Overwatch 2 review- A chaotic take on the Hero Shooter genre
The wonderfully bizarre world of Overwatch 2 that Blizzard has created was enough to intrigue me, and want to try it out. It is an objective-based first-person shooter with the elements of each character having unique abilities. While this is not something new to the FPS community, and Overwatch 2’s predecessor brought the genre to notice, the first question arises: how does the latest iteration feel on hand?
With multiplayer FPS gaining more and more popularity and all AAA studios leaning towards free-to-play titles, it is expected that the developers will try to give us an immersive experience that will stay with us. While there is a lot to say about Overwatch 2, the game clearly meets expectations. It is probably one of the best hero shooter FPS that is available in the market right now.
Overwatch 2 - A perfect blend of a fast paced FPS with hero abilities
Before discussing how the gameplay feels, I’d like to talk about the overall UI of the game itself. With beautifully crafted animation, Overwatch 2 will undoubtedly make you feel like you are in a fantasy land close to the world of Disney.
The gist of Overwatch 2 multiplayer is that it offers 35 heroes at launch. Each hero has unique abilities and is divided into three classes: Damage, Tank, and Support.
When you play the game, class-defining abilities will come to your knowledge. While the Damage class is an excellent asset for offense, the newly improved Tank helps itself and its teammates block damage and “make space” for them. The Support class is the lifeline of the team, helping the team with their healing abilities and recovering the damage that is dealt. With all of their combined abilities, Overwatch 2 never lets you feel bored for a moment, and the gameplay can get intense with time; however, it is engaging at its best.
Overwatch 2 offers a chaotic multiplayer experience
Coming into the gameplay, the general pace of Overwatch 2 is breakneck. Compared to other Hero-shooter FPS I’ve played, it probably has the most chaotic battle experience I’ve ever faced. With each team constantly pushing for an objective and each player running for more kills, it kind of ruins the experience of a tactical team game.
What I felt the most during my matches in Overwatch 2 is that if you use the heroes correctly, you can have an astounding team game and win the match. However, there are massive skill gaps to contend with. Depending on how players master the abilities of certain heroes, they can clutch the whole game out by themselves, making it a great solo experience rather than a team one.
5v5 format and unique abilities make the experience more intriguing
As the multiplayer experience is limited to 5v5 settings, and each team can have two Damage Heroes, two TankHeroess and one Support Hero, it ensures a chaotic and easy-to-engaging team battle.
If you are an aggressive player like me, I recommend running with Damage Heroes. Characters like Sojourn, with her machine gun, fire projectiles that can damage opposing players.
The most annoying but devastating one that I felt was Junkrat. If you master the learning curve, then his grenade launcher might be a terrifying weapon that an enemy will experience. With Soldier 76, the infamous hero in the world of Overwatch, you can point and shoot like a typical FPS, and his ultimate auto-aim can surely grant you some kills if handled correctly.
However, the most fun I had using a Damage Hero was with Hanzo. His Bow and Arrow is my favorite weapon in the whole game, and it’s pretty creative to use.
As for Tank Heroes, I feel you'll be required to understand the perfect balance between shielding and attacking while playing with them. The Tanks are probably the most important role in an Overwatch 2 match.
Playing with Orisa made me feel invincible from time to time. Her Javelin Spin negates incoming damage and pushes enemies simultaneously, and her Fortifyreductiong damage makes her one of the best heroes to use in Overwatch 2. I also tried playing with Doomfist, and without a doubt, the character is a literal beast in the world of Overwatch. With a solid defense, he is the most lethal character in the game.
If you are into a somewhat passive gameplay style and prefer supporting your teammates over getting kills on your own, then choosing a support hero is crucial to playing Overwatch 2.
I only tried Kiriko, and she felt amazing to use. She can appear anywhere and heal instantaneously. Using her properly might be the best support a player can give their teammates.
There are a plethora of other heroes that I’m yet to try out. However, my overall experience tells me that with the correct knowledge of what each of the heroes does through practice, you can easily feel overpowered through practice, and that is what I feel great about the game. It tries to implement a proper balance among all the characters. Hence there is no game-breaking meta whatsoever.
Traditional modes with a unique taste named “Push”
Overwatch 2 offers traditional multiplayer modes like Team Deathmatch, Capture the Flag and Elimination. However, with these traditional modes, the game also offers modes like Control, Escort, Hybrid and Push. Push is the new game mode that I wanted to try after hearing so much about it.
I find the new mode quite fascinating. In it, a giant robot will take control over a match by pushing a barricade and whoever controls the robot by taking the position will be in the lead as the robot will push the barricade to another team's base. It has quite a similar layout to Warzone’s Payload. However, what makes it fun and more enjoyable is the Robot. It adds a new flavor to objective-based gameplay and makes it more competitive.
Visually stunning maps
There are 36 maps you can play in Overwatch 2, and the most exciting part is that each map is an animated rendition of real-life locations from around the world. The selected locations are breathtaking, and every single map is unique with the game’s art style.
From an old shrine in Nepal to the modern world of New York, the attention to detail is noticeable. Small things like the beautifully decorated Dorado or the flowing water in Rialto make the game more immersive and true to life while having an animated set-up.
The colors are pretty vibrant, and the visibility is quite impressive. The exquisite artwork and animations were stunning. With more time in the game, I fell in love with the tone of Overwatch 2. The gameplay becomes much more enjoyable with each map's more dynamic environment.
General performance overview
Coming to the performance, the game is well-optimized. Since I've played the game on PC, I did not find any issues running the game. There were no noticeable weird glitches. The experience was smooth enough, and with high visual fidelity, the game looked breathtaking.
Drawbacks
While Overwatch 2 is almost a near-perfect game, some drawbacks are holding the experience back.
The most important part was the server issues for the first few days. While Blizzard survived a massive DDoS attack, they’ve tried ever since to rectify the situation. Recently, I did not find any problem with matchmaking or logging in. However, there is still some difficulty in playing with players from other regions.
Another thing which I found underwhelming was the usage of microtransactions. As microtransaction eventually brings out pay-to-win elements in a game, I’m not a huge fan of the venture. However, I hope Blizzard will keep the experience fairer among all players in the near future.
As for the gameplay, I found the time to kill (TTK) in the game to be a bit too fast. With the fast TTK, it gets difficult to play the game tactically and sometimes; it loses its purpose. As I’ve previously said, Overwatch 2 is a bit chaotic, which makes it fun. However, for players who like more of slow-paced gameplay, they’ll feel like an outcast, and that’s something that I think Blizzard needs to address.
In Conclusion
The final verdict of the game is that it is one of the best hero shooter FPS that you can play right now, and the biggest pro is you don’t have to spend a dime to play the game. I’ve had some great times while playing, and not for a moment have I felt Overwatch 2 is dragging me back.
Another important thing is that every hero you choose matters. You need to understand how they work and what their roles are in the game. As much as I love to play ability-based multiplayer shooters, it got me sitting tight in my seat for hours.
Furthermore, Overwatch 2 has cross-play and cross-progression enabled. So, if you have a friend who uses a different platform than you, there is no issue with hopping onto the server and having some chaotic fun for some time.
Overwatch 2 is yet to have a full release with its storyline. As I’m very much impressed with the multiplayer experience, I look forward to what the game offers in the storyline. Undoubtedly, it was a breath of fresh air among all the releases in recent times.
Overwatch 2
Reviewed on: Windows PC (Watchpoint Pack provided by Blizzard Entertainment)
Platforms: PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and Series S, Microsoft Windows
Developer: Blizzard Entertainment
Publisher: Blizzard Entertainment
Release Date: October 4, 2022
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Advitya Singh