Watch Dogs (Wii U) Review

When I’m playing a game that involves stealth mechanics, I can usually measure my enjoyment of the title with two simple questions. The first is an obvious one: are the stealth mechanics implemented in a meaningful way, and not tacked on? It’s a good start if the answer is yes, but the most important aspect, for me, is how well the game handles itself if you play badly and get caught.

It’s all well and good when you’re monitoring your enemies, finding the best way to sneak by undetected, but what if you’re spotted? If you’re thrown into a gunfight, outnumbered twenty-to-one, and the mechanics just don’t hold up (Deus Ex: Human Revolution, I’m looking at you) it can make or break your experience with a game.

Thankfully, Watch Dogs handles many of the important mechanics well. Stealth is extremely satisfying, as you work to infiltrate restricted areas, thanks to protagonist Aiden Pierce’s smartphone. You can opt into doing things the old fashioned way – sneaking up on enemies, taking them out one-by-one – or you can hack into the electronic devices around you. This includes cameras, which allow you to view the facility from the inside, then tapping into other electronic devices from here. You can also remotely access cars, tripping their alarms to cause a diversion, or even certain electrical terminals, which explode and take out any nearby guards.

Usually, missions revolve around hacking into the main server to access data, which in turn, helps progress the story. This involves stealing data from a specific guard with the required security clearance and making your way through that particular area – either unnoticed, or guns blazing.

If you choose the latter – or, like me, fail at hiding and get spotted all too often – not to worry. You’ll pick up a plethora of weapons and armaments along the way, from silenced pistols to sniper rifles. Should you want it to, Watch Dogs can play like a very competent third-person shooter.

So, when you’re immersed in the action, Watch Dogs is undeniably a lot of fun. Taken at face value, and avoiding comparisons with other console versions, the frame rate is sturdy during these action-packed sections, and the visuals get the job done just fine.

Sadly, it’s when you get in a car that this starts to fall apart. As you build up speed, buildings start to appear from nowhere, and the ground textures ahead look dismal as they barely pop-in before you’ve driven over them. As for the frame rate, it’s less than desirable here and at times it even feels like the game’s suffering from some input latency.

Meanwhile, car chase missions appear a little too often, and these highlight a few other niggles I have with the game. The damage models are less than perfect, the sound effects emit a generic ‘thud’ regardless of the intensity of impact, while a vehicle setting on fire – and later exploding – on-screen causes some serious slow-down to the gameplay.

The sound department, in fact, is a mixed bag. There’s no radio stations, just a stream of songs which repeat themselves, although the attention to detail in terms of effects are often surprisingly neat. For example, you’ll hear the keys jangling as you turn off the ignition in an attempt to hide from a passing enemy or cop.

I’m definitely nit-picking here, but driving through the vast San Andreas in Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto V has spoiled me, and Watch Dogs’ interpretation of Chicago city pales in comparison, with no character and generic streets.

That’s not to say that driving can’t be enjoyable, though. There’s fun to be had hacking into draw-bridges, raising them as you blast over the gap, and watching your pursuers skidding out of control in your rear-view mirror as they bail on the idea of following you.

Watch Dogs (Wii U) Verdict

At its core, Watch Dogs is a good game with a few too many issues to warrant a solid recommendation. The hacking is a nice addition to the usual sandbox formula, but it’s certainly not a must-play. The good missions require strategy and tact, blending a combination of stealth and action into an incredibly immersive game that’s totally worth playing. It’s just a shame that it makes you get in a car between these missions. If you can look past the issues that arise upon doing so, however, Watch Dogs holds it own for those that haven’t already played a version of the game on another platform.

7/10

Originally published on NintendoInvader.com

Martyn has been writing about video games for over a decade, and playing them for over twice as long.

Related Posts

F1 23 game cover image featured Lewis Hamilton, Charles Leclerc and Lando Norris

F1 23 (PlayStation 5) Review

2023 marks the fourth consecutive year that I’m reviewing Codemasters’ annual Formula 1 game, with each one being notably harder to write than the last. As is…

Magical Drop VI (Steam Deck) Review

Magical Drop VI is a simple yet challenging puzzle game that combines elements of retro classics Tetris, Peggle, and those weird Facebook games that your mum used…

OTXO (Steam Deck) Review

Scientists say that we humans form a first impression within seven seconds of meeting our peers. If you were to watch seven seconds of OTXO gameplay footage,…

Kirby’s Dream Buffet (Nintendo Switch) Review

Kirby’s Dream Buffet comes out just in time for the pink puffball’s 30th anniversary! Will the good times roll, or is this celebration a little too short and sweet?

Cursed to Golf (PlayStation 5) Review

Each one of Chuhai Labs’ games to date has been unique. First, it published a Halloween-themed retro platformer, then it developed a realistic VR snowboarding game, followed…

Mutropolis (Nintendo Switch) review

While it is certainly less prevalent than it used to be, the point-and-click adventure game genre is still alive and kicking. Night in the Woods, Thimbleweed Park,…