Samuel J. Kempka

For all those hoping that Ubisoft would avoid the first-entry pothole in its newest franchise, think again. Like its stabby, 7th Gen cousin, Watch Dogs’  visual panache is flawed by vanilla character design and a tedious story arc. Though it offers up a breathtaking variety of activities and paints Chicago in satisfying local color, the fun factor is sabotaged by stubborn adherence to a tired narrative formula.