GAMEPLAY
Watch Dogs is an
open world action-adventure stealth video game in which players control a vigilante named Aiden Pearce (voiced by
Noam Jenkins),
who can
hack
into various electronic devices tied to the city's central operating
system (ctOS), allowing various methods for the player to solve numerous
objectives.
Examples include hacking into people's phones to retrieve bank data and
steal funds, triggering malfunctions in equipment to distract other
characters and hacking into traffic lights to cause collisions. Players
can also receive information on civilians via
augmented reality
feeds, providing the player with information on demographics, health
and potential behaviour. Objectives showcased in presentations include
finding specific targets to kill, evading the police and following
potential victims in order to stop their would-be killers. Combat
utilizes a combination of stealth components and
parkour, along with the mechanics of a cover-based
third-person shooter.
The game features an elusive online multiplayer element in which
another player can control surveillance cameras in an attempt to hack
the main player.
PLOT
The storyline of
Watch Dogs game is built around the concept of
information warfare,
data being interconnected, and the world's increasing use of
technology—questioning who exactly runs the computers they depend on.
The game is set in an alternate reality version of
Chicago, Illinois, which is one of many cities to feature a
supercomputer known as a "CtOS" (
Cen
tral
Operating
System).
The system controls almost every piece of technology in the city, and
contains information on all of the city's residents and activities which
can be used for various purposes.
In the game's universe, the
Northeast blackout of 2003 was found to be caused by a hacker, prompting the development of CtOS.
[16] The game will follow an
antihero named Aiden Pearce, a highly skilled
hacker described as a person who uses both "fists and wits."
The gameplay demo shown at
E3 2012
depicted Aiden's attempt to assassinate a media mogul named Joseph
DeMarco, who had been wrongly acquitted on charges of murder.
In demonstration shown
E3 2013,
the story involves the character 'T-Bone' contacting Pearce for help
after he is almost caught stealing an illegal motherboard. T-Bone is
forced to leave the motherboard so the police can track the CtOS
movement. Pearce rescues T-Bone, but gets surrounded by police, however
he is able to hack the power grid to distract the police and escape.
DEVELOPMENT
Ubisoft Montreal began development work on
Watch Dogs in 2009.
Ubisoft Montreal's creative director Jonathan Morin noted that
Watch Dogs
is designed to "go beyond the limits of today's open world games",
referencing both its use of information as a plot point, and allowing
players to control the entire city through its hacking mechanics.
The game was officially unveiled during Ubisoft's press conference at
E3 2012. Although a copy of the trailer was accidentally posted early by Ubisoft's
YouTube channel, it was quickly removed shortly before its official debut.
Ubisoft has since confirmed that the game will be released for
Microsoft Windows and that PC is the lead platform for the game, Nvidia's TXAA will also be supported.
On February 15, 2013, an upcoming promotional image of the game was sent to
Kotaku by a
GameStop employee, along with more story details. Photos of the flyer suggested that
Watch Dogs would arrive in Christmas 2013 for "all home consoles".
The "all home consoles" quote and potential launch window, alongside
the press quotes which call the game a "truly next-gen adventure",
created debate whether it was a hint at a PlayStation 4, Xbox One or Wii
U release.
On February 19, retailers including Amazon, GameStop, and Best Buy listed a Wii U version for pre-order.
During the Sony press conference on February 20, 2013,
Watch Dogs was confirmed to be released on the
PlayStation 4. Another demo of the game was also shown at the press conference
Following the evening, the Wii U version was officially confirmed in a Ubisoft press release.
Watch Dogs uses a new engine called Disrupt, built at Ubisoft Montreal specifically for
Watch Dogs.
Ubisoft prioritized development of the PC and next-gen versions of
Watch Dogs.
Senior producer Dominic Guay stated that the Wii U's GamePad is considered a "natural" fit for
Watch Dogs.
Ubisoft's executive director for EMEA territories Alain Coore stated that Ubisoft wants
Watch Dogs to compete with "open-style" games such as the
Grand Theft Auto series.
The game's creators worked with Russian anti-virus firm
Kaspersky Lab to make hacking more realistic.
PRE-RELEASE
The game demo of the PC version of
Watch Dogs at
E3 2012 was met with positive reception from critics following the press event, praising the game for its "
next gen"-quality graphics and its unique gameplay.
The game received numerous Best of E3 2012 awards, including a Best of Show award from GamingExcellence.
IGN selected it as Best PC Game of E3 2012, as well as Biggest Surprise and Best New Franchise.
The game also won GameSpot People's Choice Most Exciting Game of
E3 2013.
A demo of the game was featured on NBC's
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon on June 20, 2013 during "Video Game Week".
Watch Dogs system requirements (minimum)
- CPU: Intel Core i3 or i5 dual core processor or better
- RAM: 1GB
- Graphics: 512 MB RAM, Nvidia 7-series, AMD 3000-series
- Operating system: Windows Vista
- 14 GB of hard drive space
Watch Dogs system requirements (recommended)
- CPU: Quad core Intel Core i5 or i7 processor, or AMD FX 8000 series chip
- RAM: 2GB (4GB for 64-bit OS)
- Graphics: 1GB Video RAM, Nvidia 500 / AMD 6000 series.
- Operating system: Windows 7 64 bit
- 14 GB of hard drive space
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