Tom Powter reviews Overwatch…
Multiplayer only games have something of a bad reputation. They’re often seen as half-baked experiences with little-to-no longevity supplemented by paid season passes and additional content, an opinion exacerbated by titles like Titanfall and Evolve, whose player bases simply evaporated when the next big title appeared. This trail of thought has permeated throughout the industry over the last two years, producing an understandably sour reaction to games without a single-player component.
Something was different about Overwatch, the latest title from Blizzard and their first new IP in over a decade. Something was always different. Despite being a full-retail, multiplayer only title, the game captivated hearts so early on into development you’d be forgiven for thinking it had been out for six months already with the way the industry took to it. An outpouring of cosplay, fan art (some of it less than desirable) and interest meant that Overwatch had an incredibly strong outlook from the off – but why?
Overwatch is a multiplayer only, hero-based shooter featuring a roster of the some of the most well-designed, colourful characters I’ve ever seen come together in a game. Each of the 21 heroes is a star in their own right and they ooze personality and style. The character designs are unrivalled, with each character looking unique and distinguished. From the time-travelling speedster Tracer, to the insane pyromaniac Junkrat, to the floating, religious robot Zenyatta, each character will resonate with players – and indeed, they already have.
The game is quite simple, and incredibly accessible on a base level. You pick one of the heroes on offer from a selection of four classes – offence, defence, tank and support. All of the game’s cast are available from the off and can be freely switched in and out as you please during a match. In two teams of six, you then fight for some kind of objective in relatively short, intense bursts, be it to push a payload to a goal, or capture an area. Blizzard have done a brilliant job of balancing the numerous different abilities on offer, while also crafting something for everyone. Are you a first-person shooter fan? Then Soldier: 76 is a good first bet. Do you prefer healing your teammates and generally keeping your side alive? Mercy, a character dedicated to support, is the one for you. Fancy yourself a sniper? Then the beautiful, but deadly Widowmaker can answer your call.
Indeed, the ability to switch characters depending on the situation in front of you is what keeps Overwatch’s gameplay so fresh and exciting. The game expects you to have a well-balanced team and will often alert you if you’re in need of a particular class. It’s up to you and your teammates to communicate in order to forge the best defence or attack strategies in order to win the game and thanks to this, victories often feel well-earned and hard-fought. By allowing you to change heroes, if alleviates the feeling of being stuck in a rut if something isn’t working out for you, and enables you to update your strategies as the game escalates, which is liberating.
The game’s heroes are excellent, but it wouldn’t be anything without supremely fine-tuned mechanics. The gameplay fundamentals here are nearly flawless. Each character has a couple of special abilities, a regular attack and an all-powerful ultimate which can turn the tide of a game. Some characters will actively be able to hard counter others, such as the cyborg ninja Genji, who can deflect the robotic turret Bastion’s bullets right back at him, tearing him to shreds. Meanwhile, characters like the gun-slinging cowboy McCree and the icy environmentalist Mei have abilities that can stop other players in their tracks. Working together as a team to utilise your menagerie of abilities is absolutely critical. In that sense, Overwatch demands a lot from the average player, in the best of ways.
All of this hectic fighting, and believe me, it can get insane duking it out over a control point or turtle-paced payload, plays out across 12 expansive and intricately designed maps. The maps, set on Earth, drip with as much character as the roster of heroes and are designed with almost a cruel sadism in mind – nasty choke points and bottlenecks will force death after death unless you adapt to your enemy’s moves. Tension ramps up very quickly as the time plummets towards zero and you’ve barely moved an inch – but pull off an incredible clutch play during overtime to win the game, such as bombing the enemy team with tank D.Va’s explosive ultimate, and you’ll feel an elation unlike anything else.
The game also features loot boxes, which are unlocked with every level. The loot boxes contain cosmetic items, such as skins, sprays and voice lines for the individual characters. While the loot box contents are random, opening them will almost definitely become an addiction for anyone who loves a surprise. It’s a nice little incentive to continue racking up the fairly generous experience points, especially when some of the legendary skins look incredible.
In fact, the entire game just looks incredible. Blizzard have chosen a colourful, almost cartoon-like aesthetic for the game. Colours pop vividly, bringing both characters and locales to life. Meanwhile, firefights look wild and attacks like Hanzo’s ultimate, which sends two intertwining dragons screaming across the map, look awesome in the midst of battle. The game runs at a silky smooth 60 frames per second, so the action continues uninterrupted throughout. The production values are very high throughout, with a bombastic theme tune playing during the Play of the Game segments and Overwatch bleeds quality.
Now, to take a step back for a second, the game is fairly light on content at launch. There are four game modes to play and that’s your lot (although competitive mode is coming in June, for free). However, it’s this laser-focus development that has allowed Blizzard to craft such impeccable gameplay, as the company has clearly opted for a quality over quantity approach. Many will balk at the idea of a fully priced game having, at least on the surface, so little to do, but once you get into the game you’ll realise that each character can be picked up, learned and mastered and that takes time. Overwatch’s depth knows no limits and you will absolutely lose hours obsessing over how to wield your favourite characters, before dipping into new ones that you’ve yet to use. It’s the game’s versatility that allows for infinite replayability.
To add to the game’s value, Blizzard have stated that all new heroes and maps will be absolutely free. There’s no season pass, no DLC and the only micro-transactions are purely for purchasing cosmetic goods. Harmless. This alone separates Overwatch from games like Star Wars: Battlefront and its £40 season pass. Blizzard have a clear confidence in their new IP and so they should.
So, is there anything wrong with Overwatch? Well…no, not really. It’s the most perfect multiplayer experience I’ve had in an incredibly long time. The game is deceptively deep, with so much to learn. The cast of characters are some of the best I have ever seen compiled together under one roof, and Blizzard looks as though they are going to continue to drip-feed us the game’s interesting lore through the stunning animated shorts and comics. Best of all, the game is pure fun. I’m finding myself coming back again and again to play just one more match. Matchmaking is fast and the process of earning loot is addictive.
Considering the work Blizzard have put in, Overwatch is great value for money and it’s time we stopped declaring games as worthless just because there’s no single-player. The value of a game doesn’t hinge on its single-player. Overwatch dares to ask – why are single-player only games worth £50? Sure, no one likes an expensive season pass that seemingly adds cut content back into an already costly game. But Overwatch gives and gives and this cannot be understated. Perceptions can be changed, but games worth changing them. This is one of them.
Now if you don’t mind, I’m going to play some more – and probably try to deal with the fact that I’ll have three Reapers on my team. Read the tips people!
Pros:
+ A wonderfully diverse cast of some of the best designed characters in a game
+ Impeccable multiplayer fun, with tightly-honed mechanics. The ability to adapt team composition to suit the situation adds layers of skill and tension
+ Interesting, varied and characterful maps to play on
+ Addictive loot system adds extra, harmless incentive
+ Hundreds of potential hours of gameplay with no paid add-ons in sight means it’s excellent value for money
Rating: 10/10
Tom Powter
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