If you haven’t read about Watch Dogs‘ plot, you may be in for a surprise. Sex trafficking is a major element of the story, making a presence early on. Consequently, it’s a game meant for mature audiences.
ESRB stamped Watch Dogs with an ‘M’ for Mature rating for a variety of reasons due in-part to the game’s pervasive sexual content. Official ESRB details are below.
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.
In short, put the kids to bed before you play this game. It’s not kidding around.
Watch Dogs will release on May 27th for PC, PS4, PS3, Wii U, Xbox One, and Xbox 360.
