What do you get when you mix a rollerblading DJ, a nature loving robot, a time shifting Brit and a gun toting cowboy? The answer is Overwatch, a new game from developer Blizzard, that is receiving a lot of notoriety.
Overwatch is a fresh take on the first person shooter genre. In this game, players can select from 21 playable heroes, each fitting into different playstyles. It’s safe to say that none of the characters play the same way. Take Widowmaker and Hanzo for instance. Both would be considered a sniper character, but the differences lie in the way they snipe. Hanzo uses a bow and arrow, requiring more precision for players that choose him; while Widowmaker can make use of a submachine gun to clean up players that are low on health while also relying on her sniping as well.
In addition to each characters unique play style, each hero also has a super ability or “ultimate” that they can use to turn the tide of the match. Like everything else in Overwatch, no two character’s ultimate moves are the same either. These special moves range from a remote control, exploding wheel to an arrow that splits off into twin dragons capable of clearing any map.
Overwatch isn’t a very deep game content-wise, with a lack of a campaign mode, and just a focus on multiplayer gameplay. This has led some to question whether or not it is actually worth the $60 it is listed for. Despite the critiques, there have been many more positive reviews than negative.
Despite Overwatch not having a campaign mode, it shines in the amount of lore that backs it. Each hero has their own distinctive backstory, and Blizzard does an excellent job of showing this history through character interactions and the scenery of the maps as well. In addition to the in game storytelling, blizzard has released several “minisodes” that detail some of the characters’ storylines.
Overwatch’s gameplay is broken up into four different game modes, escort, assault, hybrid and control. In escort, an attacking team must move a payload across a map to its destination while fending off the defending team. In assault, the attacking team sets out to capture a set of two points while the defending team tries to protect the points. The hybrid game mode is a mix of escort and assault, where the attacking team must capture a singular point and then move a payload, watching out for the defending team. Lastly, the control game type pits two attacking teams against each other with the goal of securing a neutral point.
Overall, Overwatch is a unique experience that has been hailed by gamers as the second coming of Valve’s Team Fortress 2. The gameplay sets it apart from the countless other First Person Shooters that are currently flooding the market, and each character comes with their own distinct charm and appeal. Overwatch has only been out for a couple weeks now, so it is still too soon to say whether it will be able to stand the test of time. Already, Overwatch has garnered a surplus of positive reviews including ten out of tens from reviewers such as Guardian, Forbes and Game Informer; as well as a 9.4 from IGN and a nine from Gamespot.
Blizzard has also announced that all future downloadable content will be free, giving players an extra incentive to purchase the game.
