The most anticipated game of the year thus far is without a doubt Watch Dogs. The game was originally supposed to be an Xbox One and PS4 launch title, but was delayed to make changes in order for the vision behind the game to match expectations.
It is a title that really may redefine the open-world genre in terms of the amount of things gamers can do with the title and the interactions available. The game is based on a character who wants to keep out of the radar and watchful eyes of surveillance while hacking his way within a city. It is open world in the sense players can explore their environments and from the looks of it thus far, it looks like the most lively and realistic city portrayal in a game thus far.
The title may share some similarities to Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto series, but it is really its own unique IP from Ubisoft. It takes place in Chicago and the architecture and design of the city has been based on a realistic portrayal of what the real Chicago looks like. Watch Dogs also takes place some years in the future where cyber hacking and surveillance is at an all time high and things like traffic lights can be turned off digitally with a flick of a finger.
The game is scheduled to be released on May 27 and there are already launch parties scheduled to take place during late-night May 26. Gamestop announced it will be hosting "more than 3,500 U.S. midnight launch parties to celebrate the arrival of Watch Dogs." Various activities, such as contests and giveaways will be available at the GameStop stores prior to its midnight launch. Gamers will also get a chance to try out the title in the hours before it is released.
"We are seeing tremendous excitement from gaming fans for the new Watch Dogs game," says Bob Puzon, senior vice president of merchandising at GameStop. "In fact, Watch Dogs is proving to be the highest pre-ordered next-generation console game we've experienced to date. We are planning some exciting activities at our stores to help our fans celebrate the arrival of the Ubisoft game."
Watch Dogs will launch on the Xbox 360, Xbox One, PC, PS3, and PS4. A Wii U version has also been announced, but delayed. The PS3 and PS4 versions will come packed with the most content however.
"We're really excited for the launch of Watch Dogs on both PS3 and PS4 and are confident that it will prove to be one of the standout games of 2014," said Michael Pattison, VP of Third Party Relations at Sony Computer Entertainment Europe. "It's a unique and visionary game and we believe that the exclusive content available via PSN will not only excite gamers, but showcase how PlayStation is a preferred destination for Watch Dogs."
This is basically another way of saying Sony paid for exclusive content to Ubisoft. Either way, it is good to see the title be supported by so many different platforms. It should be a stellar experience no matter how you play it.
There will also be a Season Pass available letting gamers play as a new character and with some new gameplay additions. The Season Pass will be available for various platforms and will also let gamers get DLC content quicker than standard releases.
Sony mentioned watch dogs as a clear example of what a "next-gen game" should be defined as.
"A title like Watchdogs, the anticipation is so high around it; pre-orders are already very significant and very strong for PS4," said Fergal Gara, Managing Director of Sony Computer Entertainment UK when talking about the game's delay last year. "It would be a terrible shame if a game like that - which could go several rounds, Watchdogs 1, 2, 3 and could define next-gen gaming and really push some boundaries - it would be a shame if a title like that came out and it was only good when it could be great."
The wait is almost over and in just a few days time gamers will finally experience Chicago in all its hacking glory.
