Watch Dogs boss compares its Chicago map to GTA5's scale

Watch Dogs creative director Jonathan Morin has compared the game's fictional version of Chicago to Rockstar's chart-storming epic Grand Theft Auto 5.

[Psychotica]

Other modes remain "under wraps" Morin hinted. A fully free roam offering, perhaps? "We'll see about that," he smiles.

Wait, I thought we already knew it was free roaming\open world. Isn't this a free roaming game??

[Conzul]

Yeah...so what is it??? Wide Linear like the old Bioshock games?!?

[CyrusLemont]

I'm pretty sure he was talking within the context of multiplayer gameplay. Single player mode is definitely free roaming/open world.

[irepbtown]

But I'm sure it's free roam, remember the first gameplay video that was shown; At the end it had someone on roof top and we see the names of others who were (possibly) online.

I think Morin is just scaring us lol.

[StraightPath]

going to be fun watching this game getting slapped by GTA 5 :)

[TripC50]

Your life is boring if you find that fun...

[MidnytRain]

TripC50

That was hilarious for some odd reason.

[Abdou023]

For someone with only 1 bubble, you need to think really hard before making any comments in the future.

[miDnIghtEr20C_SfF]

He's talking MP mode.

[LackTrue4K]

now that GTA5 has become a great success, every other game must be compared....
.....will see how Watch-Dogs compare @ release.

[showtimefolks]

just please deliver a Vibrant world with interesting back ground and main story

i don't if its its just me, but UBI has shown this way too much. Yes i am still excited but we don't need to know the whole game and some of its surprises before release

RS do it best, announce the game quite for a long time than show few trailers than reviews

[5h4h4b]

Gta 5 is better than this game IMO.

Lol so many disagrees. All right man, I am taking back my statement :) happy now

[KING85]

I think you would need to play both games in order to make that statement. No? Unless you already have.

[5h4h4b]

Well you are right my friend but I was only stating that because you can do so many things in gta 5. There are so many activities. I doubt there will be that much content in this game. But yeah, let's wait as you say.

[isa_scout]

Why? I could tell by the trailers and videos that Duke Nukem Forever was gonna suck.... Or am I wrong maybe it's amazing. Should I play it to find out??? Why is everyone being douchebags just because the guy has an opinion.

[kupomogli]

@isa_scout

There's only three comments to him, so not everybody. But he hasn't played the game yet, which is true. Watch Dogs doesn't look like a bad game, and the game itself could possibly be better.

As for GTA5, after finishing the game all available missions and side missions, and most activities, the game is kind of boring to me. Online is going to remedy this I'm sure, but the game just feels dead unless you want to wander aimlessly or use a guide to search for collectibles, helicopter to the top of a mountain and sky dive, drive a vehicle off the top of a mountain, kill cops and max out your wanted level, etc. That stuff just gets boring really quickly, atleast to me, and I'm probably not the only one.

Additionally, being 35 hours to complete the game and all side missions, GTA5 also could still be worse even if Watch Dogs is a 20 hour game. What about controls? Character movement, shooting and melee mechanics, vehicle control, etc? If all of those elements of the game, and maybe more, are far and away better than what is on GTA5, 20 hours of gameplay could be better than 35 hours. Not necessarily, but just saying.

So when the person said he hasn't played it. He's correct. The person hasn't played it. How does he know if it's better or worse. I'll agree. In my opinion, the only reason people are praising GTA5 as much as they are is because they've yet to finish the game, they still haven't reached the point when the game just doesn't become enjoyable anymore.

[Ps4Console]

Go take a look on YouTube at the finished game prepared to be shocked is it better that GTA I will leave that up to you all .

[DarkAzureIIIX]

one game is not even out.

[5h4h4b]

I know bro. But so far from the videos I have seen I doubt it will be better than gta 5.

[Visualift]

So jealous that you're already playing Watchdogs... /s

[5h4h4b]

I already took back my statement bro :(

[isa_scout]

Damn people are going crazy over a frakin opinion, right? I plan on buying Watchdogs on launch day with my PS4, but I 100% agree with you. From all the videos they've shown it kinda looks like a futuristic Assassins Creed(which I'm ok with) but GTA V is crazy good. Just wait til the Online for GTA V comes out on the 1st...Mind Blowing!!! There's a reason Ubi keeps comparing it to GTA...They're trying to ride the hype train all the way to the bank.

[kupomogli]

I also think online is going to be good on GTA5, but not going to be overhyped about it so I'm not disappointed. After all the hype that surrounded Red Dead Redemptions online, and then it turned out to be pretty generic. Open world Red Dead Redemption with its own hunting and kill challenges, the forts could be played co op, and you could do a few different versus modes. I will say that the Undead Nightmare DLC does make it a bit more enjoyable for online, but still not as good as they made it out to be originally.

[GentlemenRUs]

Any game with a proper wildlife outdoor countryside is a win in my books...

But nether-the-less I am getting this on the ps4 :)

[Thomaticus]

I do believe that GTA V will be better; but I'm not going to commit to that until I've played Watch Dogs. I'm going to give it a chance to prove itself better. GTA V is at the top of its game... so I rather see what a Watch Dogs 2 does.

[Cuders]

you got so many disagrees because on N4G if you dont tell people what they like to hear they lash out.

[KAEM7]

Higher density could make all the difference between GTAV and WD. I am hoping this turns out great (not getting too much of my hopes up) and then it will surely get a lot of hours in my ps4 =)

[steve30x]

Looking at what he says in the interview the map isnt as big as GTA V's map

[Pintheshadows]

I don't think anyone expected it to be in fairness.

My main worry is that Watchdogs will feel as sterile as the first Assassin's Creed game.

[cactusjack]

the city of Los santos was only a quarter of the map, now will watchdogs commit totaly to the chicago city and suburbs or are they going t make up various locations to bundle in with.

[sigfredod]

Actually i´m more hyped for the watchdos concept than GTAV

[Etseix]

it seems that some people know you are wrong about your own opinion. hahah GTA is an amazing game, but i agree with you. im also more interested on that concept than on GTA's.

[Grave]

I agree too. Even though I absolutely love GTA V, I feel like I have done it all before. Watch Dogs looks like it might offer something more fresh.

[serratos27]

Their plan is probably to hype up WD by comparing it to GTA V. Is it working? We'll see at this games launch.

[-Foxtrot]

I think the problem with comparing GTAV and WatchDogs is that even though GTAV has a big map you can do a lot in it. With WatchDogs I don't know if thats the case. I mean the game doesn't even have helicopters or Airplanes.

[BattleTorn]

I'm hyped for both. (loving GTAV)

Watchdogs simply doesn't have any pastime stuff like GTA

[raresteak]

It won't even get near GTA V.

Ubisoft Montreal are mediocre at best. Just look at those toy car handling and super human animations on Aiden Pierce.

Oh, he looks really cool and mean with his hands in his pockets and looking down all the time, though. /s

Ubisoft should focus their resources on actually promising-looking projects like The Division with Ubisoft Massive over in Sweden than a bunch of AC-milking canadians.

[CrossingEden]

Every subsection of ubisoft is full of hard working talented individuals. You sound extremely pretentious and childish as well in your comment. And super human animations? It's called being physically fit. Or are these people all super humans as well? Because going by your logic, being able to do simple vaults and fast movements makes you a superhuman. -_-
http://www.youtube.com/watc...
http://www.youtube.com/watc...
http://www.youtube.com/watc...

[theDECAY]

You work for Ubisoft?

[raresteak]

"Going by your logic" You're must be somewhat illiterate or stupid. I didn't even mention what I thought made it look superhuman and you assumed I meant the parkour elements.

Let me use a better word. The animations look terrible as in fake and unnatural. This is in stark contrast to much else of the game. The AI and Aiden walking around look as realistic as in any open world game. The graphics, I don't need to say.

Then you go into combat/chase mode and he starts sprinting with a hunched back, making 180° turns without weight shift and it looks like your average GTA clone, Sleeping Dogs or SR, at best. But it's fine for SD and SR because their level of realism is consistent throughout. Let's not forget the very limited number of canned animations. The running loop itself is terrible, good luck hoping on good looking death animations.

If an open-world game is to truly impress it has to be as immersing and believable and any major spikes in consistency is going to compromise that credibility. Unless it's NOT in Ubisoft Montreal's intention to create a credible next-gen living, breathing Chicago, then it's perfectly fine. At this moment, though, I can't imagine the game world not being a focus of the game.

With all that being said, I see nothing compelling about the game. Free-roam (which is based in the game world, *doh*) seems only to include:

- Hacking CTOS facilities (press X to hack this and that)
- Hacking bank accounts for $$$
- Lady NPC gets stalked and attacked by angry boyfriend (chase him down for karma points?)
- Random intrusion by other players

The graphics are standard for next-gen and the best thing going for the game is the potential of its story, since there's little that we know of there. Still, set in a real-world Chicago based in the future and trying to sell CTOS as a severely breakable system, it's not off to a good start to me.

[310dodo]

GTA V/Online is doing things on current gen
that I havent seen showcased on Next Gen yet.

GTA V is miles ahead of Watch Dogs.
Watch Dogs 2 will be something though

[cell989]

like what?

[310dodo]

play the game and find out.

and read about GTA Online and tell me who else has done this?

[cell989]

I have played the game, it's a technical marvel but graphics are not one of its strongest cases, story is good, gameplay yeah, but it's not breaking any ground here

[alexkoepp]

I don't understand the hype of this game, as I watch the gameplay videos the game just looks boring...

[YodaCracker]

GTA V really spoiled me on any other open world games with its hyper-detailed, handcrafted world. No way will Watch Dogs even come close to the absurd level of detail and density of Los Santos. Despite being limited by current gen consoles, GTA V is one of the most beautiful games ever because of the superb lighting that makes the world almost look photo-real at some points.

I don't care if there are muddy textures or other problems. When everything comes together in GTA V - the lighting, the insane level of detail, the animations, the sound design, the seamless world with no loading times - it all comes together so fluidly that it puts every other game to shame, next gen or current.

When I hear about Watch Dogs, I want to hear about the unique hacking gameplay, not the open world, because that can never in a billion years compete with GTA V. The only game in the future I can see doing that is GTA VI.

[BOLO]

You obviously haven't played Mercenaries: Playground of Destruction during the PS2 era.

[Orionsangel]

I especially like the country side in Watch Dogs :P

[Ashunderfire86]

I just hope Watchdogs turn out great as GTA 5, or even better. I know in every open world game you will see some repetition in missions, but I hope this open world of Watchdogs will stand out from that.

[porkChop]

I'm hoping the game has a ton of variety, though from what I've seen of all the game so far each mission seems to play roughly the same way. It'll still be a great game though.

[ceed911]

I've lost my appeal for Watch_Dogs. I will be getting Black Flag on my XB1 because I love the storyline of AC although the last one almost ruined the series this is it's last shot for me.

Watch_Dogs has some cool mechanics but after seeing it in action at E3 it rips off of Black Flag so much I feel like I am getting a newly skinned BF based in the future.

[JohnS1313]

I'd say most of GTA 5 has density too. You can stop almost anywhere and there's a lot going on. Hopefully in the future games will get more like that. Don't just have stuff all around but nothing to do.

[buynit]

Ok this guy can stop it with the gta comparisons cause gta5 is clearly proven.. Don't go ruining what hype the game has by setting your self up comparing it to such a succesful game..

[porkChop]

Ubisoft said 2 months ago that they would be showing current gen footage "in the coming weeks"... It's been 2 months and they still haven't shown it... I get the feeling that the current gen version really does look shitty like in that Aisha Tyler trailer, and Ubisoft is just trying to stall showing footage until release. I'm still getting the game, but I'm going to be very disappointed if it really looks as bad as that trailer, especially after having played the gorgeous GTA V and TLoU.

[CrossingEden]

The very dense environment will be a very good counter to GTA's very open environment.

[Lykon]

Are there toilets? Also I want to see a penis in a game at some point

[KonsoruMasuta]

There is a penis in GTA IV and GTA V.

[Lykon]

oh cool thankyou.

[KonsoruMasuta]

Lol I'm curious. I can't stop laughing.

Were you serious in your first post?

[Lykon]

no not really lol . although having said that . I do like penisis and it would be fun to see one flop out unexpectedly in a game like fallout or something. The more out of context the better. Like one of the characters just says 'Have you seen my penis?' and starts do windmills with their willy with their tongue sticking out.

[Donnywho]

Name dropper.

[marcindpol]

Can you fly helicopters and drive motorbikes, what about swimming and boats? Has any of those been confirmed?. Seriously asking... Thanks