Review: Watch Dogs – Surveilled Freedom (PS4)

Watch Dogs offers a wealth of content and gameplay, but lacks a distinct focus and compelling personality.

The anticipation surrounding Watch Dogs was significant. The game’s delay heightened expectations, resulting in record-breaking sales for Ubisoft (over 4 million copies sold via pre-orders). Its initial reveal at E3 and subsequent appearances, such as at Gamex, generated considerable excitement. Gamers anticipated an expansive “sandbox game” with seamless integration into other players’ sessions, tackling relevant themes like increasing surveillance and the vulnerabilities inherent in a computerized society susceptible to hacking. However, Watch Dogs doesn’t fully deliver on these promises. Instead, it presents itself as an impressively detailed, albeit familiar, GTA-esque experience with a “cyber” aesthetic, attempting to cater to a broad audience, potentially at the cost of excelling in any one area.

The introduction raises intriguing questions. Players assume the role of Aiden Pearce, a seasoned cybercriminal driven by revenge against those who wronged his family. Aiden, unfortunately, possesses a rather unengaging and stoic personality, hindering player identification with the protagonist throughout the game. In the initial sequence, the game prompts the player to “shoot Maurice,” the antagonist seemingly responsible for the attack on Aiden’s family. While the player has no alternative but to pull the trigger, the weapon is revealed to be unloaded. Maurice is subsequently captured by Aiden and his associate, Jordi, whose demeanor can also be perceived as grating. Subsequently, players are thrust into an open world featuring cars, side missions, combat scenarios, and a large-scale rendition of Chicago (the game’s setting). The narrative structure mirrors elements found in titles such as GTA, Sleeping Dogs, and Ubisoft’s own Assassin’s Creed franchise.

Aiden is free to navigate Chicago, acquiring weapons, apparel, and consumables. He can commandeer vehicles or utilize the city’s public transportation system. Players can enhance Aiden’s skills and scan the environment, which allows them to intercept mobile communications, siphon funds from bank accounts (without facing repercussions), intimidate shopkeepers, and engage in online activities. The online component is compelling, as it allows other players to infiltrate your game and attempt to hack you. The player’s objective is to identify and neutralize these hackers before they succeed, or conversely, infiltrate other players’ games and attempt to hack them undetected. This concept holds promise, though its potential could have been more fully realized.

For players who enjoy extensive side content and skill progression, Watch Dogs offers a considerable amount of gameplay. The game provides ample opportunities to engage in activities beyond the main storyline, potentially adding 30 hours of gameplay to the core experience (which typically lasts around 20 hours, depending on player skill and thoroughness). Similar to GTA V, the side missions exhibit varying degrees of quality, ranging from controlling a robotic spider to stealth and hunting objectives.

Watch Dogs’s primary limitation is its generic feel, despite its ambitious scope and considerable development resources. The core gameplay mechanics and narrative structure are familiar, echoing elements from previous games, some of which execute these concepts more effectively. The hacking element, while intriguing, remains underdeveloped. “Hacking” is primarily executed through simple button presses and rudimentary circuit puzzles that require connecting a signal to a source. The act of scanning individuals, initially engaging, quickly becomes repetitive as the player can easily exploit their information, pilfer their funds, and eavesdrop on their mobile communications. The lack of access to most buildings and the repetitive nature of car chases often culminate without any significant impact on the game’s narrative or overall progression. Furthermore, the narrative fails to fully leverage the themes of hacking and surveillance. The game presents a world increasingly reliant on digital technology and vulnerable to exploitation by skilled individuals, but beyond revenge, theft, and voyeurism, the story lacks a deeper exploration of these themes.

The graphical fidelity of Watch Dogs on the PS4 is acceptable. The lighting effects are well-rendered, and the frame rate is stable, hovering above 30 fps, despite the resolution not reaching a native 1080p (the difference between 900p and 1080p is negligible in practice). The audio design is well-executed, with a varied soundtrack that includes both original compositions and licensed tracks from hip-hop artists like NAS and rock musicians like Alice Cooper. However, the character models do not fully represent “next-gen” capabilities, and certain limitations in the game’s freedom suggest that its development was influenced by the constraints of previous-generation hardware (given its cross-platform release). The industry is still awaiting a true next-generation title, developed exclusively for PS4, Xbox One, and high-end PCs, that offers increased player agency and more intelligent NPC interaction and AI.

Final verdict: Watch Dogs is an ambitious title that was perhaps overhyped. While a competent entry in the sandbox genre, it doesn’t revolutionize content, narrative, or gameplay. Fans of the genre with a preference for extensive content will find many hours of entertainment. Others should approach the game with realistic expectations, understanding that it’s not a casual experience but a title that rewards investment. Ultimately, Watch Dogs is a solid game within its genre, but it’s not the next-generation revolution that many were anticipating.