Summary

  • A new mod for Watch Dogs enhances graphics and gameplay, making the game closer to what it should have been on launch.
  • The mod, Koschei's Brutalist Merge, offers massive upgrades in graphics and adds a Photo Mode for players to enjoy.
  • Despite controversy at launch, the mod revitalizes the gameplay experience and gives the city a more vibrant and dynamic feel.

A new mod for Ubisoft's 2014 open-world game Watch Dogs has been released, turning the game into the experience many expected it would be upon launch. With upgrades in just about every area, the mod makes Watch Dogs better than ever.

It's easy to forget just how controversial Watch Dogs was at the time of its release. Although reviews of Watch Dogs were pretty favorable, the game's graphics were considerably downgraded from its original showing at E3 2012. Players felt a little hoodwinked, even if the game itself was solid. Although Watch Dogs got two sequels in the years that followed, it never quite became the mega-franchise that Ubisoft may have hoped for in the vein of Grand Theft Auto.

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A character using spray paint in Watch Dogs Legion
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Koschei's Brutalist Merge is now available on Nexus Mods from user Vegv1s1rKoschei, and makes huge improvements to Watch Dogs in several key areas. According to the creator, it is a merge of tons of existing Watch Dogs mods, intended to "alter the gameplay to make the game closer to what it should have been on launch." The graphics have seen a massive upgrade with this mod, and "The city now actually feels alive and better than ever. Along with giving it a more John Wick feel to the combat." Koschei's Brutalist Merge comes in at just over 570MB, so it doesn't even take up much space for any player who fancies replaying Watch Dogs with a modern touch.

Watch Dogs Mod Upgrades Various Areas of the Game

Most impressively, all the screenshots for the mod (seen above) were taken using its added Photo Mode, which did not exist in the original game. The creator "went into this having zero knowledge of modding," but was still able to make this collection a reality. For a PC player looking to try this replayable Ubisoft game, whether for the first time or not, it's difficult not to recommend doing so using Koschei's Brutalist Merge.

It will be interesting to see what the future holds for Watch Dogs. The most recent game in the series, Watch Dogs: Legion, was released over four years ago now, and Ubisoft has given no reason to suggest it will be making a return in video game form any time soon. However, a Watch Dogs interactive audiobook was recently announced, which will continue the series' story post-Legion. There's also the live-action movie, which recently wrapped filming. Watch Dogs clearly isn't dead - it's just whether a video game is in the works that remains up in the air.