Watch Dogs: Legion
- January 25, 2023
- Ubisoft Toronto
- 7h median play time
Buy Watch Dogs Legion on PS4 and PS5. Welcome to the Resistance.
Reviews
- story1,092 mentions
- 24 % positive mentions
- 64 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The story of "Watch Dogs: Legion" has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it lacking compared to its predecessors. While some appreciate the innovative "play as anyone" mechanic and the engaging themes of resistance against oppression, others criticize the narrative for being generic, disjointed, and lacking a compelling main character, which diminishes emotional investment. Overall, the missions can feel repetitive, and while there are interesting plot twists, the execution often leaves players wanting more depth and coherence in the storytelling.
“However, I did enjoy the new setting, and the new concept of being able to play as anyone, and I did like the story; as usual, at least they get the storylines down in these games, they all have their own unique plot which is entertaining till the very end.”
“The story is captivating enough to keep you coming back until you've finished it, though I must say I'm a little disappointed that it only took around ~12 hours to finish the story just playing the main missions back-to-back.”
“The game also features a multiplayer mode, allowing you to team up with friends and tackle missions together.”
“The story just doesn't feel captivating enough.”
“The lack of a compelling protagonist, underdeveloped recruited characters, a predictable storyline, technical problems, and a somewhat monotonous open-world design make it a disappointing addition to the Watch Dogs series.”
“The story is unbelievably boring and predictable.”
- gameplay410 mentions
- 32 % positive mentions
- 55 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Watch Dogs: Legion" has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it repetitive and lacking the depth of its predecessors. While the innovative "play as anyone" mechanic adds a unique twist and allows for diverse strategies, it often leads to a sense of detachment from the story due to the absence of a central protagonist. Overall, the game features solid mechanics and engaging hacking elements, but is marred by technical issues and a lack of variety in missions, making it feel less rewarding compared to earlier entries in the series.
“The gameplay mechanics are smooth and intuitive, with a variety of missions and activities to keep players entertained for hours on end.”
“Its innovative gameplay, captivating world, and engaging story make it one of the best games of its kind.”
“The hacking mechanics are well-implemented, offering a fresh take on combat and exploration.”
“The gameplay is boring and tedious, with no real innovation or variety.”
“Gameplay is a step back in every way; every WD1 and WD2 mechanic was stripped or simplified.”
“The gameplay is absolute dogtrash.”
- graphics217 mentions
- 52 % positive mentions
- 39 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The graphics in "Watch Dogs: Legion" receive mixed reviews, with many praising the stunning visuals and attention to detail, particularly in the depiction of a futuristic London. However, numerous players report poor optimization, leading to performance issues such as lag and crashes, even on high-end systems. While some find the graphics impressive, others feel they do not meet the expectations set by previous titles in the series or other contemporary games.
“Fantastic graphics.”
“The graphics are beautiful and the story is intriguing.”
“The game's graphics are top-notch, with stunning visuals and special effects that will leave you in awe.”
“The graphics are mediocre and bland, with no real ray tracing or next-gen features.”
“The graphics are total shit, Watch Dogs 2 looks better than this pile of triple-A corporate trash.”
“Graphics are sub-par and buggy though, wouldn't pay full price for this game.”
- stability97 mentions
- 7 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 93 % negative mentions
The game's stability is heavily criticized, with numerous reports of technical issues, performance problems, and game-breaking glitches that significantly detract from the overall experience. While some players note that it can run smoothly at times, the prevalence of bugs, crashes, and AI glitches makes it feel unpolished and frustrating, leading many to recommend waiting for a discount before purchasing. Overall, the game is described as a "buggy mess," with stability issues that overshadow its potential enjoyment.
“Runs great, even with ray tracing on RX 6800 XT.”
“The game runs great and is tons of fun!”
“This game looks stunning and runs great even on my decidedly outdated system.”
“The game is full of technical issues, performance problems, and glitches that ruin the experience for everyone.”
“What I really hated was the constant crashing, the millions of bugs everywhere, it's like walking through a forest, there'd just be critters everywhere you step, and no joke, literally game-breaking bugs where you can't even finish a mission.”
“The biggest issue with this game is how buggy and janky it is.”
- optimization82 mentions
- 11 % positive mentions
- 44 % neutral mentions
- 45 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game has received overwhelmingly negative feedback, with many players reporting severe technical issues, performance problems, and frequent crashes, even on high-end hardware. Users have noted that the game struggles to maintain stable frame rates, particularly with high graphics settings and ray tracing enabled, leading to a frustrating experience. While some players have managed to achieve decent performance with lower settings or specific configurations, the overall consensus is that the game is poorly optimized and riddled with bugs.
“Game optimization is excellent; I have a 1650 Ti on my laptop and it works great on medium at 60 fps.”
“The game is fun to play; London is shown to be realistic and futuristic in terms of environment, textures, and cars. The story is pretty good, and co-op mode is also available. Ubisoft has also worked on NPCs in a pretty good manner. The only issue in the game is the optimization; it's a bit laggy even on heavy devices, but DLSS makes it perfect.”
“Performance-wise, it works very well.”
“The game is full of technical issues, performance problems, and glitches that ruin the experience for everyone.”
“Poorly optimized; good luck playing on high graphics with ray tracing and pray for 60 fps.”
“The optimization in this game is downright horrendous.”
- humor47 mentions
- 96 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is a mixed bag, with many players appreciating the witty dialogue, funny NPC interactions, and the comedic potential of glitches and bugs. The British accents and satirical take on modern surveillance culture add to the charm, making it feel like a tech-savvy superhero story infused with humor. However, some players find the humor inconsistent, with certain jokes falling flat and the overall comedic tone not matching the expectations set by previous installments in the series.
“The game's witty dialogue and satirical take on modern surveillance culture will have you chuckling more than you would during an episode of 'The Office.' It's like a stand-up comedy show with a side of action and hacking.”
“With its wacky character choices, creative hacking opportunities, and a story that never takes itself too seriously, it's a game that will leave you laughing, puzzled, and eagerly awaiting the next installment.”
“Most people seem to want to play as the biggest, most OP maxed-out badass in the world all the time, but this game will make you roleplay as a granny who can't do much and a clumsy street performer, and it's funny and bold.”
“Unfunny joke, exit game.”
“The story is uninteresting, controls feel clunky, gameplay is same-y and your AI companion is unfunny and annoying.”
- music45 mentions
- 13 % positive mentions
- 76 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it generic and lacking the memorable tracks present in previous installments. While some appreciated the inclusion of British music and a few standout songs, the overall selection is criticized for being limited and forgettable, with many players expressing disappointment over the removal of features like a media player and the ability to create playlists. Overall, the soundtrack fails to enhance the gaming experience significantly, leaving players longing for the richer musical diversity of earlier titles.
“The game's sound design is equally impressive, with a dynamic soundtrack and realistic sound effects that add to the overall immersion of the game.”
“This game is incredibly detailed and features British music and culture to really transport you to the heart of London.”
“The soundtrack in it is not worth the full price of this game.”
“The sound is generic and forgettable, with no real voice acting or music.”
“There is not much music, like less than 10 tracks and all of them are complete garbage.”
“I could do a thorough review and discuss in detail the music (which is absolute trash by the way -- not one song or artist do I recognize except a few classical pieces).”
- monetization29 mentions
- 10 % positive mentions
- 45 % neutral mentions
- 45 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game has drawn significant criticism, with many players labeling it a "cash grab" due to the prevalence of microtransactions, even in single-player modes. While some argue that the in-game purchases are not game-breaking and can be ignored, the overall sentiment reflects disappointment that the game's design appears to prioritize profit over quality content. Players express frustration over locked content and the feeling that the game was rushed to include monetization features.
“The introduction of microtransactions in this game wasn't done terribly, as what you can buy with the premium currency are only new characters and cosmetics (nothing game-breaking), but it still feels a bit odd paying for a game and then having more stuff you can buy for your hard-earned money.”
“Yes, it has microtransactions, but just ignore them and you'll be fine.”
“I completed the assassin's side mission and found out they locked that unlock behind store microtransactions; sad.”
“Please Ubisoft, stop being so cash grabby with all your microtransactions and give us a game as good as the original!”
“Overall, it seems kinda obvious that there were good ideas planned for the game which got thrown out to prioritize in-game purchases.”
“Simply put, this is just Ubisoft cash grabbing with a hobo change cup.”
- grinding28 mentions
- 4 % positive mentions
- 11 % neutral mentions
- 86 % negative mentions
Players consistently find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and monotonous, often describing it as a significant detractor from the overall experience. The reliance on RNG for character traits and abilities leads to a frustratingly uneven gameplay experience, while the repetitive nature of missions and character recruitment further compounds the boredom. Although some redeeming qualities exist, such as a decent storyline and character customization, many reviewers suggest that the grinding can make the game feel more like a chore than an enjoyable experience.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“The gameplay is boring and tedious, with no real innovation or variety.”
“The concept of recruiting anyone is cool, but it gets repetitive and tedious very fast, and the voice acting for all your recruits sounds AI-generated and without any soul.”
“Recruiting new members is too tedious and repetitive.”
- emotional17 mentions
- 76 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 24 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game receives mixed reviews, with some players expressing strong feelings during key moments, such as the impactful ending and certain side quests. However, many criticize the lack of a strong protagonist and the random generation of characters, which diminishes emotional investment in the narrative. Overall, while there are moments of emotional depth, the game's storytelling and character development often fall flat, leading to a disjointed experience.
“This game made me cry aggressively when I had to kill Bagley.”
“I'm giving this game a thumbs up because the end of the story was very touching and it really showed the human element of the AI.”
“With unexpected twists and deep character development, the storyline kept me engaged and emotionally invested until the very end.”
“A beautiful visual of London that was sadly let down by bugs, a boring storyline, and terrible stealth.”
“Repetitive mission approach, cheeky characters, and a boring story; not as fun as previous parts.”
“So much audio issues, bad gameplay, terrible driving, almost non-existent puzzles, random crashes, a boring story, and bland characters.”
- atmosphere12 mentions
- 58 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is a mixed bag, with many praising the beautifully crafted and immersive recreation of near-future London, complete with iconic landmarks and environmental storytelling. However, some players find the non-playable characters lacking depth and the overall world feeling sterile, detracting from immersion. While the graphics and art style are often highlighted as strong points, the gameplay mechanics and character interactions leave much to be desired, leading to a somewhat inconsistent experience.
“While the world is beautifully crafted with a great atmosphere, variety of vehicles and hacking sequences, the game falls flat in pretty much everything else.”
“London has been recreated with astounding accuracy, capturing the city's iconic landmarks and gritty atmosphere.”
“The open world of London is well designed and atmospheric, filled with little environmental storytelling details that really bring the city to life.”
“The non-playable characters often acted robotic and lacked depth, which created a rather sterile atmosphere that failed to immerse me in the game world.”
“Watch Dogs: Legion - atmosphere: 'wow!' story: 'meh.' mechanic: 'oops!' ai: 'the IQ of a rock.' 🌆📚🤖🕹️”
“This game, based on near-future London, at first glance might resemble Chicago's atmosphere, but it is actually quite different.”
- replayability11 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 45 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
The game's replayability is a mixed bag; while some players find it infinitely replayable due to engaging multiplayer missions and character recruitment, others criticize the mission structure for limiting replay value. Connectivity issues and crashes have also been noted, impacting the overall experience. However, the humor and variety in NPC interactions contribute positively to replayability for many players.
“I love how you have to rebuild Deadsec. I also love that you can recruit random NPCs to be part of your team. The replay value lies in the characters you add to your team; the funniest part is the folks who hiccup or have a farting problem, which makes for a fun time when you're trying to sneak behind a bad guy only for them to attract attention.”
“Spectacular open-world stealth driving shooter game with lots of clothing customization, character recruiting, people watching, and high replay value.”
“Big lack of replay value.”
“The mission structure made this game feel less like an open world, and not much replayability.”
“Engaging in missions with friends or challenging other players in the open-world setting adds replayability, though occasional connectivity issues have been reported.”
- character development7 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is a mixed bag; while it features a fully realized story and excellent voice acting, the ability to recruit any NPC often leads to superficial character arcs. Many players feel that previous entries in the series, particularly Watch Dogs 2, offered deeper character development and more engaging plots. Overall, the character design and emotional investment in the storyline vary significantly, with some praising the depth while others criticize the lack of it in newer additions.
“With unexpected twists and deep character development, the storyline kept me engaged and emotionally invested until the very end.”
“Love the character development and voice acting.”
“Watch Dogs 2 is still the best in the Watch Dogs series so far in terms of plot, character design, and voice acting.”
“While the concept of recruiting any NPC in the game is exciting, it often results in a lack of deep character development.”
“Only thing these 'editions' would give anybody is clothes, masks, operatives with zero character development, and even still the voice acting and animation is robotic and boring, so no change there regardless.”
“Character design also lacks depth.”