Ubisoft's much-anticipated Watch Dogs hits Australian retailers this week for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC.

The game has already been announced as Ubisoft's second most-preordered game in the company's history. CEO Yves Guillemont has stated that the game is "perfectly positioned to become the industry’s most successful new IP in history."

Watch Dogs sees players step into the shoes of vigilante Aiden Pierce in an open-world Chicago. Aiden is able to hack into the city's central operating system (CtOS) to achieve different objectives.

The game will run in 900p on PlayStation 4 and 792p on Xbox One, with both versions to run at 30fps. Ubisoft has explained the specific differences between the Xbox 360/PlayStation 3 and Xbox One/PS4 versions of Watch Dogs. On the single-player side, Xbox 360/PS3 players can expect fewer NPCs in some areas, but Ubisoft has stated that this will not affect the core gameplay. For multiplayer, Xbox 360 and PS3 owners will miss out on the Decryption competitive multiplayer mode and the ability to free roam with multiple players.

For fans of the Mario Kart series, the latest numbered iteration of the iconic racer launches for the Wii U this week. Mario Kart 8 introduces new racing circuit designs and new karts. The game will feature the return of several features including 12-player online competitive play, hang-gliders, underwater racing and motorbikes.

The game was well-received in GameSpot's review, praised for its wide assortment of interesting tracks and challenging gameplay, but let down by a weak selection of characters.

games out this week

May 26, 2014

MXGP -The Official Motocross Videogame (PlayStation 3, 360, Vita, PC)

May 27, 2014

Watch Dogs (PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC)

May 28, 2014

Borderlands 2 (Vita)

May 29, 2014

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (Xbox One)

May 30, 2014

Worms Battlegrounds (PS4, Xbox One)

May 31, 2014

Mario Kart 8 (Wii U)