Watch Dogs gets a hands-on test

After Ubisoft invited gaming journalists from around the world to play the opening few hours of Watch Dogs, the reviews from the hands-on test are out.

Watch Dogs’ graphical appearance has been a hot topic, following the release of a game demo trailer in March which looked “downgraded” compared to previous story trailers released by the developers.

Ubisoft countered this by releasing an aesthetically improved intro trailer for the game’s virtual version of Chicago, as well as a video demonstrating the beauty PC gamers could expect from the title. Considering the gaming rig required to run the game on ultra settings, it can’t afford to look shoddy.

The folks at Eurogamer were among the lucky few who got to test the opening stages of the game, and delivered the following verdict:

“The playground Ubisoft Montreal has crafted is certainly impressive and yet you could still question whether all of this work has gone into the right areas. It’s not a case of quantity over quality, but a question of whether the game ultimately delivers on its promise of a new kind of open world, a place that wears the label of ‘next-gen’ for achieving more than shinier graphics and simple tricks to manipulate your environment. I don’t think Ubisoft cheats on providing its version of this – it’s just that the company’s original vision for Watch Dogs’ city and its populace is still there for pursuing.”

Not exactly a vote of confidence.

Take a look at the gameplay videos below and judge for yourself.

Gameplay preview