Watch Dogs has finally hit town to the tune of positive reviews from the majority of the critics. It’s not The Last of Us – you couldn’t move for all the double-digit reviews for Naughty Dog’s masterpiece – but it’s certainly an enjoyable romp with a beautifully realised, intricate Chicago to traverse and explore.

Watch Dogs

Ubisoft’s third-person, open-world, hacking adventure sees Aiden Pearce take centre stage – he’s a hacker with a vendetta and, luckily for him, Chicago’s entire technological ecosystem seems to be running off through one OS, meaning he can effectively control everything from traffic lights to security cameras, not to mention emptying anyone’s bank account within seconds. 

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Jaz Rignal of US Gamer said that “Watch_Dogs combines an astonishingly detailed world, a gripping storyline, creative game mechanics, a myriad of missions and activities, and improvisational tactical sandbox gameplay to create a truly next-generation open world game. Phenomenal. No other word for it.”

“Despite the fact that Watch Dogs hasn't made any meaningful impact on the genre, I found myself having a ton of fun with it. Between the deep levels of customization and the sheer breadth of content, there's no shortage of things to do. If Ubisoft can take the game's core fun factor and marry it with an actual "next-gen" experience the next time around, they'll have something truly special,” wrote Destructiod’s Chris Carter. 

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Game Informer's Jeff Marchiafava described Watch Dogs as a “solid debut for a promising new series” suggesting the game’s story “works as a basic revenge tale, and the final few missions provide some gravity to the characters. Ultimately, however, the main draw of any open-world game is the gameplay, and while not perfect, Watch Dog's hacking abilities add an engaging and unique twist to the third-person action.”

In terms of characters, it seems as though IGN weren’t overly blown away by Aiden Pearce, describing him as “an empty trenchcoat as far as personality goes.” Dan Stapleton adds hin his review: Fortunately the supporting cast is much more interesting. An enthusiastic and cavalier fixer, a gang leader who I affectionately refer to as Avon Barksdale: Superhacker, and a soft-spoken mob boss steal the show and make it a likeable and well-acted group. Character animations are elegantly done, too.”