Watchdogs PS4 Review

I completed the storyline with in-game progress at 93.7 percent, and I have over 90 percent of the PS4 trophies locked down. I didn’t know what to expect when I first started playing Watchdogs. I spent my first couple of days wondering around the open world completing side quests and learning the game. The main character is hacker, Aiden Pearce, who can use his cell phone to profile every NPC character in the game, steal money from bank accounts, and […]

I completed the storyline with in-game progress at 93.7 percent, and I have over 90 percent of the PS4 trophies locked down. I didn’t know what to expect when I first started playing Watchdogs. I spent my first couple of days wondering around the open world completing side quests and learning the game. The main character is hacker, Aiden Pearce, who can use his cell phone to profile every NPC character in the game, steal money from bank accounts, and hack electric devices across the city.

Pros:

1. I spent a lot of time exploring the city’s open world. The environment feels large and there a lot of fun tasks beyond the main storyline. The amount of detail found in the open world is amazing. Every citizen has a public profile that Aiden can view, and the game uses real Chicago locations. Global leaderboards keep track of your progress and compare your stats with other players.

2. The hacking system allows players to gain control the city’s infrastructure. Being able to slice into security camera feeds and jump from camera to camera to hack different systems is fun. Much of the hacking is done through small puzzles that are challenging, but not impossibly frustrating. My favorite aspect of this game are the one-on-one hacking missions that pit your hacking skills against other real life players. You briefly invade another player’s game and get close enough to upload a virus, then you must stay undetected until a timer reaches 100 percent. As the timer ticks away the other player will try to locate and kill you. Hackers must hide or blend into the crowd to remain undiscovered. This hide and seek system creates a lot of tense moments.

3. Variety is key. There is a wide range of missions available including online hacking, gang invasions, hotspot puzzles, tracking criminals, convoy, digital trips, fixer missions, weapon trading, drinking games, murder investigations, and main storyline quests. There are 65 plus vehicles to buy and steal throughout the game. There are dozens of weapons and explosives that can be used throughout each mission. The expandable skill tree has numerous upgrade options and the game’s soundtrack provides decent song selection. Music playlists can be edited. Anytime Aiden jumps into a car music begins playing – anything from Alice Cooper’s, Dangerous Tonight, to Public Enemy’s, I Shall Not Be Moved.

Cons:

1. Games that require so much driving should have better driving simulators. There are vehicles that can barely be kept on the road let alone raced or used to escape a chase. The cutaway chase scenes also cause vehicle control issues. During a chase Aiden has the ability to hack traffic lights, road blocks, steam pipes, etc., which can cause pursuers to have an spectacular crash. Once a crash begins time enters slow motion and the camera spins around to view the chaos. It’s fun to see the crash, but afterwards time speeds up and camera whirls around, which almost always causes a loss of vehicle control. I have crashed, been thrown off motorcycles, and failed missions because of the slow motion cutaway scenes.

2. Lag in the multiplayer hacking missions kills the game. There are game sessions that require a team to find a briefcase and hold it against another team. Good luck driving or shooting anyone when all of the players and vehicles are lag jumping across the screen. Only 20 percent of my games in this mode have been without lag.

3. Bad video game logic hurts the storyline. Aiden is suppose to be a vigilante fighting for the citizen of Chicago. He gets cellphone updates listing potential crimes to stop. So how does Aiden get to these locations? He steals vehicles. And how does Aiden acquire the money to purchase weapons to combat the violent street gangs? He steals it of course. Aiden not a likeable character and his quest isn’t noble. His actions are in direct contradiction to the person the video game wants him to be throughout the story.

Recommended: I would recommend this game. It has some flaws but it’s a fun game overall. I found the game to be comparable to Assassin’s Creed 4. I like it enough to consider future DLC content.