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Watch Dogs 2

Watch Dogs 2 might very well be the best open world game of 2016. It offers ton of content, different ways to complete missions and brilliant visuals. If you are a fan of open world games, you should be playing Watch Dogs 2. Period.
82%Game Brain Score
story, gameplay
optimization, stability
83% User Score Based on 23,554 reviews
Critic Score 80%Based on 55 reviews

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About

Explore a massive and dynamic open world offering an incredible variety of gameplay possibilities. Hack your way through traffic while you engage in dangerous car chases through the winding streets of San Francisco, traverse the rooftops of the colorful and vibrant neighborhoods of Oakland, and infiltrate the cutting-edge offices of Silicon Valley companies. There are many secrets to uncover in th…

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Watch Dogs 2 screenshot
Watch Dogs 2 screenshot
Watch Dogs 2 screenshot
Watch Dogs 2 screenshot

83%
Audience ScoreBased on 23,609 reviews
story3k positive mentions
optimization291 negative mentions
  • The gameplay mechanics are significantly improved, featuring enhanced hacking, a vibrant open world, and versatile mission approaches that allow for both stealthy and aggressive playstyles.
  • The humor is lighthearted and refreshing, with quirky characters and witty dialogue that contribute to an engaging experience.
  • The graphics are vibrant and detailed, effectively capturing the essence of San Francisco, and the eclectic soundtrack complements the game's atmosphere.
  • The story is criticized for being shallow, predictable, and lacking emotional depth, with many characters feeling one-dimensional and underdeveloped.
  • The game suffers from significant technical issues, including frequent crashes, bugs, and poor optimization, which detract from the overall experience.
  • Many players find the grinding aspect tedious and repetitive, particularly in relation to side missions and skill progression, leading to frustration.
  • story
    9,287 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story of Watch Dogs 2 has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it less engaging than its predecessor. While some appreciate its lighthearted tone and humorous characters, others criticize it for being shallow, predictable, and lacking emotional depth. The missions often feel repetitive, and the narrative can seem disjointed, leading to a less cohesive experience overall. Despite these criticisms, the game is praised for its gameplay mechanics and vibrant open world, making it enjoyable for players who prioritize action and exploration over a compelling story.

    • “The story has some flawed and unexplored characters, but it's funny and uplifting in a way that replicates an old sitcom.”
    • “The narrative is great, providing solid character development and a compelling story.”
    • “The story is engaging, with some interesting twists and turns, and it explores some relevant themes about privacy and technology.”
    • “The story in this one is incredibly stupid.”
    • “The story is just plain stupid.”
    • “The story is very silly, I'm not too interested, but it's a wonderful game anyway.”
  • gameplay
    3,202 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay in "Watch Dogs 2" has received widespread praise for its significant improvements over the first installment, featuring enhanced hacking mechanics, a vibrant open world, and a variety of mission approaches that allow for both stealthy and aggressive playstyles. Players appreciate the engaging mechanics, such as the use of drones and remote-controlled devices, which add depth and creativity to gameplay, although some have noted issues with driving mechanics and repetitive mission structures. Overall, the game is seen as a fun and immersive experience, despite its shortcomings in story and character development.

    • “Some of the funnest gameplay in an open world I've ever had the joy of experiencing.”
    • “The hacking mechanics are incredibly satisfying, offering multiple ways to approach missions.”
    • “Watch Dogs 2 builds on its predecessor with a more vibrant world and improved gameplay, introducing versatile gadgets like the RC car and quadcopter that make hacking and infiltration more dynamic.”
    • “The gameplay feels so different than Watch Dogs 1.”
    • “The driving mechanics can be a bit clunky, and the combat, while improved, is still not the game's strongest point.”
    • “The gameplay is practically a copy-paste of the first game—zero improvements.”
  • graphics
    2,202 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of *Watch Dogs 2* receive mixed feedback from players, with many praising the vibrant and detailed visuals that effectively capture the essence of San Francisco. However, numerous reports highlight frustrating graphical bugs, particularly on modern hardware, such as flickering and performance issues, which can detract from the overall experience. While some players appreciate the aesthetic improvements and the game's ability to run well on high settings, others express disappointment over optimization problems that hinder gameplay.

    • “The graphics, the story, and the map are amazing!”
    • “With amazing graphics, an enormous city to roam around in, and more than one approach to the objective, *Watch Dogs* is a thrilling and revolutionary title.”
    • “The graphics are beautiful, and some of the details are fascinating.”
    • “Fun game, but it has some really frustrating graphical bugs on some modern hardware that makes it nearly unplayable.”
    • “The most annoying one is that the game flickers due to the graphics engine having no updates since it came out, causing it to look like you're playing on an old TV.”
    • “I don't recommend because it has broken graphics on newer GPUs.”
  • optimization
    987 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The optimization of Watch Dogs 2 has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting significant performance issues, including stuttering, frame drops, and crashes, even on high-end systems. While some users have noted improvements and decent performance on lower settings, the overall consensus is that the game is poorly optimized for PC, often requiring extensive tweaks to achieve playable frame rates. Despite its engaging gameplay and vibrant graphics, the optimization problems detract from the overall experience, leading many to recommend waiting for patches or purchasing the game on sale.

    • “Even today the graphics of the game are on a very high level with excellent optimization.”
    • “Highly optimized, runs 4k ultra settings smooth as butter on a 1080 ti build.”
    • “The core gameplay of driving, shooting, stealth, and hacking is fun and replayable which is something I always thought GTA struggled with, and it's surprisingly well optimized for a Ubisoft title.”
    • “First of all, the optimization works pretty badly and the game can have freeze frames without any reason.”
    • “The main and big issue I find about this game is how horrible it was optimized; I can't get through the city for like 1 minute without significant frame drops and crashes, which prevents me from appreciating the game's world more.”
    • “This game is so poorly optimized that it takes away from the fun and makes it feel more like work.”
  • music
    592 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in "Watch Dogs 2" has received a mixed but generally positive reception, with many players praising its eclectic soundtrack that includes a variety of genres such as hip-hop, electronic, and rock, which complements the game's vibrant atmosphere. The in-game media player app allows players to curate their own playlists, enhancing the overall experience, although some users noted that the radio selection could be lacking at times. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a significant improvement over the first game, contributing to the game's engaging and lively environment.

    • “The soundtrack complements the game's vibe with an eclectic mix of music genres accessible through Marcus' in-game media player.”
    • “The characters are endearing, the humor is refreshing, and the soundtrack perfectly accompanies the dynamic atmosphere of the game.”
    • “The soundtrack is another highlight, featuring a solid mix of electronic beats and hip-hop that complements the urban setting and the game's rebellious spirit.”
    • “The music selection is lacking.”
    • “The music is completely forgettable and obnoxious; WD1's music was iconic in comparison.”
    • “The guns were unsatisfying, and worst of all the music was horrid. I had to turn off the radio several times because I found so much of it unlikable, even as plain background music.”
  • humor
    577 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in "Watch Dogs 2" is widely praised for its lighthearted and irreverent tone, contrasting sharply with its predecessor's darker narrative. Players appreciate the quirky characters, witty dialogue, and the game's ability to blend comedic moments with social commentary, resulting in a fun and engaging experience. However, some find the humor can be cringey or forced at times, appealing primarily to a younger audience or those familiar with internet culture. Overall, the game successfully incorporates humor into its missions and character interactions, making it a standout feature.

    • “The game doesn’t take itself too seriously, which makes every mission feel like a high-tech heist with a side of internet humor.”
    • “The characters are endearing, the humor is refreshing, and the soundtrack perfectly accompanies the dynamic atmosphere of the game.”
    • “With its tongue-in-cheek humor, memorable characters, and outrageous missions, it's impossible not to laugh your way through the bonkers Bay Area.”
    • “The tone is best looked at through a parody lens; most of the humor is more cringey than it is funny, but the characters do come across as realistic if you're familiar with average hipster-rebel millennials.”
    • “A lot of the humor is forced and a bit cringey, with an overuse of sexual innuendos and sex jokes in general, and they really did not have any character development at all.”
    • “It's also full of garbage unfunny Reddit humor.”
  • stability
    338 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The stability of the game has received overwhelmingly negative feedback, with players reporting frequent crashes, freezes, and a plethora of bugs and glitches that significantly disrupt gameplay. While some users noted that the game can be enjoyable despite these issues, many expressed frustration over the instability, particularly on PC, where performance problems persist even on high-end systems. Overall, the game's technical shortcomings detract from the experience, making it a challenging play for those sensitive to such issues.

    • “The game runs great on PC, which is something the first one couldn't do.”
    • “It's polished to a shine, and runs great, even on older machines.”
    • “I'm running it on an i5 with a GTX 970 and 16GB RAM, and I don't have any issues at all with the performance; it looks great running on very high for most things and ultra for some others.”
    • “The game is riddled with bugs and glitches that eventually make the game unfun to play.”
    • “This game is so buggy that it actually makes the whole experience underwhelming.”
    • “Game is super buggy and this makes it unplayable.”
  • grinding
    170 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The grinding aspect of the game has received mixed feedback, with many players finding it tedious and repetitive, particularly in relation to side missions and skill progression. While some enjoy the grind as a means to enhance gameplay, others feel it detracts from the overall experience, leading to frustration and boredom. Overall, the game is characterized by a significant amount of grinding, which can be both a source of enjoyment and a chore, depending on the player's perspective.

    • “I tend to like these kinds of games because they can be pretty zen when the collectibles aren't too tedious to find.”
    • “The side missions in the game aren't tedious or spammed like previous Ubisoft and open world games, and all of the side missions are memorable in their own right.”
    • “These skills, while I would say, should come with the highly skilled hacking capability of the protagonist, but unlocking them isn't that tedious.”
    • “While it newly innovates in sending drones to solve things, it also hinders the player's ability to have stealth weapons from the start, and you have to invest a lot of in-game money into them, making the game grindy.”
    • “The biggest problem with this game is just how far downhill it goes after the 10-13 hour mark, as the missions get ridiculously repetitive and tedious.”
    • “It essentially ends in you grinding similar side missions until they all blend together into one pile of poop.”
  • atmosphere
    160 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere in "Watch Dogs 2" is notably brighter and more vibrant compared to its predecessor, "Watch Dogs," which had a darker, grittier tone. Players appreciate the lively depiction of San Francisco, enhanced by a dynamic soundtrack and engaging character interactions, although some miss the serious atmosphere of the first game. Overall, while opinions vary, many find the new atmosphere refreshing and enjoyable, contributing to a more fun and immersive experience.

    • “Watch Dogs 2 is a sequel to the successful Watch Dogs, but this time players are introduced to a new protagonist and a fresh, dynamic atmosphere.”
    • “The characters are endearing, the humor is refreshing, and the soundtrack perfectly accompanies the dynamic atmosphere of the game.”
    • “The atmosphere of the game has a very present joie-de-vivre that makes every character and story encounter, as well as general trekking around the world, an absolute pleasure.”
    • “Nothing like the first game in atmosphere, direction, nor story.”
    • “Atmosphere-wise, it is a significant downgrade from the gritty, more realistic vibe of the first game.”
    • “The difference in atmosphere from a serious one to a jovial mood made me dislike it instantly, thinking the game might go on a trivial storyline.”
  • replayability
    93 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's replayability is a mixed bag, with many players praising its extensive side missions, creative gameplay options, and the potential for modding to enhance the experience. While some find it infinitely replayable due to its engaging mechanics and multiplayer features, others criticize it for lacking substantial post-main story content and variety, leading to a diminished replay value. Overall, the consensus suggests that while there are enjoyable elements that encourage replaying, the experience can vary significantly based on individual preferences and play styles.

    • “Side missions and optional activities are plentiful, including collecting items, solving puzzles, or engaging in races, which offer plenty of replayability.”
    • “The freedom to approach missions with stealth or all-out action adds replayability, and the ability to tackle objectives in various creative ways is a testament to the game's design.”
    • “This is probably in my top 10 games of all time, and I'm on my third playthrough now since it has massive replay value.”
    • “Opening the game once if you've completed it will unlock ~34 of the 55 achievements, defeating the purpose of going back for replay value.”
    • “The story, on the other hand, is rather dry in my opinion, and while entertaining, the game itself lacks replay value.”
    • “I think it only took me about a month or two to get to the final mission, whereupon I stopped and haven't played the game since then: it was at this point that I realized this game has virtually no replay value.”
  • emotional
    87 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, players find the emotional aspect of the game lacking compared to its predecessor, with many noting a disconnect between the story and character development. While some moments attempt to evoke feelings, they often fall flat due to insufficient character investment and a more light-hearted tone that detracts from emotional depth. The game is generally seen as fun and engaging, but it fails to create the same level of emotional connection that resonated in the first installment.

    • “The rawness and vulnerability of the action, combined with the intricacy and complexity of the story, create a sonic landscape that is both breathtakingly beautiful and emotionally cathartic.”
    • “I shed a tear playing this game because of how beautiful it is; I recommend playing this for anyone who hasn't played it, it's such a great game.”
    • “Players will find themselves emotionally invested in the characters' motivations and connected to the larger fight against oppressive forces.”
    • “I couldn't finish it... what a boring story with even more boring characters with no personalities but typical Instagram/TikTok influencer traits that are supposed to humanize them.”
    • “But with the lack of a solid connection between the story of the original and sequel, a boring story of its own, obnoxious characters, and odd controls has made the experience not the greatest for me.”
    • “Pathetic characters, boring story, below average map with repeated side objectives; you'd get bored and tired at max 5 hours in this game.”
  • character development
    62 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Character development in the game has received mixed reviews, with many players noting a lack of depth and emotional engagement compared to the original title. While some characters are appreciated for their design and personality, overall, the narrative fails to provide meaningful arcs or growth, leading to a perception of mediocrity in character development. Despite a few standout characters, the consensus is that the game does not capitalize on its potential for deeper storytelling and character exploration.

    • “One of my favorite single player games, amazing storyline and character development.”
    • “Great character development, superb gameplay, beautiful graphics and atmosphere, nice storyline, no repetitive missions.”
    • “The character development is great with everyone having a clear personality (unlike many games).”
    • “The game tries to be dark and tries to make us care, but fails because there isn't enough character development.”
    • “There's also zero character development during the course of the campaign.”
    • “While your protagonist and (particularly) his friends aren't horribly bland or clichéd, they're still really one-dimensional and don't go through a lot of character development.”
  • monetization
    33 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The monetization strategy of Ubisoft games has drawn significant criticism, with players expressing frustration over intrusive ads for DLC and other titles, as well as the prevalence of microtransactions that feel exploitative. While some players appreciate that certain games avoid aggressive microtransactions, the overall sentiment is that Ubisoft's approach often prioritizes corporate profit over player experience, leading to a perception of cash grabs and immersion-breaking advertisements. Many users feel that the monetization tactics detract from the enjoyment of the game, making it difficult to fully engage without constant reminders to spend more.

    • “Ubisoft put microtransactions in a palatable way that doesn't feel forced on us players.”
    • “They can implement microtransactions without them being off-putting to players.”
    • “Ubi didn't screw it up with in-game purchases this time.”
    • “First thing I see after starting the game is an ad, and there are ads after ads.”
    • “The worst part is that you can't opt out of it, and it doesn't even provide any essential services aside from giving Ubisoft a chance at microtransactions and a source for data mining, disguised as a 'player profile' feature.”
    • “Most of Ubisoft's games are 'free-to-play' games where you have to actually pay money for it. I don't care about your opinion, it's a fact, microtransactions are cancer.”

80%Critics’ scoreBased on 69 critic reviews

Buy Watch Dogs 2

28h Median play time
45h Average play time
19h Main story
46h Completionist
6-52h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 151 analyzed playthroughs

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