the rain in the game is absolutely gorgeous, as even trees and such are effected by the water and wind, making the world feel really alive.
Since you play the role of vigilante Aiden Pearce who isn't a bad guy, Watch Dogs plays a lot like Sleeping Dogs, giving a lot of players no incentive to harm civilians and police officers, as it is even shown by the game's reputation system. Depending on your actions, they influence how the city sees you, the infamous vigilante. Performing actions like killing civilians, cops, or robbing stores will lower your reputation, the city looking at you as a menace, meaning they will react to you negatively. For example, if you are hated by Chicago, civilians are more likely to call the police on you, when you steal a car, engage in a gunfight, etc. The opposite occurs if you have good reputations from rescuing Chicago's citizens, taking down criminals, etc. For example, I had gotten into a gunfight during a side-mission and I heard a civilian say, "Don't worry, I'm not calling the cops. Not everyone's against you." So the way that you play affects you, as Chicago will either mostly side with you, or view you as a mere criminal. Although you can choose to be hated, or loved by the city, neither influences the story which is a bit disappointing, but with how much the reputation system fluctuates, it makes sense.
Instead of running around and causing massive havoc like in the GTA series, like Sleeping Dogs, Ubisoft filled their world with a vast amount of side missions and collectibles to keep you occupied. From completing Gang Hideouts, Criminal Convoys, Fixer Contracts, random crimes, to invading people's privacy by hacking into their own homes, Chicago is filled with an extreme amount of things for the player to do. Completing these side missions and such also reward the player with XP, which can be used to upgrade Aiden's skill tree. The skill tree is filled with combat, hacking, crafting, and driving skills. Each skill costs a different amount of skill points, and can make situations a lot easier for the player. For example, a driving skill improves your handling off-road, while a combat skill may allow you to fire a semi-auto pistol faster. Side missions also award players with in-game awards like special vehicles or weapons, from completing a certain amount of the side mission type. Gang Hideouts are by far my favorite, as they require you to take down a specific target whether you choose to be stealthy, or just shoot up the place.
If you prefer an urban environment in your open-world game, Watch Dogs is right for you as the world of Chicago may be physically smaller than maps like GTAV's, but it certainly feels large, as it even has a rural area called Pawnee to fit everyone's needs. The world feels very alive due to the pedestrians behavior. I found myself walking along once when a pedestrian had rear-ended another. I figured it was a weird glitch, but they both got out of their cars and began arguing over the accident, making the situation feel a lot more alive. Aiden's profiler feature on his phone also allows you to get background information on pedestrians, and even hack into their bank accounts if possible. This is your main source of income in Watch Dogs as you accumulate money, then retrieve it at the numerous ATMs around the city. The profiler gives you their occupation, income, and a "fun fact" about them, as illustrated in this hilariously offensive video:
On top of all the fun to be had in single player, Watch Dogs sports a few online modes that also provide players with some entertainment:
Online 1v1 hacking: This mode consists of one player invading another's single player game, and trying to steal their data. In order to accomplish this, the player must approach their opponent and hack into their system, then escape to a safe position of their choice within the distance limit and then began to initiate the hack. The other player will be notified and their job is to identify the hacker and attempt to kill them. The hacker will appear as a random NPC, as do all online players appear to each other so the hacker will have to hide themselves well within the hacking area until the decryption of data is complete. The one hunting down the hacker will have to use their phone's profiler to profile/identity them, notifying the hacker that their cover is blown. Then the hacker's objective is to escape, and they are not allowed to kill their opponent. Otherwise, if not profiled the hacker must avoid being identified until the hack is complete, winning them the match. Players can choose to blend in various ways from hiding in parked cars, to hiding in plain sight with crowds, or they can simply hide behind cover and such.
1v1 Tailing: Tailing works different than hacking, as the invader's presence is not known to the one being invaded, unless the one being invaded tries to initiate a mission, notifying them that someone is in their game. In order to tail someone successfully you must first profile them with you phone, then simply observe them without being found. As you observe them, a percentage of observation increases, 100% obviously being your goal.
4-player racing: Pretty self-explanatory, except nitrous is available in racing. Cheating and ramming is actually encourages since most tracks feature various things for players to hack, to give themselves the edge against opponents, making the racing fun and intense.
cTOS mobile challenge: There is an app for Watch Dogs that allows a user to challenge a console player to the cTOS mobile challenge. In this challenge, the console player must follow the checkpoints from point A to B, while the tablet/device player controls the police, and any devices controlled by cTOS, to try and get the player killed before reaching the destination. As the cTOS mobile player plays more and more, they can unlock more things to use, and more police units to send after players.
4v4 Decryption: A mode only on current-gen consoles and PC, this mode pits 4 players against 4, fighting over a file. The objective is to decrypt the file completely, resulting in gun fights and car chases. The only frustrating thing about this mode is that since you cannot shoot while driving, car chases can become annoying if you do not have someone in the passenger seat shooting for you. You cannot shot and drive at the same time because Ubisoft wants players to use the environment against the police and their opponents, which is the whole incentive of Watch Dogs.
Free roam: Again only available on next-gen consoles, 8 players are allowed to free roam around the city, each player appearing as Aiden on their screen, while the seven others appear as NPC models which is kind of lame, since it doesn't allow for player customization. In my opinion, you should at least be able to choose what NPC you appear as you might be appearing as some silly old lady to others, walking around with a sniper rifle. I have not played the free roam myself, so I cannot judge it but I heard it's nothing to write home about. Of course the lack of free roam and decryption on 360 and PS3 wouldn't make me recommend the game any less, as I am not bothered by the absence of both modes.
Winning online matches reward the player with notoriety points, which, when accumulated eventually unlock various online-specific skills that assist you in defense against online players invading your game. Here is a video of online hacking:
The Verdict: 9/10
Watch Dogs is a truly enjoyable experience, with its downfalls hardly effecting the gameplay experience Ubisoft wanted to deliver to players. Another issue I have with the game is that there are no multiple save slots, meaning you have only one save. Without multiple saves, or at least a New Game+ feature, starting over will of course reset your completion, skills, and notoriety points. So in order to play the game again without losing your stats and abilities, you'd have to create on offline account on Xbox, or make another account on PS3. Of course for Xbox users this means that you won't be able to access the online features for your second playthrough, unless you choose to put Xbox Live Gold, or already have Xbox Live Gold on that account.
Watch Dogs is an excellent recommendation for people who enjoy open-world games, especially those who were fans of Sleeping Dogs as Watch Dogs is much more similar to that, then of GTA, even though the two are constantly being compared. Due to Watch Dogs being different enough, I can only compare simple elements like map, shooting mechanics, etc. The game may seem pretty average at first, as it did to me when first starting but it certainly picks up and has become one of my favorite games to date. Another thing to point out is that on a few instances, the AI can react in improper ways. I've had an instance where someone I was chasing smashed into a closed gate, and instead of fixing the mistake they repeatedly rammed into it over and over again. Throughout my playthrough though, I have encountered brainless AI on only a few occasions, not enough for it to be a strong issue.
So is Watch Dogs for you? That's for you to decide. Some people seem to love it like myself, but some seem to hate it although it's only because they had overhyped the game. I feel that since it met my expectations, but also then some, it really made me love it. I'd recommend it to anyone, but if you're unsure you might want to wait for a price drop instead, just to be safe.
The Review:
Hyped up over a very lengthy amount of time, Watch Dogs was a game anticipated by hundreds of thousands of gamers. Some even hyped it up as far to say that it was going to be a "GTA killer," meaning Watch Dogs would be digging the grave for GTAV. I myself thought nothing of the game, as I did not have high, nor low expectations for it. I certainly believed it wasn't going to live up to the extreme amount of hype that followed it, thanks to Ubisofts abundance of advertising and the E3 2012 gameplay demo, shown here:
Watch Dogs centers around our protagonist, Aiden Pearce, a vigilante on a quest for revenge. Pearce was a criminal before the events of Watch Dogs, unbeknownst to his family, he was a hacker who simply stole money from numerous bank accounts to make maximum profit. Due to his criminal activities, they resulted in the death of his young niece as a hit was ordered on him. The hitmen attacked his car with himself and his family inside, all of them surviving the attack except for her, putting Aiden on his venture for revenge. Pearce is a character loved, and hated by some as he is not very colorful due to the loss of his niece. He acts very straightforward and aggressive, as he will do anything to achieve his goal while keeping his sister and nephew safe. This means to not expect him to be having any humorous scenes or actions, as he is a vigilante who doesn't mind putting a bullet in the back of the head of his targets. His dark personality can be compared to that of a character like Batman, but since he does not hold back like Batman when it comes to killing, Pearce is a lot more unforgiving.
The main thing as everyone knows about the game is the hacking, as Chicago is run under one system called cTOS. Aiden's phone gives him access to numerous objects that you can interact with that are controlled via cTOS, from bridges to steam pipes. His access to cTOS is what allows him to solve puzzles, take missions in stealthy manners, and escape the police by disabling their vehicles via a variety of ways during car chases. Hacking is no complex matter though, as hacking an object is merely performed by holding X on Xbox, or Square on PS3, but what comes out of hacking is the strategy. In order to have the player manage their hacking ability, Aiden's phone runs on a battery level, meaning each hackable object expends a certain amount of battery life that naturally recharges over time. This leads you to really planning out your use of access to cTOS, to make sure your mission runs smoothly. The hacking in Watch Dogs is certainly innovative, as the whole incentive Ubisoft puts on the player is to use the environment to their advantage.
Since cTOS allows you to approach missions in stealthy manner, most missions can be either taken with stealth, or guns-blazing. This allows the player to approach missions in various ways, whether they want to try and complete the entire mission undetected, or only eliminate certain enemies via hacking and stealth, before deciding to shoot up the place. The shooting mechanics of Watch Dogs are certainly entertaining as firefights feel intense. If vulnerable, enemies will take you down fast which is why Watch Dogs has a regenerating health system, a la Gears of War, Call of Duty, etc. The only thing that displeases me is that like any game with lock-on, headshots are extremely easy to pull off, especially from far distance. So firefights really only get intense when the AI is closing in on you, forcing you to stay in cover and keep on your toes.
Stealth in the game works absolutely fantastic, as the AI reacts very realistically to your actions. Kind of like Metal Gear Solid, or Hitman, enemies will detect your presence if you are in their line of sight for too long. When in sight, an exclamation mark will appear over their head with a red meter that begins to fill. When that meter is full, they will become aware of your presence, alerting other enemies in the area as well. Aiden can not only distract and lure enemies with various tools and hacking abilities, but he can also perform stealth takedowns to eliminate enemies without alerting their comrades. Shooting up the place might seem easier, but there comes not only great fun, but great satisfaction when completing missions and side missions, completely undetected. This encourages players to be as quiet as they can, as going loud could result in penalties like enemies phoning for reinforcements.
One of the downfalls of Watch Dogs is the infamous driving mechanics. While they're not a complete abomination like most people say, the driving does break a lot of the realism of the game, as the collisions are absolutely ridiculous. The mechanics themselves seem extremely sloppy at first when you pick up the game, but a lot of practice eventually leads you to taming them, so then they're a thing of the past. The car collisions break the realism of the game though as just like in Saints Row, it feels like every car you step foot into, the vehicle mass multiplies by some insane number. When you crash into another vehicle at high speed, yours completely plows it out of the way unless there is an extremely weight difference. I've drove a compact into a pick-up truck and sent it like thirty feet once during a high-speed pursuit. This does make some of the chases hilarious in a goofy way though, so some players might actually appreciate it, as it isn't gamebreaking.
Owning the Xbox 360 version, I can say that Watch Dogs looks exceptional on it, especially since it's a cross-gen, open-world game. Of course Xbox One, PC, and PS4 versions look better than the versions on the last-gen consoles. The last-gen versions sacrifice detail, and some things like plants and grass in order for the console to run the game effectively. These differences are of course not massive, meaning Watch Dogs is no less a good recommendation for people who don't own a current-gen console or a powerful-enough PC. One of the best things about Watch Dogs has to be the rain. As silly as it sounds, the rain in the game is absolutely gorgeous, as even trees and such are effected by the water and wind, making the world feel really alive.
Since you play the role of vigilante Aiden Pearce who isn't a bad guy, Watch Dogs plays a lot like Sleeping Dogs, giving a lot of players no incentive to harm civilians and police officers, as it is even shown by the game's reputation system. Depending on your actions, they influence how the city sees you, the infamous vigilante. Performing actions like killing civilians, cops, or robbing stores will lower your reputation, the city looking at you as a menace, meaning they will react to you negatively. For example, if you are hated by Chicago, civilians are more likely to call the police on you, when you steal a car, engage in a gunfight, etc. The opposite occurs if you have good reputations from rescuing Chicago's citizens, taking down criminals, etc. For example, I had gotten into a gunfight during a side-mission and I heard a civilian say, "Don't worry, I'm not calling the cops. Not everyone's against you." So the way that you play affects you, as Chicago will either mostly side with you, or view you as a mere criminal. Although you can choose to be hated, or loved by the city, neither influences the story which is a bit disappointing, but with how much the reputation system fluctuates, it makes sense.
Instead of running around and causing massive havoc like in the GTA series, like Sleeping Dogs, Ubisoft filled their world with a vast amount of side missions and collectibles to keep you occupied. From completing Gang Hideouts, Criminal Convoys, Fixer Contracts, random crimes, to invading people's privacy by hacking into their own homes, Chicago is filled with an extreme amount of things for the player to do. Completing these side missions and such also reward the player with XP, which can be used to upgrade Aiden's skill tree. The skill tree is filled with combat, hacking, crafting, and driving skills. Each skill costs a different amount of skill points, and can make situations a lot easier for the player. For example, a driving skill improves your handling off-road, while a combat skill may allow you to fire a semi-auto pistol faster. Side missions also award players with in-game awards like special vehicles or weapons, from completing a certain amount of the side mission type. Gang Hideouts are by far my favorite, as they require you to take down a specific target whether you choose to be stealthy, or just shoot up the place.
If you prefer an urban environment in your open-world game, Watch Dogs is right for you as the world of Chicago may be physically smaller than maps like GTAV's, but it certainly feels large, as it even has a rural area called Pawnee to fit everyone's needs. The world feels very alive due to the pedestrians behavior. I found myself walking along once when a pedestrian had rear-ended another. I figured it was a weird glitch, but they both got out of their cars and began arguing over the accident, making the situation feel a lot more alive. Aiden's profiler feature on his phone also allows you to get background information on pedestrians, and even hack into their bank accounts if possible. This is your main source of income in Watch Dogs as you accumulate money, then retrieve it at the numerous ATMs around the city. The profiler gives you their occupation, income, and a "fun fact" about them, as illustrated in this hilariously offensive video:
On top of all the fun to be had in single player, Watch Dogs sports a few online modes that also provide players with some entertainment:
Online 1v1 hacking: This mode consists of one player invading another's single player game, and trying to steal their data. In order to accomplish this, the player must approach their opponent and hack into their system, then escape to a safe position of their choice within the distance limit and then began to initiate the hack. The other player will be notified and their job is to identify the hacker and attempt to kill them. The hacker will appear as a random NPC, as do all online players appear to each other so the hacker will have to hide themselves well within the hacking area until the decryption of data is complete. The one hunting down the hacker will have to use their phone's profiler to profile/identity them, notifying the hacker that their cover is blown. Then the hacker's objective is to escape, and they are not allowed to kill their opponent. Otherwise, if not profiled the hacker must avoid being identified until the hack is complete, winning them the match. Players can choose to blend in various ways from hiding in parked cars, to hiding in plain sight with crowds, or they can simply hide behind cover and such.
1v1 Tailing: Tailing works different than hacking, as the invader's presence is not known to the one being invaded, unless the one being invaded tries to initiate a mission, notifying them that someone is in their game. In order to tail someone successfully you must first profile them with you phone, then simply observe them without being found. As you observe them, a percentage of observation increases, 100% obviously being your goal.
4-player racing: Pretty self-explanatory, except nitrous is available in racing. Cheating and ramming is actually encourages since most tracks feature various things for players to hack, to give themselves the edge against opponents, making the racing fun and intense.
cTOS mobile challenge: There is an app for Watch Dogs that allows a user to challenge a console player to the cTOS mobile challenge. In this challenge, the console player must follow the checkpoints from point A to B, while the tablet/device player controls the police, and any devices controlled by cTOS, to try and get the player killed before reaching the destination. As the cTOS mobile player plays more and more, they can unlock more things to use, and more police units to send after players.
4v4 Decryption: A mode only on current-gen consoles and PC, this mode pits 4 players against 4, fighting over a file. The objective is to decrypt the file completely, resulting in gun fights and car chases. The only frustrating thing about this mode is that since you cannot shoot while driving, car chases can become annoying if you do not have someone in the passenger seat shooting for you. You cannot shot and drive at the same time because Ubisoft wants players to use the environment against the police and their opponents, which is the whole incentive of Watch Dogs.
Free roam: Again only available on next-gen consoles, 8 players are allowed to free roam around the city, each player appearing as Aiden on their screen, while the seven others appear as NPC models which is kind of lame, since it doesn't allow for player customization. In my opinion, you should at least be able to choose what NPC you appear as you might be appearing as some silly old lady to others, walking around with a sniper rifle. I have not played the free roam myself, so I cannot judge it but I heard it's nothing to write home about. Of course the lack of free roam and decryption on 360 and PS3 wouldn't make me recommend the game any less, as I am not bothered by the absence of both modes.
Winning online matches reward the player with notoriety points, which, when accumulated eventually unlock various online-specific skills that assist you in defense against online players invading your game. Here is a video of online hacking:
The Verdict: 9/10
Watch Dogs is a truly enjoyable experience, with its downfalls hardly effecting the gameplay experience Ubisoft wanted to deliver to players. Another issue I have with the game is that there are no multiple save slots, meaning you have only one save. Without multiple saves, or at least a New Game+ feature, starting over will of course reset your completion, skills, and notoriety points. So in order to play the game again without losing your stats and abilities, you'd have to create on offline account on Xbox, or make another account on PS3. Of course for Xbox users this means that you won't be able to access the online features for your second playthrough, unless you choose to put Xbox Live Gold, or already have Xbox Live Gold on that account.
Watch Dogs is an excellent recommendation for people who enjoy open-world games, especially those who were fans of Sleeping Dogs as Watch Dogs is much more similar to that, then of GTA, even though the two are constantly being compared. Due to Watch Dogs being different enough, I can only compare simple elements like map, shooting mechanics, etc. The game may seem pretty average at first, as it did to me when first starting but it certainly picks up and has become one of my favorite games to date. Another thing to point out is that on a few instances, the AI can react in improper ways. I've had an instance where someone I was chasing smashed into a closed gate, and instead of fixing the mistake they repeatedly rammed into it over and over again. Throughout my playthrough though, I have encountered brainless AI on only a few occasions, not enough for it to be a strong issue.
So is Watch Dogs for you? That's for you to decide. Some people seem to love it like myself, but some seem to hate it although it's only because they had overhyped the game. I feel that since it met my expectations, but also then some, it really made me love it. I'd recommend it to anyone, but if you're unsure you might want to wait for a price drop instead, just to be safe.
