Review of Overwatch 2
Jul 23, 2024
There is a ticking clock on Overtime. Utilizing Lúcio's Crossfade and Amp It Up skills, you reappear and provide Echo, Sojourn, and yourself with the necessary acceleration to rejoin the battle. Wrecking Ball and Ana are doing their best to hold out there. Bullets are firing, shields are up, and enemy missiles are flying. When all hope seems to be gone...—Abruptly, all of your partnered Heroes simultaneously activate their ultimate powers via strategic communication. Railgun beams sever the air, a field of lethal proximity mines litters the objective, and Echo changes into the enemy D.Va, unleashing an explosive mech directly on the Payload. The Overtime timer expires. You've prevailed!One of the most thrilling games out there right now is Overwatch 2. However, you already know that if you've played Overwatch 1. There is now more opportunity than ever for gamers like me who have never played Overwatch 1 but have always wanted to pick up the game.Although Overwatch 2 could just be an Overwatch clone, given how fantastic the original was and how well Blizzard has managed to perfect the fundamental experience, it may not be a negative thing in the slightest. However, just because Overwatch 2 is an authentic pleasure at its heart doesn't imply that it's without its flaws.
What Has Been Added to Overwatch 2?
The sequel Overwatch 2 is a perplexing one. In the realm of live-service games, remakes and rebranding of the original title are equally acceptable, hence sequels are uncommon. When live-service sequels do occur, they often provide new game types, characters, locations, and other features while putting the previous ones to rest. In actuality, Overwatch 2 feels a lot like Overwatch 1.5, even if it does that to varied degrees.This Overwatch sequel qualifies with three major changes: free-to-play, a continuous seasonal schedule, and a change in team composition from 6v6 to 5v5. Commencing the well-tried timetable for seasonal releases Although offering Overwatch as a free-to-play game is an all too frequent practice for live-service games, that's because it works.The fact that Overwatch 2 is now free to play and will have regular seasons is, for the most part, a positive change. It's certain that more gamers will join the community and that more reliable material will be released. It's lot more appealing to get in and stay there given that you know Blizzard plans to keep supporting Overwatch 2.A further improvement is the move from the 6v6 to the 5v5 format. Teams now consist of one Tank, two Damage, and two Support Heroes, albeit this isn't always the case. Every battle seems more strategic and less chaotic in 5v5.Each chosen hero must work in concert with your group to defeat the adversaries. Having lost one Hero from the group, Every player has more accountability and influence over their team's outcome.which, despite its frightening tone, fosters closer team cohesion and friendship.Heroes in Perfect Balance, Just the Way Everything Should Be
The Heroes and balance mechanics of Overwatch 2 are its heart and soul.. I go into more detail about my favorable experience with Overwatch 2's Heroes and general balance in my hands-on preview, but to put it briefly, the world-class balancing and varied roster of Heroes are what really set Overwatch 2 apart and make it entertaining and captivating.All Heroes are enjoyable to play, except It's so much fun figuring out which Heroes fit you the best and mastering their more complex techniques. In addition to having hundreds of amazing skins and a tight, distinct kit that suits their specific backstory, each Hero is very unique. These elements all come together to give the game more depth and narrative.Based on my observations, Overwatch 2's balance surpasses those of other first-person shooter and hero-based games. Even while no game will ever have perfect balance, Overwatch 2 comes very near because to its well considered Hero mechanics, Hero counters, and clearly defined character roles.Each Hero Has a Couple of Scars
Overwatch 2's main gameplay is really entertaining, however there are several issues with the game as a whole. The absence of PvE at launch, limiting novice players' access to heroes, and the general one-note vibe of the game are my three main issues with Overwatch 2.The gaming industry's norm for producing completed games is declining. Overwatch 2's lack of the PvE it was promised isn't shocking, given the incomplete games that have been launched in recent years. However, it remains unacceptable.PvE lovers and players who have been playing Overwatch for a long time will have to wait until an undisclosed date in 2023 to access the PvE campaign tasks. The absence of PvE at launch just serves to further reinforce the weird, empty feeling that Overwatch 2 already has. Blizzard has also made the mistake of preventing new players from having instant access to the whole roster of Overwatch 2 Heroes. To unlock all 35 Overwatch 2 Heroes, you must play 100 matches if you haven't bought Overwatch 1. This breaks one of the main gameplay mechanics of Overwatch 2, which is selecting multiple Heroes to counter your opponent mid-match, in addition to being unfun.This concept ultimately seems like a retroactive pay-to-win approach, despite the possibility that it was developed with the best of intentions. it makes it much more difficult to get into Overwatch 2. While I don't mind at all that the new Heroes can only be unlocked via the Battle Pass (like in the case of unlocking Kiriko via the Season 1 Battle Pass), I do object to the initial gatekeeping for new players.Regretfully, Because there isn't much variation in the game modes, Overwatch 2 may quickly become repetitive. The game types seem like recontextualized copies of each other, despite the addition of stunning new settings to play them on.Only comparable 5v5 game variants where you assault or defend an objective are available in Overwatch 2 as opposed to really unique modes like Team Survival, Infected, or even a Battle Royale. It's great fun to try out new Heroes and assemble the ideal squad, but playing almost the same game styles becomes boring after a while. With new characters coming out every season, maybe Overwatch 2 will provide some much-needed variation to an already fantastic game in the form of new, limited-time modes.AOTF Views and Feelings Regarding Overwatch 2
Given that the core of Overwatch 2 is community, I felt it only right to share the opinions of my Abaere colleagues who have also been playing Overwatch 2 with you. Each of us has had a different experience; some have never played Overwatch 1, others have tried it and have given up, and still others don't often play first-person shooters at all. Regardless of your level of familiarity with Overwatch 2, I believe our assortment of viewpoints and experiences will be informative..| Abaere Writer/Contributor | Thoughts/Comments | Personal Score |
|---|---|---|
| Gordon Bicker | Overwatch 2 not only provides a beautifully crafted game experience, it furthermore cements itself as one of the best games in the industry for the purest form of teamwork intertwined with engaging communication. There was not a single moment while playing the game that I felt I wasn’t enjoying myself; everything was a brilliant reminder of what makes this franchise a standout from others on the market. Overwatch 2 will no doubt rise to the upper echelons of the gaming community with style, grace, and the speed of a Widowmaker’s meticulously placed bullet as Overwatch 1 once did. | 5/5 |
| Elliot Gatica | Overwatch 2 feels a bit unnecessary. The first game should have just been revamped or given some kind of major overhaul instead of branding it as a sequel. Nothing has really changed in the core Overwatch experience other than changing the 6v6 matchups to 5v5, redesigning legacy characters cosmetically, and locking characters behind progression walls. While it does help that it’s now going free-to-play, there’s a lot going against it in terms of making it accessible for new players. | 3.5/5 |
| Steve Matthew | Initially, I was very excited to play Overwatch 2. Overwatch has a special place in my heart because it is one of the first games to get me into esports. Overwatch 2 doesn’t really feel like a different game, it feels more like a DLC or an LTM. Don’t get me wrong, it is extremely fun, I’m just not sure if branding it as “Overwatch 2” was a smart idea. | 3.5/5 |
| Shaun Cichaki | While I’m still learning plenty of the basics, I’m surprised by how fun it is. The variety of the game modes is quite entertaining, and you don’t need to have this insane wealth of knowledge to understand how things work. While there are still a few things that need explaining, as long as the community stays remotely civil, I think that Overwatch 2 has the potential to become a lot of people’s new favorite shooter. The variety of the heroes is excellent, the graphical style is appealing, and it controls and plays excellently. It drips personality, and while there are still some bugs that are present in the beta, Overwatch 2 is still extremely well crafted and shows a lot of heart. | 4/5 or 4.5/5 |
| Thomas Cunliffe | While Overwatch 2 is more of an overhaul than a fully-fledged sequel, the majority of its changes are welcomed and provide an overall better gameplay experience. The game’s new heroes are fun, the maps, although few in number, are well-crafted, and the 5v5 system promotes an improved sense of teamwork. The monetization side of the game leaves much to be desired, however, and is a step-down from the previous game. | 3.5/5 |
| Wyatt Fries | Overwatch 2 is the sequel that I didn’t ask for, but that I’m not upset to have. It brings a new life and feel to the game without compromising the nostalgia I feel while playing it. As somewhat of a cynic to the idea of Overwatch 2 from the beginning, I have to admit that the changes Blizzard made reinvigorated the gameplay and have brought me back in as a veteran player. | 4/5 |
| Jt Isenhour | Overwatch 2 feels like the update that the original Overwatch was waiting for. Sure the graphics have been updated, heroes have been added and reworked, and the game has a fresh coat of paint, but it doesn’t make the two-year wait for an Overwatch update any easier. | 3/5 |
| J.R. Waugh | Overwatch 2 has been a revitalizing experience for me. I got intensely into the original game for several years, dropping off around 2018-2019 due to a lack of friends playing online, as well as an intensely competitive, wholly unsupportive, and toxic online community. Overwatch 2, however, has regained my interest, thanks to teammates who have continuously been shocked and impressed with its rebalanced, superior gameplay. While some heroes will certainly be more commonly used, this is mainly due to a steeper learning curve for others, and not necessarily because of a busted meta upon release. As a support and defense player, I felt welcomed on any team I joined, which should be the goal of any multiplayer hero shooter. | 4.5/5 |