Aggregates (as of Tuesday Nov 15)
OpenCritic average score: 84
Metacritic Meta-score: 84
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Polygon: 8/10
Watch Dogs 2 improves on its predecessor but doesn't go as far as it could have
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Gamereactor: 9/10
These little niggling things don't significantly detract from what is most certainly an improved instalment in the Watch Dogs series. At about 15-20 hours long, there is a lot of substance here; it's detailed, interesting, and, above all, fun. The art of hacking in Watch Dogs 2 produces gameplay variety that fans of the series will appreciate, and this, combined with an engaging roster of characters, a detailed world, and online that is a lot of fun, means that Watch Dogs 2 is definitely one to keep on your radar this year.
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The Verge - No Score
The first Watch Dogs used hacking as just another weapon. The sequel turns it into something much more important and fun.
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IGN - Review in Progress - Preliminary Score 6.5
(lol)
If I had to score it now, Id give it a 6.5 for okay, because I dont think people should buy it right now unless they have no interest in the multiplayer portion. I do hope and expect that Ill be able to raise that score in my final review, which will come later this week.
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Gamespot - Review in Progress
You can have a lot of fun playing Watch Dogs 2 offline, but multiplayer--when it works--shouldn't be ignored. There are emergent PVP events that allow you to hack or hunt down other players, and special missions where you and a partner can infiltrate networks and private property together.
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IBTimes: 4.5/5
I was expecting Watch Dogs 2 to be more enjoyable than its predecessor, but I didn't expect it to be so well designed and full of heart. Watch Dogs 2 isn't reinventing the open-world game and fans of Ubisoft's special brand of go-places-and-pick-things-up gameplay will feel right at home, but it's one of the best examples the genre has to offer as long as you don't want to shoot anything.
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Jim Sterling: 9/10
Watch Dogs 2 is a great game as a rock solid action title, but being unafraid of its own nonsense is what makes it a truly pleasurable experience.
Oh, and I kind of love Wrench, DeadSECs masked, toaster-smashing geek. Hes just the right sort of cringe and I really want that mask.
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PlaystationLifeStyle: 8/10
While I still think that the best from Watch Dogs is still to come, Watch Dogs 2 is a solid step up from its predecessor. Getting to be a hacker is phenomenal fun, but the game tends to stumble when it becomes a sub-par third-person shooter. If youre willing to put up with a story that doesnt always jive with the light-hearted feel of its characters, then youll experience one of the most interesting open-world games in years.
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SegmentNext: 9/10
Watch Dogs 2 is the Assassins Creed 2 of this franchise.
While the first game was an imperfect attempt at a novel concept, the second one upgrades on its foundations in every way possible and presents a game that is not only a more comprehensive experience but also fun to play on repeat.
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The Sixth Axis: 9/10
Watch Dogs 2 is the perfect sequel. It takes everything that made the first game unique and original, and expands on all of it. Everything is better, from the hacking, to the story, the setting and the variety of content. Watch Dogs 2 is far from being just more of the same. An apt comparison could be the jump from the first Assassins Creed game to Assassins Creed 2. While the first was a promising yet clunky new idea, the sequel delivered on that idea and turned it into one of the most iconic series of the last decade. With Watch Dogs 2, Ubisoft is well on its way to recreating that same magic.
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Press-Start: 9/10 (Review in Progress)
Watch Dogs 2 is the jump forward in the series that the game needed to succeed. Comparatively, its what Assassins Creed 2 was to the first Assassins Creed if not even better. Watch Dogs 2 is definitely one of the sleeper hits of the year. I was expecting to have fun with it, but I wasnt expecting to become absolutely transfixed with the incredible style, characters and storyline. Its a must-play game and for those that own a PlayStation 4 Pro, you should definitely pick it up just for the visual feast alone.
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God is a Geek: 9/10
Watch Dogs 2 gives you a beautifully crafted world, jam-packed with NPCs blessed with individual personalities, helping to make this fictionalised version of San Francisco feel important and alive. Its a real shame about the framerate issues connected to the seamless online connectivity, because Watch Dogs 2 gets everything right, from the mechanics to the story to the world. Issues aside, if youre in need of an open world game that feels like a much needed injection into a fatigued genre, Watch Dogs 2 does it effortlessly.
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ACG (Karak): Wait for Sale
Not bad at all but with some issues performance wise and also the rote gameplay I don't feel the need to ever return.
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XboxAchievements: 85/100
Watch Dogs 2 is a game that wants to take you on a whistlestop tour of San Franciscos not-so-hidden underbelly. For a game with a central cast of disenfranchised youths, I found it oddly relatable and compelling. Every bone in my body ached for me to hate DedSec, but instead I totally fell in with them and everything they were about. Marcus Holloway is to Watch Dogs what Ezio Auditore was to Assassins Creed: the symbol of a new era, the mascot of a franchise that has proved it shouldnt be judged on first impressions, that has proved it can move with the times. Its a strong, smart game that never takes itself too seriously, and the result is pretty special.
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Gadgets 360: 9/10
With a wealth of gameplay options and a welcome degree of freedom, Watch Dogs 2 is a stellar entry in Ubisofts open-world hacking franchise. Minor technical and narrative concerns aside, theres no reason for you not to check out one of the better games of this year.
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Pocket-Lint: 4/5
If you loved the original Watch Dogs then the sequel dons psychedelic shades and ups its game. But in a post-GTA V landscape that's not going to be enough for everyone in 2016.
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We Got This Covered: 4/5
Control issues aside, I thoroughly enjoyed my time with Watch Dogs 2, and that mostly comes down to the vibrant and lovingly crafted world that Ubisoft has on display. Theres plenty of secrets and cool moments to experience throughout San Francisco, and while an odd glitch or low-res texture might pop up here and there, its hard to fault Ubisoft when it comes to their ability to craft virtual cities. With an emphasis on choosing your own playstyle, and a colorful city and cast of characters, Watch Dogs 2 stands out from the crowd in a holiday season thats packed full of shooters, but strangely devoid of open-world games.
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Stevivor: 8.5/10
And buy it you should. Watch Dogs 2 is the game that the first one should have been and is a shining example of Ubisofts already proven ability to respond well to feedback. It offers true freedom and creativity to play the way you want, laugh out loud moments found in scripted events and self-made fun in a virtual city that needs to be seen to be believed. Starring characters that youll genuinely care about the more you get to know them youll have no trouble finding motivation to see this one through to the end. Put this one on your Christmas list.
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USGamer : Review in Progress
Unfortunately, I have yet to finish the game's primary story and neither has our primary reviewer for this title, Jaz Rignall. In addition, Ubisoft took down the game's seamless co-op mode during the review period, due to some reported crashes. I joined a co-op mission and had a player try to hack me while the system was up and both operations were fun, but without more time spent in online, we're reticent to give the game a final score.
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GamesRadar: Review in Progress
Watch Dogs 2 builds upon the strengths of the original game, whilst polishing up aspects that lacked depth to deliver a coherent, comprehensive experience. Its diverse cast and (mostly) thought-provoking narrative trump the occasionally repetitive, maddening gunplay, and though the urban youth humour occasionally falls flat, for the most part its characters feel, talk, and react convincingly. The lengthy story mission alone offers hour after hour of combat and exploration but, unlike the original, I'm left wanting more once it's all over
and this time, for all the right reasons.
