Watch Dogs

Watch Dogs is a game about hacker Aiden Pearce, who, after the tragic death of his niece, seeks revenge and justice in a city controlled by the advanced ctOS system
WARNING! If you're a gamer who likes to complete games 100%, you shouldnt buy it. This game doesnt allow that, as Ubisoft's servers wont connect via Steam. This of course influenced the final verdict of my review. Enjoy reading!
✅The main advantage of Watch Dogs is its hacking system. The game, which debuted in 2014, was one of the first to feature such an extensive and centralised hacking system in an open world, which is the main ‘weapon’ in this game, allowing us to acquire new abilities as we progress through the levels. Here are the most important ones (These are not all the skills, but the most important ones that I think are worth improving at the beginning)
✅✅Hacking: This is where you can develop the most skills Hacker toolkit (You will be able to hack cameras and confuse enemies with phones to distract them, which is useful if you want to play quietly) Traffic control: during a chase and not only, we will be able to manipulate traffic lights, causing accidents on the road, set up spike strips, close bridges and activate pipelines, which automatically destroys opponents, so we need to upgrade additional batteries, which run out every time we use any skills
✅✅Combat:First and foremost, slowing down time (Focus), accuracy and faster weapon reloading.
✅✅Driving: Remote unlocking of cars (without alarm), reducing the chance of tyre punctures.
Increasing damage caused during collisions
✅✅Item crafting Decoys, proximity bombs, grenades, jamming (interferes with phone calls and police scans). Darkening a given area of the city thanks to this skill, our enemies can see us less.
✅The storyline and theme of revenge, which is Aiden's main motivation, is beautifully presented to the player and ties all the characters and events together very well, rather than being mere fillers
✅The Bad Blood DLC was great the story was even better than in the main game due to the dialogue between the characters, which was annoyingly positive and funny
✅Very large open world
✅The game has a lot of varied side missions, such as criminal convoys, where we have to kill enemies before they reach their destination, detect crimes NPCs by scanning them with our hacking skills, and complete tasks involving driving, escaping, delivering cars (Transporter), eliminating targets (Interception) or losing pursuers (Decoy), as well as detecting gang hideouts and killing them all
✅The game also features mini-games that are not standard for games, such as Cash Run, Chess, Drinking, Poker or Three Cups
✅There are additional missions called investigations with additional dialogues and final missions such as human trafficking, QR codes, card codes (I recommend doing this primarily to find out why Aiden's niece's killer killed Lena), missing persons or arms trafficking, and we can learn the history of buildings) (not all of them
✅The graphics are of a high standard (of course, I am talking about the 2014 game here, as technology is constantly evolving) and offer an atmospheric, dark visual setting, which is particularly impressive at night and in the rain thanks to the striking reflections of lights on the wet streets of Chicago
✅Very good sound design, which is especially noticeable during missions when the pace changes and the music fits the situation perfectly (e.g. it is dark during stealth sequences and dynamic during shooting sequences, matching the atmosphere), but also solid dubbing and clear, cinematic sound design for cutscenes.
✅After missions, we often hear news about our hero Aiden
✅There are 4 difficulty levels to choose from: Easy, Normal, Hard, Realistic, which means that enemies deal more damage or can spot you faster when sneaking, and various other difficulties. In the game, we can also set the minimum aiming assistance, which is strong by default.
✅When we mark a point on the map, a route is painted on the road showing us how to drive
✅Cars signal their intention to turn, which can make it easier for us to avoid them
✅The price is very good for the content we got
❌I think the biggest flaw in this game is the inability to shoot from a car. I understand that the game focuses mainly on hacking, which is obviously a huge advantage, but in my opinion, every player should have freedom of action
❌The online mode required to complete the game 100% is absurd. Not only are there practically no players in 2026, but I still can't connect via Steam, despite being connected to the Ubisoft app (without which you won't be able to play this game on Steam).
❌Many missions, including side missions, can be completed in two ways: either quietly, by sneaking, or loudly, by shooting immediately and quickly killing enemies. In my opinion, XP rewards for quietly killing enemies should be better distributed (points are evenly distributed throughout the game).
❌You cannot save the game at any time
❌Money is completely unnecessary in this game; you can spend it mainly on weapons or grenades. After a few hours, you will have enough money to buy anything.
❌There are no police, ambulance, fire brigade or taxi missions.
❌The soundtrack is poor; I mean that there are very few tracks in the game and there are no radio stations
❌The game contains several bugs, one of which is very noticeable: during a chase, despite the developed skill of hacking the helicopter, this function does not appear, or I had minor errors such as the opponent's hands penetrating the barrier
❌When driving a car, realistic steering should involve one hand on the steering wheel and the other on the gear stick, but unfortunately this is missing here (of course, it doesn't interfere with the gameplay, but I like such details)
❌The driving mechanics are poor the cars are stiff and slippery. When braking, the car brakes unnaturally, meaning NPCs stop within a split second to avoid hitting us. There's no realistic car damage
✅✅ Verdict: Terrible , Bad , Mediocre , Decent , Good , Very Good , Excellent , Masterpiece
If you have any questions about my reviews, feel free to ask. I'm happy to answer them. All reviews are my own!! Best regards, King Viking Bezimienny, Polish Game Reviewer.

I cannot stress this enough: Download "The Fall Of Windy City" graphics mod. You just paste 2 files into the game folder and now it looks like a 2025 game, no exaggeration. I'm enjoying the game even more than I did 10 years ago!

Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ (8/10)
Watch Dogs is one of those games that got way more hate than it deserved. After fully completing the game and unlocking every achievement, I can confidently say it’s a serious, grounded, and underrated open world experience that aged surprisingly well. It might not have the variety or freedom of other Ubisoft titles, but it nails its atmosphere, story tone, and characters better than most newer Ubisoft titles.
Story Mode
You play as Aiden Pearce, a hacker driven by revenge after a tragedy that changed his life. While some people found him too cold or emotionless, I actually think he’s one of the most believable and serious protagonists Ubisoft ever made. His personality fits perfectly with the game’s darker tone quiet, determined, and haunted by guilt.
The story might not be revolutionary, but it’s tight and consistent. There’s a real sense of purpose in Aiden’s actions, and the game doesn’t try to make him a hero he’s flawed, but relatable like a Batman but without a costume. The tone of the narrative is mature and grounded, something that later sequels kind of lost unfortunately.
Open World
Chicago is beautifully recreated with a realistic, urban feel that fits the hacker theme perfectly. Hacking into traffic lights, cameras, and bank accounts still feels satisfying and clever even years later.
The problem comes with the side activities there are a lot of them, but most are too repetitive. Criminal convoys, gang hideouts, fixer contracts... after a while, it all starts feeling the same. Still, the city atmosphere and dynamic weather make exploration enjoyable.
Gameplay
The gameplay loop is fun, stealth mixed with hacking, shooting, and driving. Combat is satisfying, and using the environment to your advantage exploding traps or disabling enemies through cameras never gets old.
The driving can feel a bit floaty, but it’s manageable once you get used to it. The variety of weapons and gadgets keeps missions interesting, and you can approach most situations your own way guns blazing or silently through hacks.
DLC Bad Blood
The Bad Blood DLC is a great addition and easily one of the best post launch expansions Ubisoft has done for the series. You play as Raymond “T-Bone” Kenney, one of my favorite characters from the serie, a character with a strong personality and more humor compared to Aiden. His story is engaging and adds depth to the overall Watch Dogs universe.
Sadly, the same problem from the main game returns side missions get repetitive fast. Still, the new gadgets, missions, and co-op opportunities make it worth playing along with its story short but good.
Soundtrack & Atmosphere
The electronic soundtrack fits the tone perfectly, mixing tension and modern beats that match Chicago’s tech driven setting. Ambient city sounds, police radios, and rain on pavement make the world feel alive.
Achievements 100%
Going for 100% was a bit of a grind. Between collecting all audio logs, QR codes, and completing the side content it was really boring and too much, it can feel repetitive, but it’s rewarding once you see that final trophy pop up. The online invasions and multiplayer challenges add an extra layer of fun but nowadays it's rare to find people besides hack invasion, but they’re chaotic sometimes.
Conclusion
Watch Dogs is an underrated gem from Ubisoft’s library a serious, story-driven open-world game that doesn’t rely on over the top humor or endless filler. Aiden Pearce might not be the most charismatic hero, but he’s one of the most human and grounded ones.
Despite its repetitive side content, the strong story, hacking gameplay, and solid DLC (Bad Blood) make it a worthwhile experience, especially if you appreciate mature storytelling and tech thriller vibes.
It’s not perfect, but it’s one of those games that deserved better surely.

The fact that this game is so relevant with the censorship that's happening makes it more realistic.

---{ Graphics }---
☐ You forget what reality is
☒ Beautiful
☐ Good
☐ Decent
☐ Bad
☐ Don‘t look too long at it
☐ MS-DOS
---{ Gameplay }---
☑ Very good
☐ Good
☐ It's just gameplay
☐ Mehh
☐ Watch paint dry instead
☐ Just don't
---{ Audio }---
☐ Eargasm
☑ Very good
☐ Good
☐ Not too bad
☐ Bad
☐ I'm now deaf
---{ Audience }---
☐ Kids
☑ Teens
☑ Adults
☐ Grandma
---{ PC Requirements }---
☐ Check if you can run paint
☐ Potato
☐ Decent
☑ Fast
☐ Rich boi
☐ Ask NASA if they have a spare computer
---{ Game Size }---
☐ Floppy Disk
☐ Old Fashioned
☑ Workable
☐ Big
☐ Will eat 15% of your 1TB hard drive
☐ You will want an entire hard drive to hold it
☐ You will need to invest in a black hole to hold all the data
---{ Difficulty }---
☐ Just press 'W'
☐ Easy
☑ Easy to learn / Hard to master
☐ Significant brain usage
☐ Difficult
☐ Dark Souls
---{ Grind }---
☐ Nothing to grind
☐ Only if u care about leaderboards/ranks
☐ Isn't necessary to progress
☑ Average grind level
☐ Too much grind
☐ You'll need a second life for grinding
---{ Story }---
☐ No Story
☐ Some lore
☐ Average
☐ Good
☑ Lovely
☐ It'll replace your life
---{ Game Time }---
☐ Long enough for a cup of coffee
☐ Short
☐ Average
☐ Long
☑ To infinity and beyond
---{ Price }---
☐ It's free!
☑ Worth the price
☐ If it's on sale
☐ If u have some spare money left
☐ Not recommended
☐ You could also just burn your money
---{ Bugs }---
☑ Never heard of
☐ Minor bugs
☐ Can get annoying
☐ ARK: Survival Evolved
☐ The game itself is a big terrarium for bugs
---{ ? / 10 }---
☐ 1
☐ 2
☐ 3
☐ 4
☐ 5
☐ 6
☐ 7
☐ 8
☐ 9
☑ 10

Buried under the talk of hacking gritty Chicago and Adien's vigilante crusade, Watch dog normalises Gamified Data Surveillance years before it bacame a part of our day-to-day conversation. The game never outright explains how it collects all of our data, we just assume that in a connected city, our privacy doesn'st exist.

Chicago is made to feel alive filled with NPCs with their own background history filled with gut wrenching details showing how information can be used as a weapon and realising it's significance leading to further preying on people's vulnerabilities and exploiting their data with ease.

Ubisoft didnt just give us an open world to mess round in, they showed us a digital mirror reflecting how our privacy is an illusion. There's a whole layer of storytelling baked into the city itself . Here the city isnt just a still backdrop , its a dynamic charcter showing how life under constant surveillance would feel like. It's almost psychological , making the player complicit in the very behavior they are trying to expose .

The NPC design does more than just react, it communicates. Each person feels like they have their own digital footprint. The city becomes a petri dish where digital surveillance and human behavior collides. Watch dog emphasises on the psychological dynamics in a digital ecosystem. The truly brilliant part is how it can encourage people to reflect on their own reality.

Watch dogs basically predicted our obsession with phones and how apps will control our lives. Back in 2014, when this game just came out, we weren't glued to our phones 24/7, yet Ubisoft built a game entirely around the idea that how your phone isn't just a tool, it's your whole world.

We carry a ctOS in our pockets everyday. it just has a friendlier design , non-threatening interface, brighter colours and fewer explosions .

So the next time you boot up Watch Dogs thinking it's an open world game with a cool hacking gimmick that came out in 2014 , try to remember that you are watching a prophecy that unraveled before your very eyes.

Scratches that "Person of Interest" nostalgia with straightforward story and short missions. In a neutral sense not a masterpiece or has any elements to hook you up to itself but still a good game to play at your own pace. Some missions or parts are a hassle to deal with but i do not think its too much to discourage anyone to finish all of the story.Give it a try, you might like it!