Graphics and Audio
Just looking at the minimum required specifications lets you know the Watch_Dogs was going to be a very graphically intensive (read: pretty) game from start to finish. The Disrupt engine the game uses at its core was built from the ground up specifically for Watch_Dogs and Ubisoft has opted into the GameworksTM development platform to unlock even more of the games potential with NVidia branded cards. During this review, we took full advantage of many of these graphical features, the HBAO+ Ambient Occlusion and TXAA anti-aliasing in particular.
Lighting and shadows in Watch_Dogs look amazing and really bring a special atmosphere to the game. Time changes from day to night are done in a very natural way and are very fluid. The sun sets and rises throughout your adventures and, with a few specific exceptions concerning story missions, the world seems to play out as if you are a member in it rather than the all-powerful center piece dictating the passage of time.
Little details also make the game quite appealing as sparks and shards of debris fly from cars during collisions, random leaves blow across the roads and sidewalks and drivers flash their headlights at you and your terrible videogame driving.
Watch_Dogs graphically also handles water physics superbly. When the clouds open up and the rain begins to pour, clothing starts to get wet and puddles start to from along the ground. Car handling is even more noticeably worse in the rain and the world is noticeably less populated as most people are rightfully seeking shelter.
As far as sound goes, the Chicago Ubisoft Montreal has built feels alive. Ambient noise paints a vivid picture of the world around you in a subtle and engaging way. People chat amongst themselves, carry on phone conversations as they walk down the street and even on a few sparse occasions I have seen impromptu beat box sessions break out amongst the rank and file while on my way to missions.
Watch_Dogs nails its Information Age style almost perfectly when it comes to in game music. Accompanying the game is a large selection of songs from various artists in various genres. This list is initially quite larger but can be grown even more by hacking songs off random passers-by on the street. Since Aiden’s primary tool is also a powerful, fully functioning smart phone you can play these tunes anywhere, in the car or out. The game even goes one-step further by giving you an in game app to arrange your collected songs into specific play lists. The only grip I have here is Ubisoft went pretty in depth as far as the music goes but fell short in not providing a way to actually let us use our own downloaded songs in game.
