Overwatch Review

Overwatch Review

Overwatch is a hero based action, multiplayer and first person shooter video game from Blizzard Entertainment. Overwatch exists at a point between artistry and design, and at a crossroad where pure tactile joy meets intelligent design to create an epic spark of magic. Overwatch is blessed with multitude of tactile layers that none of them ever came between me and my enjoyment of its swirling, intense team fights  and thrilling overtime comebacks.

Overwathc’s success is built on the backs of its 21 unique characters and their origins, diverse appearances and personalities are all they bear with every pose they strike. And even though, they are roughly grouped into 4 roles. not two heroes feel alike. The robotic transforming Bastion and the anarchic, explosive-tossing Junkrat are both technically defenders, but they couldn’t play anymore differently from one another. The former transforms into a mini gun turret to run point defense and the latter plays an area-denial game by lobbing timed grenades over long distances, to scare off attackers.

This strong sense of differentiation is important because it keeps the team composition strategies from devolving into simplistic formulas. You have to look much deeper and when you do the true beauty of Overwatch’s gameplay shine through.

See Also: Overwatch Achievements and Trophies Guide

Overwatch led me to discover its nuances by refusing to offer up easy crutches to lean on. No character is focused solely around one skill to the extent that you can find success by using that skill alone. Tracer’s dual machine-pistols have a really high rate of fire but less than average accuracy. Genji’s shurikens are highly accurate and damaging, but their long travel time and slow rate of fire can cause difficulties in hitting a small moving target.

This concept help differentiate characters while pushing you to explore the rest of their skill set the fullest. Take Junkrat’s skills and abilities for instance, ‘Steel Trap’ immobilize opponents that wander into it and Junkrat’s remote detonated ‘Concussion Mine’ can blow opponents sky high when triggered. If you use these abilities creatively, they can be so much more fun. You can use ‘Steel-trap as an escape tool that allow you to disengage from fights that has faster enemies or you can combine it with ‘Concussion Mine’ for a really nasty booby-trap.

You can even detonate these concussion mines under yourself to rocket jump up to areas that are otherwise inaccessible. Just two abilities in one character open up all those possibilities. And being able to switch between characters mid match allows you and your team to adapt to your opponent’s tactics on-the-fly.

Overwatch’s 12 stunning maps also play a big role in extracting so much depth out of the cast’s tool sets. The first chokepoint on Hanamura begs you to have a static defense like Symmetra’s sentries or Torbjorn’s turret built up around it, and for attackers, with a right mobility skills the long gap between left side of first and second capture points turns into a great opportunity to flank defenders before they can reset.

These and other similar elements add another layer of decision making and strategizing when coming up with different team compositions. You are not just thinking about how your hero will work in a context of your team but also about what possibilities and opportunities any given map provides and how you can easily exploit them. The fact that each map is designed to be played in just one way with set of objectives means that Overwatch has notably less overall variety than some other multiplayer games but it also lends tight focus and brisk pacing to every encounter. And above all else, the maps never feel like a soulless arenas thanks to lots of meaningful character’s dialogues.

In terms of features Overwatch is just a bit thin, but it meets or exceeds the basic expectations of a multiplayer shooter. It’s impressive stack tracking, per character control mapping and accessibility options really stand out. It also does a really great job in surfacing and identifying good play to opponents and teammates through a novel commendation system and a sweet ‘Play of the Game’ highlight. Matchmaking is reliable and swift, the unlockable cosmetics are amazingly charming and come at a good pace without having you to pay for extra loot boxes.

Overwatch is definitely an incredible achievement in shooter multiplayer game designs. It has everything from a quick adrenaline hit to a thoughtful and strategic multiplayer experience. It might not have the plenty of game modes and maps, but it has great opportunities for coordinated and exhilarating play and when you are the center, it feels amazing.