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Watch Dogs
Developer(s) Ubisoft Montreal
Publisher(s) Ubisoft
Platform(s) Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
Genre(s) Action-adventure, open world, stealth
Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer (cooperative)
Media/distribution Optical disc, download
Watch Dogs (stylised as WATCH_DOGS) is an upcoming open world action-adventure video game, developed by Ubisoft Montreal, best known for their work on the Far Cry and Assassin's Creed franchises, for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, and the Xbox 360[2] . Watch Dogs centers on the player's ability to hack into various electronic systems, either to obtain and control information or to destroy those devices completely at specific times. The game was first unveiled during Ubisoft's press conference at E3 2012.
Gameplay
The main gameplay mechanic of Watch Dogs is the use of hacking and surveillance.The game's antihero Aiden Pearce (voiced by Noam Jenkins) can use any device tied to the city's central operating system (ctOS) as a weapon against it. During the gameplay demonstration, Aiden is seen jamming cellphones to serve as a distraction as he enters a vanity art exhibit, tapping a phone call to retrieve information about his target, manipulating traffic lights to cause a large pileup designed to trap the target and his bodyguards, and escaping the police by driving a car across a raising river bridge. The player can also access information from the ctOS on the NPCs they encounter, including information on demographics, health, and their probability of violence. Combat utilizes a combination of stealth components and free-running, along with the mechanics of a cover-based third-person shooter. The E3 demo also demonstrated co-op play, as focus shifted to a second character above Pearce, on higher buildings, referred to as ”Bixxel_44" (controlled by another player) following Aiden's successful killing of his target, who was given orders to protect Aiden by intercepting the police trying to catch him, and then fled the place using fluid parkour-like moves.
Plot
The storyline of Watch Dogs 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" (Central 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. The game will follow an anti-hero named Aiden Pearce, a highly skilled hacker described as a person who uses both "fists and wits." The gameplay demo shown at E3 depicted Aiden's attempt to assassinate a media mogul named Joseph DeMarco, who had been wrongly acquitted on charges of murder.
Development
Ubisoft Montreal began development work on Watch Dogs in 2010. 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. The gameplay demo also featured a waiter wearing a cube-shaped mask with QR codes on its sides—which pointed to a viral website for the Dot ConneXion Underground art installation seen in the demo.
Reception
Pre-release
The gameplay demo of the PC version of Watch Dogs at E3 was immediately 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 awards, including a Best of Show award from GamingExcellence.IGN selected it as Best PC Game of E3, as well as Biggest Surprise and Best New Franchise.
