Jeff Gerstmann's Watch Dogs Review

Watch Dogs is a solid open-world game that doesn't do enough to set itself apart from the pack.

"Watch Dogs is a solid open-world game that doesn't do enough to set itself apart from the pack"

"instead of feeling like the future, Watch Dogs reminds me of the past. I'm reminded of the time when developers were ardently chasing after that Grand Theft Auto gold"

"The mission design is really standard ... I don't necessarily view all this as a bad thing, but at this point in life you've probably already determined whether or not you like this sort of game."

" the story is all over the place and is full of characters that sort of cruise into and out of the story, which makes it hard to care about any of them."

"That dark future is already here, and Watch Dogs gets that wrong. [on Watch Dogs using today's technology in a futuristic game]"

"Even though I feel its story is often weak and its action isn't that different from other games in the genre, I still enjoyed my time with it"

3/5 stars

http://www.giantbomb.com/reviews/watch-dogs-review/1900-644/

I love that dude's conversational writing style.

Nothing ground breaking so far, but I'm enjoying it.

I would give it a 3.5 out of 5. or a 8.5 out of 10. A few hours in and really enjoying it.

Yeah, Jeff wasn't too impressed judging from the Quick Look. But he said you'd have a good time if you don't expect too much.

Also, good luck at the East Coast, Vinny!

I like Jeff Gerstmann's honesty as well as the 5 star rating system.

With websites like GS you have to sieve through all the 8's to which are "wow, this game is really impressive and has big bold new ideas" and "oh, it looks good, its from a major studio, and it runs really well. solid"

years later people are going to say its a soul-less gta clone. at least jeff is ahead of the curve here.

I Agree with the review, read it this morning. It's just a standard open world game that has a neat hook and solid mechanics. Nothing more nothing less.

Hopefully gta 5 comes to pc.

pretty much. although the hacking does make for some fun police chases.

Yeah, chasing down someone else is fun.

Does not compute. I don't see how you can think it's an 8.5/10 but not a 4/5. So if the scale were over a 1000, you'd give 950/1000?

Because math has nothing to do with review scores, only the perception of the numbers involved. If math had anything to do with review scores, this extremely average game would be getting a five, not an eight. Remember 79 is a buggy failure, 82 is a great game that lives up to the hype, even though that score is less then/equal to some $15 and $20 games coming out at the same time. A system like that has nothing in the world with objective logic, and everything to do with a gut feeling.

Or in short: Review scores are stupid, why would you expect different scales to match up mathematically?

Jeff is a god. I would give anything to be his bro.

Jeff is the GOAT! Such a chill dude.

Also yeah he's bang on, been playing a few hours of it and it's not spectacular but nothing terrible either. It's a solid experience for what it offers just that what it offers isn't really new

Laying it on a bit thick there, buddy.

79 and 82 are both rounded to 80/100, which should still be 4/5. The only numerical variations which should exist between a 5 point system and a 10 point system is the loss of sensitivity of the lower point system, which means 0.5. If the game 'feels' like a 85/100, it should 'feel' like a 8.5/10 or a 4/5.

If what you say is true, then 2/5 can be equivalent to 9/10 right? Because mathematical congruence is totally irrelevant by your argument. Stop trying to be a smart ass.

I 100% agree with him. It's by no means a bad game, but it feels like a hundred games I've played before.

Definitely worth playing though.

That's nothing. Read posts from him for a while and you might decide this was the most sense he's ever made.

A 7 is simultaneously an 8.5 now? Go get a refund on that XB1 and get some proper math schooling.

It's a fun game, but nothing earth shattering. I don't feel bad for having bought it. I give it a solid B+ so far.

I am using two real examples to illustrate a point about how little numerical values mean in this industry.

Watch dogs got an 82 even though it was the most hyped game of the past year. The game got more hype for longer then GTA V and was being hyped before last E3. The 82 is still considered "great game" that meets the hype even when $15 and $20 titles released around the same time scored the same or better.

New Vegas got a 79, and is was considered a buggy mess that failed so hard it cost Obsidian their bonus. You might argue that they are both rounded to 80, but one was the successful start of a new franchise despite the fact that a 2d game that cost one forth of it's price got the same score, and the other cost the developers a lot of money and put a franchise on the back burner in favor of a free to play title. Does this make mathematical sense? No, my entire point is indeed that mathematical congruence is irrelevant on a 1-100 scale.

So expecting mathematical congruence from two different scales is frankly obtuse. You can be as condescending as you like, but it is still darn silly to expect subjective and mostly arbitrary approximations to follow rules of objective logic.

One of the best in the industry.

Yea well, you need to lay off the burgers.

I agree with the score... I would give a the game a 7/10. I am already bored of it.

Fingers crossed Just Cause 3 is at E3 this year. I NEED me some more just cause.

@Vaasman said:

@FoxbatAlpha said:

I would give it a 3.5 out of 5. or a 8.5 out of 10. A few hours in and really enjoying it.

I would give it a 1 out of 5 or a 9 out of 10 though

When I read things I 'hear' the words i.e. pronounce them in my mind. That is how things should be written for me. It's comfy.

The game is totally underwhelming...Everything about it is just alright instead of groundbreaking and fresh. The graphics are meh, story is meh, driving is meh, gunplay is meh and the whole novelty of it already feels like it's wearing thin. From what I seen at E3 and what we got I can't help but feel a little cheated.

This is why Jeff is the man when it comes to reviews. He Pulls no punches.

Gamespot lost a great reviewer. With him and Greg. See how a little cooperate advertising money hat can almost ruin a site and it's integrity?

Cutting off the head of the golden goose, Is never a good choice?

how the **** do you get a 7 as a 8.5? Sell whatever you can to get mental wellness.

i woke up to 12 comments. All on my points scale. I can tell you when you use the gelatinous scale of complex adding, you will reach the same numbers. It's kinda like Good Will Hunting shit.

If you cannot play GTA5 then maybe you will really enjoy this game. I play Watching Dog and makes me appreciate GTA5 more. Make me appreciate Sleeping Dog more, more fun combat and you can shoot and drive at same time.

lol....I guess he just agrees with most of his reviews. That's how people actually end up judging reviewers....if they agree or not.

5 x 2 = 10

which mean that each 0.5 is equivalent to 1 on the 10 scale.

Actually his rating illustrates the problem with this industry. At least he's being honest about it.

The 10 scale is inflated. With a 5-scale, the middle (2.5) is average and 3 is good, 3.5 is very good, and etc. On the 10 scale, 7 is average and anything below 8 is deemed as crap.

3.5 is not 8.5 equivalent ...but ok!

i love open owrld games too and I'm liking the little bit I've played.

I'm enjoying it , the only thing that bugs me is is repeatedly having to unlock the ctos boxes.

Yup, 3/5 sounds about right. If you put the Watch Dogs disc in your console- it plays, like, it works... but it's just not as interesting or as fun as everyone thought. I thought it was really boring

He really knows the language. He knows how to communicate effectively why something works or doesn't.

I think reviewers should review game on it's own merits and not compare it to others. What does it do well? What doesn't it do well and then put a score. I think there are just too few reviewers that are consistent in their work

The game is sweet and the graphics look nice.

8.5/10 for me