The parts of Watch Dogs that are terrible are the parts that make a good game great. Characters, theme, meaningful gameplay connected with meaningful storylines, clever self-aware writers working closely with game designers, internal consistency, vision.

Watch Dogs is a game mired in controversy. The initial reveal at E3 2012 had us all staring like crazy people who'd just been smacked in the face with a cartoon frying pan. Then very little was mentioned of it for a whole 12 months.

In a nutshell, this game is Assassin's Creed mixed with Grand Theft Auto with hacking. A third-person shooter focused on the fictional technologically stunning system controlling and keeping Chicago under surveillance, Watch Dogs is a very exiting game, with specific personalities and emotions tied...

There are so many open world games these days that use the Grand Theft Auto mould, and that's why it's nice to see some that do something slightly different. Ubisoft's Watch_Dogs was much anticipated after its unveiling at E3 two years ago, as it promised to take the Grand Theft Auto mould and then...

This game is ok. The main character is very contrived and uninteresting. The story is about the same. Kinda feels like a cheap GTA. I enjoyed it but man, it did NOT deserve the pre-game hype it got. It's ok at best. Looks like a PS3 game. Nothing really next gen about it. Underwhelmed.

Watch Dogs has a tremendous amount of hype to live up to. Its unveiling last year (and subsequent delay) caused ripples throughout the gaming community at large. Well it's finally here and, boy does it ever live up to the hype.

Watch Dogs borrows a lot of tried and tested concepts, adds a healthy dose of unique uberhacking, and rounds out as an enjoyable game that's laid the foundations for a sequel to blow us away.

+ Action-heavy gameplay; + Hacking mechanics; + Multiplayer; + Chicago

- Driving mechanics; - Police/hired goon chases; - Most characters are boring; - Ideas noticeably held back by cross-gen

Watch Dogs is the first game of this new generation to break under the weight of its own hype. It has had a massive PR campaign from Ubisoft, and was subject to a six-month delay at the zero hour, which is usually not a good sign.

+ Hacking is as advertised + Multiplayer + Socially conscious

- Seems more like an almost-ready beta - Server issues

A decent effort for a new IP and hopefully a sequel can build upon a solid base.

If Watch Dogs is to be believed, then a shocking number of Chicago residents are delinquents. As you roam the city looking to both right what is wrong and make wrong what is right, you hack into its citizens' smartphones and listen in on their conversations, and even tap into their computers and...

Hacking gives car chases and combat encounters an additional element of freedom; Fantastic online modes provide rip-roaring fun; Digital trips are highly entertaining; the spider-bot in particular; Loaded with varied things to do; each of which is beautifully executed; Some clever mission design...

Inconsistent tone; inconsistent lead character; Successful online invasions are boring; Neither money nor reputation are all that valuable