The first installment of Ubisoft's open world, third-person adventure franchise Watch Dogs launched in 2014, and despite high anticipation from the game's original announcement trailer, its arrival would be marred by disappointment. Reviewers criticized Watch Dogs both for its downgraded graphics that seemed far off from the initial marketing and underwhelming gunplay and driving mechanics, and while Watch Dogs 2 would recover the series' reputation somewhat in 2016, the first title remains stained by its original reception.
Of course, that doesn't mean there's not a good game buried there. There's some definite entertainment to be had in manipulating Chicago's many streetlights and security barriers to slow pursuers, and reading the hacked descriptions of the city's residents can provide for some amusing (or depressing) moments. While it may not have been worth the initial $60 price tag, players who initially skipped over Watch Dogs will now have the opportunity to try it out, completely free.
From today until 11:00 am EST, Monday, Watch Dogs will be available to download free of charge over Ubisoft's retail client, UPlay. According to Steam, the game is roughly 25 GB in size, so give yourself plenty of time to install it before sitting down to play - though don't feel rushed; upon registering the game, Watch Dogs will be permanently added to your UPlay library to be accessed at the player's leisure, any time in the future.
