'Watch_Dogs'

I know I'm relatively slow to play some games that have been out for a few years, but I am rather picky about the types of games I play too, for instance I will mostly chooses stealth or open world GTA type games. I'm a typecast "guy" player, enjoying games with guns, cars, explosions, hand to hand combat, and of course women.

When Ubisoft released Watchdogs in 2014, I wasn't that hyped about it, still stuck playing Vice City and the likes, maybe even a little bit of classic FIFA. Knowing that Ubisoft was renowned for cutting edge graphics, stunning visuals and strong character storylines, I thought I'd give it a go (having played Assassin's Creed) and been impressed by follow up titles ever since (aside from Black Flag, it's the sailing, I just can't do it). Ubisoft had also given me my all time favourite game series, Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell so how bad could this game really be?

When I got the chance to buy Watchdogs (about 2 years after the rest of the planet), I put the disc in and awaited the usual first play through controller confusion and frustration at pressing the wrong button, I was pleasantly surprised to learn fairly quickly though that the smooth transition of Ubisoft's controller configuration hadn't been forgotten.

And here we go...

Set on the all too realistic suburban streets of Chicago, our character is Aiden Pearce, a 30-something Caucasian with a penchant for digital theft (wiring money from people's bank accounts is the first mission, remember?). Dubbed "The Vigilante" by authorities and condemned for his actions, Aiden is on one mission; to rid the streets of crime, from petty crimes on the streets to human trafficking and drug/arms dealing in higher society. Through a combination of hacking through Aiden's phone (which suspiciously never runs out of battery) and general badass police baton wielding combat, he manages to help clean up Chicago, one scumbag at a time (albeit hindered by henchmen, gangsters, fellow hackers and police an annoying amount of times).

Oh, then there's the small matter of the ACTUAL storyline which almost ends up being a sub narrative as you hack your way to millions in stolen money and break soundlessly into other people's cars. Our first mission which sets up Aiden's back story and gives him his unrequited angst throughout the game, is a simple billion dollar business' monetary theft, which conveniently goes pear shaped and earns Aiden his alter-ego. During the cut scene, we see the repercussions Aiden's family suffer after the man who hired him to do the job is left feeling less than happy at Aiden's failure.

After the death of his niece during a traffic accident at the hands of a hired goon working on behalf of Aiden's former disgruntled employer, his story and subsequent modus operandi is to hunt down, (and kill), anyone instrumental in young Lena's death. This may sound boring and ridiculously linear/unrealistic for our protagonist but it is oddly not so.

Whether you choose to play through the main story all in one or deviate to a side mission, (online hacking, stopping street crime, infiltrating gang hideouts etc.), there is always something to do to keep your thumbs busy. It's easy to see why this game earned a sequel, albeit with a whole host of new characters, abilities and gadgets, not to mention only a faint whisper and a couple of mentions of Pearce's name randomly throughout the game.

If nothing else, Watchdogs proves that even after they exhaust their major game series, there is a reason you should stay in awe of any title bearing the Ubisoft name.