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[Afro Republican]

Around 4 years ago or so Watch Dog came out, and one of the reasons I and many people I know did not get it was because of downgraded, removed promises, and the fact that it was basically circulated as Assassin's Creed but with a Urban setting and a cell-phone.

Fast-Forward to the sequel which didn't do as well, and really didn't change the narrative the first one had. People seem to kind of at best say it's a decent game but lacking and that you should pass. At worse they say it's repetitive and lazy.

But the thing is, the setting, the theme, and the cell phone mechanic always seemed interesting to me. So I wanted to get the opinion of those who played the first (and second) Watch Dogs here on Gaf, and see what you're opinion on the series is.

Do You think Watch Dogs is a good game?

Is the gameplay different enough from AssAssin's Creed for those that weren't interested in the gameplay of the Latter?

Do You think the Execution was good?

Is the game as repetitive as they say?

Do you think overall it's a must play title of this generation?

Do you think playing the sequel is also a good recommendation? Does it fix the problems of the first?

 

[Threeshotgamer]

The story is pretty solid but the game mechanics were pretty forgettable. The multiplayer was also a decent amount of fun but I doubt it's very active anymore.

 

[Husky]

Personally , having only played the first game, I'm a fan. To address the second question, I wouldn't compare it much to AC. Can't quite recall how repetitive it was, but it wasn't a grind like every Grand Theft Auto's tedious missions are.

Watch Dogs has a really sick multiplayer mode that lets you invade another player's game, appearing with an NPC skin in their world, and perform a hack while they try to hunt you down. Goddamn I got into that. That's one of the most memorable parts, to be honest.

 

[Kadayi]

The story is pretty solid but the game mechanics were pretty forgettable. The multiplayer was also a decent amount of fun but I doubt it's very active anymore.

Agree to disagree on the story side of things. The whole plot had a major stench of last-minute rewrite about it (There's some weird flirty dialogue in there between the protag and his sister which just sounds like she was meant to be his wife originally). Aside from that, it wasn't that bad a game, but I think the sequel was a vast improvement on the original.

 

[Akuza89]

It was fun for a brief period... the story is very...average I'd say.

I mean the first game is cheap enough at the moment... so why not give it a go? worst case scenario, you don't like it and you haven't wasted much money...

Though watch dogs 2 I haven't touched... that is my own personal choice though as I didn't really like the first much...

 

[Nymphae]

I played it last year, got it for like 10 bucks at EB. I was pleasantly surprised. I loved the shooting mechanics and the overall tone of everything, even if it does mostly feel like a B-grade GTA game.

I liked it so much I immediately went out and bought the sequel after beating it, but I haven't gotten around to it yet. It's more wacky hacker focused, and I actually liked the dour feel of the original.

 

[Chittagong]

It’s got a modestly entertaining story, personally enjoyed the story more than that of GTAV. The gameplay is the same Western AAA checkpoint quest as every other game in the last decade, so I would struggle to find motivation to grind through another one.

 

[Danjin44]

Take out all history part of Assassin Creed game and you end up with Watch Dogs.

 

[Supreme Allah]

I never played the first one but I loved and platinumed the second one.

 

[kaydigi]

I couldn’t get use to pressing buttons to climb ladders. I need to give it another go.

 

[Neverwas]

The first one was a joyless romp with a completely unlikable protagonist. One of the bigger disappointments this gen. I haven't tried part 2.

 

[hybrid_birth]

I didn't like watch dogs 1. I spent a lot of time driving around not knowing where to go. The navigation was bad.

Watch dogs 2 I enjoyed. It was clear on where to go next. Sneaking into buildings was fun. Using a remote control RC car to infiltrate a building and hack computers was one of my favorite things. Unlike Assassins creed, you can die easily. So you don't want to go in guns blazing. Remaining undectable is key.

I thought the story was interesting. Trying to expose corrupt executives.

 

[Sqorin Hammerfarf]

Loved the first Watch Dogs - one of my favorite sandbox games, and a real surprise for me when I wasn't expecting much. The story and protagonist were kind of meh, but the grey Chicago and surrounding area were exceptional. I even bought the DLC, which I never do. But the tone of the second one was so insufferably California hipster that I couldn't finish it. They took what was essential a Batman or Punisher style game about flawed and dangerous person making things worse and turned it into a bunch of Millennial assholes being assholes because they thought it made them better than all the other assholes, when plot twist, they are the biggest assholes of them all. I do give credit to the game for having full frontal nudity. I can't think of any other game with a nudist commune.

If they announce Watch Dogs 3 and it isn't California hipster insufferable, I'm all in.

 

[ROMhack]

Wouldn't this thread be better with a poll or two...

 

[120v]

only played Watch Dogs 2... honestly thought the hacking was an unfun chore and i'm kind of confused how ubi managed to build one of their bigger franchises around it. but apparently it's some people's jam, so i won't rain on their fun but that's my take

also the tone was all over the place. if the aforementioned mechanics were enjoyable i'd be down for the ride, obviously lots of care went into re-creating san fran and its gorgeous, but i just wasn't feeling it overall

 

[lucius]

I am only a few hours into WD2 but I like both games, I think I prefer the hacking and story of one but WD2 has better uses of skills . I like the games more than GTA at times . I wish the DLC could go on sale for both games or at least the season pass since once I am done with watch dogs 2 I would like to finish those. I hope the games continue they are fun to me.

 

[WX3]

I really enjoyed the first game and bought the second title when on sale last year. I just installed WD2 yesterday and started a play through and I have to say after three hours I'm not into it as much as I was hoping. It's just not gripping me like I would hope an open world does to keep me involved. I do think it could be too early to judge so I will continue on and see how I progress.

 

[flashfire926]

Watchdogs 1? No, I wouldnt really say so..

Watchdogs 2? Yes, definitely. One of the more underrated games of the generation.

 

[db1416]

I absolutely adore Watch Dogs. Mechanics wise it’s way better than GTA in my opinion and it’s less grotesque which I like. The protagonist in the first one can seem dull but I personally like how stoic he is. The story isn’t much to get invested in but the concept is fantastic and I think it’s executed well. Watch Dogs 2 just makes every aspect of the game better. More hacks, more control, and just a touch more crazy. Continuity is weird if you decide you want to kill random people considering you’re supposed to be a vligilante in both but I think it’s totally worth your time to play and pump some hours into.

 

[Fbh]

1 was pretty decent . Story and characters were terrible and the city wasn't particularly interesting or technically impressive but I actually enjoyed the level design, mission design and gunplay a whole lot more than GTA V. The hacking itself was gimmicky but enjoyable

Haven't played 2 yet. While I was glad they didn't stick with the same characters from 1 I hated the style they decided to go with (it was like "50-something executive desperately trying to appeal to millennials")

 

[wipeout364]

I don’t think it’s worth it at this point. It was good game but not amazing. It came when there was not a lot to play in the system. There are so many open world games now I feel it would not really hold up. That said it’s often on sale for a ridiculously low price so it’s not like it would set you back much.

 

[Kadayi]

I really enjoyed the first game and bought the second title when on sale last year. I just installed WD2 yesterday and started a play through and I have to say after three hours I'm not into it as much as I was hoping. It's just not gripping me like I would hope an open world does to keep me involved. I do think it could be too early to judge so I will continue on and see how I progress.

Stick with it. It's a little slow at first and the characters initially are irksome, but over time as you get to know them they grow on you through the conversations.

 

[Airola]

Wouldn't this thread be better with a poll or two...

It would. I was genuinely disappointed to not see a poll here

 

[Airola]

I bought the first Watch Dogs on Wii U and was overwhelmed by the tutorial and then overwhelmed by the actual game and lost interest and never played it again.

But then again I'm someone who generally thinks game controllers have too many buttons and games use too many buttons (a button for dodging is my pet peeve).

 

[DonJimbo]

Yes it's a great open world game like GTA or Sleeping Dogs etc
Liked Aiden Pierce

 

[Damien Crowley]

One is shit, plays bad and is wannabe gritty to the point, that it almost (alllmoooost...) gets funny...but it doesn't get funny...

Two is fun, plays better and has (for the lack of a better explanation) "real" characters in it, as enerving or unappealing as they might get...

 

[kraspkibble]

The first one I would not recommend now. I quite enjoyed it at the time but there were some things that weren't all that great (shooting/driving felt awful for example). It set a great foundation for Watch Dogs 2 which I think was a fantastic game!

The driving in 2 was still a bit odd but much improved. In 1 I hated having to drive anywhere and would take a motorbike because it wasn't as bad. In 2 I loved driving around but the controls could do with some improvement. Shooting wasn't too bad either but the game doesn't really focus heavily on guns. The story in 2 wasn't anything amazing but I didn't hate it. The ending felt a bit eh... The characters were all interesting IMO. Adrian in 1 was a bit too boring IMO. The characters in 2 a lot of people found annoying but I enjoyed them all. Marcus is a great protagonist and his friends are interesting.

It's also a great looking game even today. The map feels kinda small at times. San Francisco is a great city but the other areas of Marin + Oakland could be better. However, keep in mind that there are a LOT of interiors so there is more to than what you see on the surface. I remember being blown away that you could actually go into buildings and explore. The map I think is really well done and I have always said that it ruined GTA V for me. I'm serious.

GTA V's map is impressive in detail and scale but it's very shallow and feels dead in comparison to Watch Dogs 2. In addition to the interiors the map feels alive thanks to all the hacking. Each NPC feels believable and has their own information/life yet in GTA V they feel more like robots repeating the same few lines over and over again. You can actually manipulate the map to make it feel like your playground. Getting into a police chase is actually fun because you can do things like change traffic lights/raise bollards. You can cause all sorts of mayhem by cause blackouts, shutting security systems down, remote controlling cars. AND then you can control vehicles like fork lifts, cranes, scissor lifts to access different areas. If there is someone you want to attack then you can have the police arrest them or even set a gang to kill them. There is even more stuff like hijacking cars, better profiling (find people who have lots of money!)....there is so much you can do. In comparison GTA V's map feels so static and lifeless.

TL;DR: yes play Watch Dogs 2. it's such a fun game.

 

[Afro Republican]

What are the biggest improvements between 1 and 2?

 

[BusierDonkey]

The driving mechanics in Watchdogs were ass. It felt like your car was considering your commands before executing them, like there was a full second of input lag. It's the first open world game with cars where I actively avoided driving the cars.

Spider mech games were fun though.

I skipped two based on my mediocre time with 1, but reading this thread it way have been worth a run through. I think I got it for free a while ago so I might do that some time.

 

[SkinnerSw33t]

Haha. I loved the driving as wonky as it was.