[GAMES] Overwatch Review

It’s been a little more than a week since Blizzard released Overwatch and already more than 7 million heroes have been recruited. More than just a game, Overwatch has quickly evolved into a phenomenon, spawning tons of fan art, memes, cosplays, and fan fiction. Even people sitting on the sidelines have been enthralled by the Overwatch universe. With the months hype that surrounded the release of the game, through betas, official

Even people sitting on the sidelines have been enthralled by the Overwatch universe. With the months hype that surrounded the release of the game, through betas, official shorts, and overall terrific marketing on the part of Blizzard, Overwatch quickly eclipsed what many saw as their closest rivals, Battleborn. But does Overwatch as a game live up to the hype? And if so, what made Overwatch so appealing to the masses?

Characters

With 21 unique characters released at launch, ranging from a gamer-piloted Mech to a cold-hearted sniper to a robotic ninja, Overwatch joins a long line of hero-centric action games. Perhaps the thing that helps Overwatch stand out from an already crowded First Person Shooter (FPS) genre, is its diverse character pool.

In their first new IP in years, Blizzard has once again let the characters speak for themselves, each with a unique pool of abilities, beautiful art direction, and intriguing backstory. Characters are divided into 4 classes, Offence, Defence, Tank, and Support. These classes work hand in hand to help teams complete their objectives, whether it’s escorting a payload, defending or capturing a point, each class has a vital role to play.

The game is also not shy to remind you that the best chance of winning often begins with a balanced team selection. Each character is insanely fun, and their abilities add a level of depth and strategy to the game. They are also easy to learn but hard to master. While new players will feel slightly overwhelmed and frustrated at the learning curve, it is an experience all players go through.

Gameplay

In Overwatch, the lone wolf is bound to the the first to get hunted down. Therefore, teamwork is paramount, aside from team composition, teams must be able to communicate dangers, such as encamped snipers and turrets, and the need to advance an objective.

With the focus on teamwork being so pronounced in Overwatch, going into games alone can end up with miserable results. Especially when your randomly selected teammates seem a little too interested in racking up kills, rather than help capture an objective. Therefore, going into games with even a small group of friends would make games more enjoyable, and that little bit more tactical.

Broken down into 4 gameplay modes over 12 maps, Assault, Escort, Control, and Assult/Escort. Overwatch is rather barebones for a game that costs just about 40 – 60 USD. However, this does not mean that the game is devoid of fun after just a few hours. In fact, it’s just the opposite, if you feel that you’re getting bored playing a character, or if you feel that a character has nothing left to offer, try someone new, whether in the same class or a completely new one. You’ll be learning a whole new skill set, adding to your abilities and diversifying as a player. These skills are important especially since Overwatch gives players the ability to switch up heroes at any point in the game. Unable to get past a wall of laser turrets, or a big angry gorilla keeps wiping the team out? Change into a hero that can get past these obstacles and help your team to victory!

Sound

The sound design is one of the highlights of the game, as friendlies sound out dangers, and opponents shout their iconic lines before unleashing their ultimates, it is easy to overlook the amount of thought that went into how the game feeds important information to players. The attention to this little bit of detail allows players to tell who’s coming from which direction and what they might be up to.

Player Progression

At the end of each match, players are rewarded with experience points, which contribute to level growth. As players level up through the game, they are rewarded with Loot Boxes, while these boxes do not affect the overall gameplay, they provide customization options for the various characters, including sprays, skins, and voice lines. You can fork out some cash to get these loot boxes, however, they can cost a pretty penny for random drops. While there are items given for player skills, these are few and far between.

You can fork out some cash to get these loot boxes, but they can cost a pretty penny for random drops. While there are items given for player skills, these are few and far between.

Overall

Despite it’s barebones gameplay options and slight malevolence towards solo players, Overwatch is beautifully crafted and masterfully designed, with a multitude of heroes just waiting to be uncovered. 

TL:DR 

Pros: Diverse easy to learn character pool, Terrific introduction to FPS games for new comers to the genre.

Cons: Few game play modes, must have friends to play

Platform: PC (tested), PS4, XBox One

Price: 40USD/ 60USD(Origins Edition) Buy Here

Score: 8.5/10

Photos via: Blizzard official site