Watch Dogs: Prima Official Game Guide Paperback – May 27, 2014

It would be quite difficult to comment on the sheer joy that you are presented with once you open the pages of this Watch Dogs Collector's Edition, without mentioning the ABSOLUTE need for a strategy guide for the game itself. Watch Dogs is huge, it is fun and at the same time it is extremely frustrating. I am by no means a gamer, meaning like those cats who upload videos to YouTube and show the world how it's done. But I do enjoy some games and since such hype was made about Watch Dogs, especially when the delay was announced, it was hard not to notice all that was being said about it. Whenever possible, I prefer the collector edition of a strategy guide and this one not only looks great, feel sturdy and premium, the information within is so detailed, so precise, you will take care of it as though it were one of the last ones ever on earth. The cover features a blue outline of what appears to be a map, and initially I missed it, but the outline faintly shows Aiden holding a gun and his phone: MAN, THIS IS TOO COOL. I am not sure what the material is housing the guide, but it has a velvet feel to it, almost criminal for a book to feel like this. Oh, by the way: THIS. IS. A LOT. OF. INFORMATION. The mix of images and written information is well balanced so no guesswork is needed. There is enough background on each of the main characters you'll experience during the game, and the headshot of the characters seem almost real, making it clear just how much games have vastly improved, not just since home systems were made, but in the last 5 years. Textures & wrinkles in the skin come through nicely, which made me wonder if their photos were actual people altered just enough for the game. The size of this guide is like an encyclopedia and while that is not a bad thing, it is unexpected since I have never owned a guide of this size, nowhere close. But considering it took 5 1/2 years to complete Watch Dogs, it is clear the makers wanted to imbue us with supreme confidence. You can get sidetracked easily from doing the next task in the storyline, so should you choose to divert from your intended goal, this will help you get back on track. Instruction is so, so vital for Watch Dogs, unlike some games that are easier to pick up on. From game play to hacking to side missions, everything you need is here: the driving, however, sucks. Really, really, REALLY sucks! At one point I wrecked a car so bad I was riding on the rims, sparks flying everywhere like it was the 4th! I don't guess driving lessons can be given, but since it is such a huge part of the game, it should be much, much better.And if you are interested, please note(at the time of its release)that Amazon sells this for $13 less than GameStop, which is where I normally purchase my games. I am able to get points from surveys that I use to get huge discounts for games I buy. Those savings cannot be ignored so hopefully those dedicated to only buying from GameStop will become aware of Amazon's price. Promotions from both can be quite good at times, but Amazon wins this round.P.S. This guide also includes a FREE Mobile Friendly eGuide from Prima Games, as well.

I regularly buy guides (just to collect them as much as to get actual help), so I've seen a wide variety of quality in both content and presentation. This is a great example of what a guide should be. Take a look at that page count; you'll be surprised when you see how thick this baby is, but that space is USED, without much filler.For each "mission" in the game, there are a variety of approaches suggested, tailored to different styles of play. There is amazing detail on different weapons. This is not a terribly difficult game for an experienced gamer (and you can change the difficulty levels), but it is easy to set it aside, and only refer to it for an area where you need help.It's also worth mentioning that the print quality is great. Some cheap guides will blur if I rest sweaty hands on it, or the pages will fall out. The hardcover version, at least, is great quality.There are some downsides or ways it could improve. Screenshots for the QR Code collection missions were small and difficult to use. The game is fairly easy and collectibles are marked on the map, meaning the guide is more "nice reference" than "absolutely essential" (but that's not the guide's fault, and more casual players could have trouble). A ribbon bookmark or two, attached to the spine, would have been a nice addition. There aren't a ton of extras (I've seen "Collector's Edition" guides with dev interviews and stuff) but I can imagine pushing past 600 pages would make the guide really unwieldy. None of these problems are more than nitpicks, not enough to call this less than a five-star guide.

Normally I don't write reviews, but this is worth writing home about. Most guides are over priced and barely have what you want. Other times they don't deliver at all making it an expensive opinion that you could have discovered in game on your own. However, this guide stands above and beyond all that came before it. It has detailed close and personal maps. The quality you expect from Google maps. It gives amazing back stories with beautiful pictures. It takes you step by step through: achievements, quests, side quests, how to's, secrets, etc. If you ever need the help. I also covers the online multi-player side as well as giving helpful tips to improve your gaming experience. The down side is the hardcover is heavy, bulky, and thick. Lucky for us the developer realized this and it has a code inside for a free digital copy with tutorials and zoom features for maps. With the price on amazon it's possibly one of the best deals I've ever gotten. This truly is worth every penny.

Lots of information. Really a great help when playing the game. The only problem I had with this book was the print. The print is extremely small. I wanted to get a magnifying glass to read it. There is also a bad glare from the glossy pages. But worth the price because of the amount of information given.

I received my copy of the Watch Dogs Collector's Edition gaming guide much earlier than I expected, which was amazing! The guide is just as the seller described it to be. It does not have any creasing on the spine, nor does it have any writing (notes) or folding on the pages. This edition looks brand new and I appreciate that because I like to get the collector's additions for all of the games that I own. I will definitely be buying from this seller again very soon.