14 DAY TRIAL // Watch Dogs, the latest open-world action-adventure game from Ubisoft's Montreal studio, promised to combine a fun single-player experience with a seamless online system that allows for different activities and for players to infiltrate the gameplay sessions of other people.
I've already talked about the rather repetitive single-player story missions and the dull side quests, so you're probably wondering why I gave Watch Dogs an 8.5 out of 10 in the review.
Mostly, it's due to the really fun multiplayer experience, which is split between different modes and manages to go from standard game types, like racing, to custom ones like the online hacking, to the really over-the-top ones, like the ctOS Mobile Challenge.
One of the first online mechanics presented by Ubisoft for Watch Dogs was the online hacking one, in which a player can seamlessly infiltrate the game world of another individual and hack them in a certain time to earn notoriety points and rewards.
While such experiences of tailing someone and waiting for a hack or a process to complete have been present in other games as single-player missions, the fact that you know you're hacking another human being makes it that much more exciting and, dare I say it, addictive, even when you get caught.
Stalking your target, initiating the hack, and seeing what sort of crazy things they do make everything really intense and confrontational.
For those that just like stalking and prefer it not to end with bloodshed, you have the online tailing, which sees you follow another human player around for a certain period, without getting caught. This is also fun and provides a great diversion when you just want to get away from the story, but don't want to aimlessly wander around Chicago.
Those who want more traditional experiences can go for the Racing one, as some of the courses set up by Ubisoft Montreal are highlighting the major landmarks of the virtual Chicago, and there are some gorgeous ones around the city's suburbs.
The Online Decryption mode is by far the most confrontational, allowing two teams of up to three players to recover and hack a file. What follows is a game of cat and mouse, using all the weapons at your disposal to ensure that you obtain the file first.
The ctOS Mobile challenge is also pretty fun, as the player tries to escape the cops through a certain path in the city, while a user with the Watch Dogs companion application can deploy traps and other such things to make the life of the player as hard as possible. This is pretty intense and, since it doesn't require the tablet users to own the game, you can experience it with a friend or loved one.
Last but not least, there's Free Roam and here Watch Dogs becomes an experience that's as hectic or as peaceful as you want, since you can just explore the city with a buddy.
What Watch Dogs multiplayer mode is your favorite? Share it by leaving a comment below.