Watch Dogs Game Review (2024)

• Positive Messages

  very little

  Watch Dogs is about a hacker trying to go after a criminal mastermind -- but in addition to hacking into Chicago's city systems, players can use guns, explosives, and other weapons to kill human enemies, including police officers.

• Positive Role Models

  very little

  You play as the young Aiden Pearce, a hacker determined to use his tech skills -- as well as spying tools, weapons handling, and driving abilities -- to take down a malevolent leader of the underworld. Although Aiden is a "good guy," he kills several humans, including police officers, and can drive and shoot recklessly throughout the city -- not a great example of model behavior. But you can choose to knock out an enemy when sneaking up behind him, instead of killing him.

• Ease of Play

  some

  Watch Dogs can be a challenging game, as there are many elements to the third-person adventure; players will use stealth, combat, racing, and hacking electronics to accomplish mission objectives. The introductory tutorial level does a good job of walking the player through all the mechanics. Those familiar with games such as the Grand Theft Auto series might feel right at home with this open "sandbox"-style game.

  Note: This review is based on the PlayStation 4 version, but other platforms are available.

• Violence & Scariness

  a lot

  Using a wide variety of weapons -- fists, knives, pistols, machine guns, assault rifles, and explosives -- you must kill several hundred human enemies, some of whom are police officers (others are criminals). Some non-interactive scenes depict violence, too, including someone repeatedly stabbed in the neck. There's blood in the game but no over-the-top gore. Players can drive recklessly throughout the city and also can hack into traffic systems to cause accidents that can kill enemies.

  Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

  Get started

• Sex, Romance & Nudity

  a lot

  Scenes with topless women, as well as obscured scenes of sexual intercourse, oral sex performed on a man, and masturbation. Aiden can read information or overhear conversations; one such bit of information says a male character purchases many condoms.

  Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

  Get started

• Language

  a lot

  Strong profanity throughout many of the dialogue sequences, including "f--k," "s--t," and "a--hole," along with "hell," "damn," "bastard," and "bitch."

  Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

  Get started

  See Also

  Watch Dogs 2 Game ReviewWatch Dogs: Legion Game ReviewParent's Guide: Watch Dogs | Age rating, mature content and difficultyShould I Let My Kids Play Watch Dogs? Well, That Depends

• Products & Purchases

  a little

  Although there are no overt product placements within the game, Watch Dogs is the start of a new gaming franchise. There are lots of online sites promoting merchandise based on the game and on the main character for consumers to buy.

• Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

  a lot

  Aiden can consume large amounts of alcohol, which impairs his vision. In at least one non-interactive cut-scene sequence, characters can be seen injecting themselves with needles containing narcotics.

  Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

  Get started

• Parents Need to Know

  Parents need to know that Watch Dogs is a very mature game that lets players "hack" into a city's communications, surveillance, and transportation systems; kill several human characters (including police officers) using a wide variety of weapons; and drive recklessly through an open "sandbox"-style urban environment (à la Grand Theft Auto). Cut-scene sequences show scenes of violence and blood; there's also nudity and scenes with sexual activity (including masturbation and oral sex), as well as strong profanity in the dialogue sequences ("f--k," "s--t," and more). Players can choose to have their character consume large amounts of alcohol, and some characters are shown injecting narcotics.

age 12+

Based on 66 parent reviews