Watch Dogs Receives Story Details and ESRB Rating

Last Updated: April 14, 2014

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As the launch of Watch Dogs approaches, you probably still have a lot of questions. Maybe you aren’t sure if you want to get it or not, or maybe you’re excited and just want to learn everything you can about it. Well, IGN has released a new video that goes into more detail about the story of Watch Dogs, while also showing off gameplay. Check it out if you’re interested, but be warned that there are some story spoilers.

A lot you will also be interested in the content that gives Watch Dogs its M rating. The ESRB updated its rating today. Watch Dogs is rated M for “Blood, Intense Violence, Nudity, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content, Use of Drugs and Alcohol,” and the summary goes into a little more detail:

This is third-person shooter/action game in which players assume the role of Aiden Pearce, a hacker trying to find an evil mastermind. Players use pistols, machine guns, assault rifles, and explosives to kill various human enemies (e.g., criminals, police officers). When close to an enemy, players are able to shoot them in the head or knock them out with a black jack. Players have the ability to kill captives after (mostly) off-screen interrogations. Cutscenes depict further instances of violence (e.g., a man stabbed in the neck and shot multiple times). Combat is highlighted by cries of pain, blood-splatter effects, and realistic gunfire. The game includes several depictions of topless female characters. One prolonged scene depicts a topless women standing in a bedroom; another sequence depicts close-ups of topless women sitting down. The game also includes a few instances of sexual activity, including an obscured depiction of masturbation; a woman performing fellatio on a man; and a man thrusting against a woman from behind—camera angles obscure the sex act and no nudity is shown. During the course of the game, the central character is sometimes consumes large amounts of alcohol (the screen turns blurry); one sequence depicts characters using needles to inject themselves with drugs. The words “f**k,” “sh*t,” and “a*shole” can be heard in the dialogue.

There’s a lot of stuff to think about there, and of course, it’s provoking a lot of arguments. We don’t care if that description makes you more interested in the game, makes you less interested in the game, or has absolutely no effect on your interest in the game. Just keep your discussions about it respectful and civil.

We’ve also learned that sadly, there won’t be any cheat codes in Watch Dogs, although there will be a free companion app.

And while we still don’t have a release date for the Wii U version, new rumors suggest it will come out this fall.