Watch Dogs

Ubisoft Montreal's Watch Dogs landed in May 2014 as an open-world action-adventure that put a central hacking mechanic at the heart of everything. Set in a fictionalized Chicago, you control Aiden Pearce, a grey-hat hacker and vigilante whose niece is killed in a botched hit. Pearce's quest for revenge drives a story that lets you manipulate the city's ctOS system: tap phones, change traffic lights, access security cameras, and cause explosive malfunctions. Movement blends on-foot exploration with driving through a dense urban environment, while an online mode supports up to eight players in cooperative and competitive sessions.

Development began in 2009 and spanned over five years, involving more than a thousand people across multiple Ubisoft studios. The team visited Chicago for field research and incorporated regional language for authenticity. Hacking mechanics were developed with input from Kaspersky Lab, and the in-game control system drew inspiration from SCADA technology. Brian Reitzell composed the score, infusing it with krautrock influences. The game launched on Windows, PlayStation 3 and 4, Xbox 360 and One, and Wii U after heavy anticipation following its 2012 E3 reveal.

Reviews were generally favorable, praising the mission variety, open-world design, combat, and hacking elements. Criticism targeted technical glitches, a graphical downgrade from early trailers, and a protagonist some found flat. Commercially, Watch Dogs shattered Ubisoft's first-day sales record and became the UK's biggest launch for a new IP at the time, eventually shipping over 10 million copies. It spawned two sequels: Watch Dogs 2 in 2016 and Watch Dogs: Legion in 2020.[edit]

The core loop revolves around the city's ctOS system. You can tap private conversations and access personal data from pedestrians, remotely change traffic lights to cause accidents or create diversions, raise or lower bridges, control steam pipes and electrical transformers to create explosive traps, and hack security cameras to scout areas and tag enemies. Combat blends third-person shooting with melee takedowns and a cover system. Movement involves on-foot parkour and driving a variety of vehicles. The Profiler tool instantly displays personal information, income, and potential crimes of any NPC, allowing you to intervene or steal bank accounts.

Multiplayer includes Online Hacking, where one player attempts to download data from another's game while the target must find and kill the hacker; Online Tailing, where players follow a target undetected; Online Decryption, a team-based mode; and Free Roam for up to eight players. The Bad Blood expansion added Street Sweep co-op missions.[edit]

Aiden Pearce's past as a cyber-criminal puts a target on his family. A botched heist at a hotel leads to a hit ordered on Aiden, but the attack mistakenly kills his young niece Lena. Consumed by guilt and rage, Aiden spends a year tracking down those responsible. The narrative unfolds as he investigates a vast conspiracy involving the criminal underworld, corrupt city officials, and the powerful Blume Corporation, creator of ctOS. Aiden allies with his sister Nicky, fixer Jordi Chin, hacker Clara Lille (aka BadBoy17), and crime lord Damien Brenks, who eventually betrays him. The plot culminates in a confrontation with the true architect of the attack, leading to a choice that determines the fate of Aiden's remaining family and the city's data infrastructure.[edit]