Who’s watching the Watch_Dogs?
Well, I am apparently.
While this game has been out for sometime and on my wishlist long before then, I finally got a copy and sat down to play. No, I haven’t finished it. So, if there are some lingering, obvious things I missed that’s why.
Now I don’t want to sit here and review the game. Instead, I am just giving my impressions based on my game. The first of which is bravo, I actually wanted to run around and do the side missions.
My gaming pattern tends to stick to the main story–for the most part. When it comes to these “build your own adventure” open-world games, I tend to quickly fall into the mantra of, “What do I do? Where do I go?”
As silly as it may be, I actually liked having the markers for all the little side quests I can do. Above all, I loved having a marker for the main campaign.
It was nice to know that I could drive around looking for hot-spots or weapons crates or defeat gang hideouts and choose when I wanted to continue with the story. Further, it was neat how the main story completion/level up-ness didn’t interfere with taking down convoys or stopping random crimes. But, going around saving Chicago does make walking into some of the campaign levels feeling a little OP.
Controls
I played Watch_Dogs on the Xbox 360. Hey, my game not yours.
Now at first I was rather overwhelmed by the mapping. Not the part where right trigger moves the car forward and left hits the breaks but going to the in-game menu versus going to the world map. Even hours in, more so if I didn’t play for a few days in between, I would flop these buttons around. And having the right stick acting as the nav in the in-game menu, it through me off constantly. Aiden would be running around in circles for a few second before I realized my gaff.
How the music was turned on/off and changed was a brilliant choice. It was nice to walk around and listen to the random guitar player on the street corner. At the same time, it was fun to gallivant around with Screeching Weasel turned up. Yet, the option to eliminate songs from the playlist was not included. Sorry, I am just not a fan of 2Chains and would have liked to never hear that particular track throughout the rest of my game.
Moving, ducking, and the auto-crouch during danger zone times was neat. For me, it really set the mood for getting the job done.
On that note, gun control for the WIDE range of things this character can wield was easy. There was some level of realism but still a flair of this is just a game–best example: sniper rifle.
Story
Good music, good game mechanics, and good storytelling really sell me on a game. Music was half, literally half, decent. Mechanics were adaptable. The story was a little hallow in the delivery at times but rather solid.
Though I haven’t gotten passed Aiden’s sister getting abducted, I feel for the guy. Even when I have to come back the next day to play and hear the SAME phone message over and over, Aiden’s gruffy but caring voice makes me want to help him.
Damien, I want to punch him in the throat. Clara, I think we could be coffee buddies. Jordi, a little scary but hilarious.
The premise of this whole game is a little black market. So, I have to go on the word of the creators that stuff like this could happen. The characters in the game are portrayed well enough to make me want to believe the world presented. But, the Aiden thus far seems stuck in a Batman vengeance course that can only make me hope there is some development by the end of the game.
Just as with any story or in the case game, there will be flaws and gaps. More explosians less time for characters to chat (Michael Bay Movies). Or more story and less play time or shorter levels. Compromises have to be made, understandable. Well, I waited for a long time to get this game. I am glad I waited. This game is fun.