Developer: Blizzard Entertainment
Publisher: Activision Blizzard
Platform Reviewed: PC
Release Date: May 24, 2016
Acquired via: Battle.net
What can I say about Overwatch that hasn’t been said already by much more experienced individuals?
How about we start with the fact that I am not a first-person shooter (FPS) fan by any stretch of the imagination? How about the fact that my last extended foray into multiplayer FPS was with Halo 2 on the original, fat Xbox? How about that I gave up on multiplayer FPS games when my son started to house me in them?
I never thought that I could be dragged into another multiplayer FPS without bribes of drink and female company. Overwatch dragged me back, kicking and screaming, and I believe I’m better for it.
I have been a rabid fan of Blizzard since the days of the original Diablo. I still have fond memories of the Lost Vikings on the SNES. I even forgave their merger with Activision, the publisher who once stood for quality but now belongs on the same hate list as EA, Ubisoft, and Atari. But the mighty Bliz has lost a bit of luster in my eyes after the Diablo III launch debacle and the Real World Auction House in said game ruined early progression. Their ongoing weakening of the community in World of Warcraft was so infuriating; it finally forced me to recently cancel my subscription, something that I held on to religiously since 2008. Needless to say, I was hoping that Blizzard could reignite my love for them.
Overwatch reignited my love for Blizzard as it reinvigorated my desire to play multiplayer FPS.
There is an actual plot to the mayhem this game lovingly provides. Overwatch is the name of an UN-created task force dedicated to protecting humanity from the fallout of the “Omnic Crisis”, a time when an artificial intelligence named “Omnic” went all Skynet on humanity. Overwatch came under fire due to accusations of corruption, and their headquarters was destroyed, taking out senior members. This caused the disbanding of the group, which became real inconvenient when the Omnic resurfaced and threatened humanity once again.
While the lore is up to typical Blizzard standards – which are extremely lofty – none of it is really needed to really enjoy this game. And this game is very enjoyable.
When the game starts up and you choose to jump into a match, you are presented with a menu where you pick from one of 21 heroes. The heroes are colorful and very personable, from the bubbly Tracer to the borderline-emo Reaper, to the intellectually boorish gorilla Winston. All the heroes fall into classes: offense, who only care about shooting enemies in the face; defense, who can build defenses and cover teammates from afar; tanks who absorb damage from enemies to protect teammates; and support, who can heal teammates. Some heroes can cover two roles. Soldier 76, for example, is an attack character but can spot-heal when needed.
This variety in heroes only serves as an additional strategic element to the game as a whole. The matches are 6-on-6 team battles that follow some basic multiplayer FPS objectives: Assault, where one team attacks two control points while the other prevents their takeover; Escort, where a payload must be walked from one point of a map while keeping the other team away; Assault/Escort, a hybrid of the two aforementioned modes; and Control, where both teams fight over a central point until one team has 100% control.
Once in a match, the thinking mostly stops and the enjoyment begins in earnest. Controlling your hero is incredibly simple, and the actions become second nature immediately. Working with your teammates is exhilarating, especially when you have a team of friends. It’s hard to describe in words the thrill you feel whilst in the heat of battle, but it’s a rush I haven’t felt in a game since half past forever! Yes, there’s the frustration you feel when your team is not synchronized and you’re losing ground, but the game still gives you a chance to eke out a victory despite whatever odds you face.
There is added depth in the combination of heroes on a team. The choice of a certain hero in a given situation can sway the battle one way or another. Overwatch encourages players to change heroes frequently. You are not stuck with your choice at the beginning; after being eliminated, you can switch to another hero. It’s also interesting to see how some heroes function with certain others. One thing we liked to do in defensive matches was team Mercy with Reinhardt, with Bastion and Torbjörn perched behind Reinhardt’s shield unleashing turret hell. Finding lethal groupings like that is part of the meta game in Overwatch.
As I mentioned before, I am not a fan of multiplayer FPS games. As far as fragging skill, I lag WAY behind even the most elementary FPS player. Nevertheless, I find myself wanting to play one more match continuously, simply because I felt like I was progressing and getting better with each match. Level progression is automatic and only rewards cosmetic items, but I came out of each match, whether I capped a level or not, feeling like I was doing better, even when I was facerolled by a superior team. I favor Soldier 76, the “entry-level” hero meant to cater to FPS youngbloods. He may not be as overpowered as the living turret, Bastion, or the cyber-ninja Genji, but I have figured out his strengths and weaknesses enough to pull some mean kill streaks and even garnering a “Play of the Game” honor once. Just once.
All of this enjoyment is testament to the care Blizzard put into its heroes and the world they do battle in. It’s amazing to think that the characters of a game can transcend the game they’re in BEFORE the game is released, but that is exactly what the heroes of Overwatch did. Before I ever touched a beta, open or closed, I knew these heroes and the lore behind them. The way they penetrated the public consciousness and endeared the gaming public is something almost magical. Gearbox’s foray into the hero FPS, Battleborn, is a great game in its own right, but the heroes in it are almost anonymous to many. To this day, only three Battleborn characters stick in my mind: Montana because of his ridiculously small head, Miko because of his mushroom head, and Marquis because I play with him the most. But Overwatch’s gallery of heroes has stuck with the gaming public, enough to inspire fanfiction, cosplay, and even Rule 34 porn!
Of course, there are drawbacks to this game, no matter how visceral or entertaining it is. This is primarily a multiplayer-only game; there is no single-player campaign to speak of. Some may be okay with that, but it does limit the enjoyment a person can have with it. Further, even though the game has a good quantity and variety of maps, those are the only maps you can play in as of now. Blizzard has promised ongoing DLC that is provided free of charge, but that is yet to be seen.
Part of my pessimism lies in the fact that Overwatch has a cash shop. I’m against any microtransactions in a full retail game, but some accept the practice for cosmetic-only purchases. You are able to buy loot boxes, items you receive once you gain a level, with real-world cash, and these loot boxes only reward cosmetic items. Thankfully, the game is not pay-to-win, but I still think adding microtransactions in a game that costs $40 on PC is weak.
Speaking of retail price, there seem to be pricing shenanigans afoot. The PC version of the base game is $40, as mentioned, while the Origins Edition, which includes exclusive hero skins and other perks, retails for $60. Those wishing to play the game on the PS4 or Xbox One can only purchase the Origins Edition, but get gimped on the perks. They get the hero skins, but the perks, including a battle pet in World of Warcraft, a hero in Heroes of the Storm, and a themed card back for Hearthstone, are absolutely worthless to console owners. To some, it may smell as a way to extract $60 from the console gaming crowd for $40 of gameplay; I am not going to argue against that train of thought.
Do any of the drawbacks detract from the game itself? HELL NO! Yes, I don’t like the pricing shenanigans, and yes, I hate the limited modes and maps, and yes, I positively LOATHE microtransactions in a full retail game. Those things would normally make me mark down the game. But I cannot deny that the core game is immensely enjoyable despite these negative points. For those who love the thrill of jumping into a multiplayer FPS match and laying waste to all those against you, this game will scratch your itch fully. For those, like me, who need an excuse to jump back into the mayhem of multiplayer FPS, Overwatch will woo you back and make you happy you listened.
How about this for a final point? The more I write about Overwatch, the more I wanna jump in and play it! I may have become a converted multiplayer FPS junkie, and this game is to blame!
Good: Excellent, engaging gameplay; great variety of heroes; bright, colorful visuals; deep mechanics
Bad: Multiplayer-focused; limited amount of content at launch
Final Score: 9/10
