Watch Dogs on last-gen: is it finally time to say goodbye?
The gulf in quality between PS3 and PS4 versions of Watch Dogs is vast, especially compared to the much smaller gap between current and last-gen Assassin's Creed 4. The PS3 version of Watch Dogs isn't an out-and-out disappointment, but it's clear that the Disrupt engine is designed to meet the spec of the PS4 and Xbox One platforms first and foremost - and in many ways, this leaves the older hardware sitting high and dry.
The core game mechanics are hammered in soundly and there's no doubt you can squeeze plenty of good hours of entertainment from this last-gen version - but only if you can accept its many, many rough edges. Chief among them is the inevitable resolution drop to sub-720p, and worse still, an incessant tear-line that runs up and down the screen. If you can't stomach the absence of v-sync in your games, this version is not for you.
An upgrade to the PS4 edition affords a cleaner 900p30 presentation with v-sync engaged most of the time, but the difference from PS3 can be weighed in other more crucial ways. It can't be overstated how radical the changes in lighting are on older hardware - with interior areas appearing much gloomier and sunlit areas far too bright. Most of the world detail on PS3 is consistent, but it feels much less bustling. Coupled with variable 20-30fps performance, Watch Dogs on PS3 is another sign that we're past the point of diminishing returns when it comes to developing for last-gen hardware.
But arguably it's about more than just lamenting the removal of detail or simplification of rendering. This is recognisably the same game as the PS4 version, but it's been nipped and tucked to such an extent that key elements that make Watch Dogs the game it is have been compromised extensively. It's especially evident in the environment - whittle away the detail, reduce the NPC and vehicle count and you're left with a somewhat-barren cityscape. This is a next-gen game stripped down to its basics with some crude side effects, and this is only the difference between a launch period game and its last-gen port. On this evidence, the technical ambitions of AAA game-makers will exceed the failing reach of the PS3 and 360 sooner rather than later.
Certainly, based on the Watch Dogs experience, it's perhaps fortunate that Ubisoft won't be bringing Assassin's Creed: Unity to last-gen consoles this year. We're not averse to these cross-gen releases, mind you, but the people making them will need to be careful. Watch Dogs just about gets away with it, despite significant alterations, but if you take much more away from games that rely on so much bustle and detail, the soul of the game itself may ultimately be compromised, and for us - for anyone - surely that will be a step too far.
Ich meinte das eher im Sinne von Abkassieren und Geldgier. Da sind die Indies noch authentischer und es geht um die Spiele. Natürlich werden sie auch überall und nirgends geportet... Und... ach, Avi fail. 
