Short review of Watch Dogs...
They said it was the first, true next-gen game. Unlike anything that had been played before. A new standard in gaming. Oh Ubisoft... Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, not playing your games anymore.
Not going to go too far in to the basics of the game. It's an open-world action game with a hacking mechanic that allows you to do various things that assist you in combat, both on foot and in cars.
SPOILERS. SPOILERY SPOILERS.
Story:
The protagonist is Aiden Pearce, a vigilante hacker that is seeking revenge for the death of his niece. Living in a Chicago where almost everything is linked to one particular software system known as CTOS, he uses the world around him to turn things in his favour. He goes above and beyond, and meets several people along the way that either help or hurt him, and some that even do both.
The actual writing of the story isn't bad. As Aiden you enter a pretty seedy world at times, with the "auction" standing out in particular. The writing is solid in parts, and characters have a very definite "voice" without seeming too samey.
Sadly, the writing doesn't extend well to Aiden himself. He's not a well-written protagonist at all, and mentions of him having a "strong moral compass" were met with a "no he ****ing doesn't." from me. He's not a hero. He's barely sympathetic. He's just less of a scumbag than the people he's fighting, and that's what makes him bearable. I'm sure some will say that the point is that Aiden is a bad guy too, but tbh, the writing in the game doesn't support that assertion. It regularly tries to paint Aiden as the good guy, when he really isn't.
Gameplay:
The main "gimmick" of the game is the hacking mechanic and, thankfully, it lives up to the hype pretty well. As someone who loves toying with enemies (like in the Assassin's Creed or Batman Arkham games), the hacking tools give you more than enough options to mess with people. On foot and in cars, you can practically torture enemies, and there is an almost perverse pleasure that can be taken in it.
The only thing that lets the mechanic down, is the inconsistency of how it's distributed. There are some areas full of traps and toys you can play with, and some with none whatsoever. It reeks of bad design, and it's a shame.
Guns are badly implemented. There's a nice selection, sure, and watching bodies go flying from a grenade impact is amusing, but the actual controls are not nearly tight or precise enough. The game lags behind the likes of GTA V, and even Saints Row and Sleeping Dogs imo, when it comes to gun controls. I expect better.
The driving is poor. It's not as bad as say, Just Cause 2, but I expected better. Cars, regardless of size, feel unwieldy, and a lot of the time you feel like you're driving a shopping cart rather than a car.
In a game that relies heavily on gunplay and driving in certain missions, it's not a good reflection on the developers when they aren't as refined as they should be.
Graphics:
The graphics themselves (even on PC) are not terrible. They're serviceable. The game even looks pretty good at night, especially when it's raining. As is known, though, they are nothing compared to E3, and this idea of "vertical slicing" is something that needs to die. Now. These companies need to stop lying to consumers.
Sound:
The sound design isn't terrible. Guns sound all right, and engines revving is satisfying enough. That said, the radio stations have a poor selection for the most part (though ymmv), but the actual orchestral pieces during missions are actually pretty good.
Summary:
Is the game a terrible mess? No. It is enjoyable in parts, and frustrating in others. It's not unplayable, but a good deal of the time, I genuinely felt like this game could have been so much more. It felt unfinished, and, sadly, almost as if the devs had gotten lazy when it came to polish. The game doesn't have the attention to detail that it should, and I can't recommend the game as being a full-price purchase.
It's a 6 out of 10. Maybe a 7, but just barely. Dammit Ubisoft, get your shit together.