The original Watch Dogs release date for PS4 and Xbox One was supposed to be at the launch of both next-gen consoles. In fact, a pre-release glance at Amazon PS4 pre-orders showed the Watch Dogs PS4 bundle as the most popular choice. Then Ubisoft delayed Watch Dogs, setting the early-adopter crowd into a forehead-scrunching depression. Now the game publisher has taken us back to the height of the emotional roller coaster, announcing the Watch Dogs release date as May 27 for both systems.
Watch Dogs will be available worldwide on May 27 for PS4, Xbox One, PS3, Xbox 360 and PC. Nintendo owners will have to wait longer — perhaps much longer, as the Wii U version “will be available at a later date.” Ubisoft did not divulge a specific Watch Dogs release date for Nintendo’s struggling next-gen system.
If you canceled your Watch Dogs pre-order when Ubisoft first announced the delay, you may want to pre-order Watch Dogs at Amazon
Watch Dogs was one of our favorite games at E3 2013, and that was before the “grand reveal” that multiplayer elements would be seamlessly entwined with the single-player game. Here’s a bit more about Watch Dogs from the developers, directly as they posted it recently on the PlayStation Blog. This entry focuses on the game’s setting, the city of Chicago.
“Chicago also holds the distinction of being the most surveilled city in the nation. Its network of cameras and security systems makes Chicago the perfect setting for a game like Watch_Dogs. One of the challenges of rendering a real city in a game is balancing creative vision with reality: people must be able to recognize and believe in Watch Dogs Chicago while allowing the game’s unique tone to shape its atmosphere.
“With the freedom afforded by Disrupt, an impressive new game engine exclusive to Watch_Dogs, Ubisoft has created a version of Chicago that is almost impossibly alive.
“Watch Dogs is never just black and white; whether in expressing Aiden’s morality or building the city in which he lives, there is always another layer to consider. On the surface, The Wards may be crime-ridden, festering in the shadow of the Mad Mile, but beneath the mirrored sky-scrapers and luxury condos is something more insidious than the grittier gang turf can offer. At every turn in Watch Dogs version of Chicago, you’ll find secrets and shades of grey, and it’s up to you to make the decisions that will define your experience.
“Should you choose to tread lightly, you will slip in and out of crowds unnoticed and go about your business in secret. Act more recklessly, though, and expect the citizens around you to respond with uncertainty, fear, or even violent retaliation. Aiden might work alone, but in the age of smartphones and up-to-the-minute media, even he will never go unwatched; every action has consequences.”
Hearing this makes it even harder to wait for Watch Dogs, although at least now we know the Watch Dogs release date is just a few months away. May 27 can’t come soon enough.