Rating: 8/10
I was doubtful about Overwatch at first. It seemed to me like an over-hyped version of Team Fortress 2 (which is, admittedly, one of my favorite games), but instead of TF2’s low price of $0, Overwatch was on sale for $40. It was because of this doubt that I chose to skip the open beta in favor of playing Battleborn, which had just released. To my surprise, however, Overwatch has been getting almost consistently perfect reviews (IGN gave it a 9.4, although they might not be the most “trustworthy” source. I went there.), in addition to my friends who HAVE played the beta constantly raving about how good it is. “It’s like a better TF2”, they say. “Yeah, right. That would imply that TF2 is anything less than perfect”, I’d reply. “You are, as always, correct, and your wisdom several levels above ours, but you must believe us when we say that this is the best game of the year”, they cry. At least, that’s what it sounded like.
Well, I finally broke down and shelled out the $40 to buy it. And you know what? The game is great, but I’m still unsure about whether or not it’s actually worth $40.
Descriptions of the game as being similar to TF2 are fairly accurate. The game is fast-paced, with a high emphasis on working together with your teammates. What’s a little different is the fact that games are confined to 6v6 matches, whereas pubbie TF2 servers can reach 16v16 (Competitive TF2 is mostly played 6v6, though). Characters have a lot of diversity both in terms of combat ability and personality/aesthetic, and while it might not be the selling point for most, it’s kind of fun to punch a cyborg ninja to death with a giant meathook while playing as an oversized (and heavily obese) man in a gas mask. It feels like TF2, but a large difference is noticeable due to the MoBA-esque cast of characters and their unique abilities.
I’m not going to go into too much detail about the actual mechanics of the game, mostly because I can’t really find any problems with it. All the characters seem balanced, and can be easily countered by a team, or even solo player, that knows what they’re doing. The only exception to this might be Bastion (seriously, f*** Bastion), but even he’s pretty easy to kill with the sniper character.
My only real problem with the game is, like with Battleborn, there seems to be a lack of content. Overwatch doesn’t cost the full $60 that most new releases do (unless you’re on a console, in which case you’re screwed out of an extra $20), but also doesn’t have the same content. In fact, the amount of content is comparable, once again, to Team Fortress 2. Only multiplayer vs is available, and there only seems to be something like three gamemodes (There’s quite a few maps, though). It’s a well done, fun, complex, and interesting multiplayer, mind you, but the amount of content actually in the multiplayer is probably actually less than TF2 currently has, for $40 more. There’s no single-player campaign (which is kind of a shame, as the cinematic trailers and comics gave glimpses into a world that I’d definitely be interested in exploring more), there’s no co-op modes, there’s no competitive matchmaking (although that’s apparently coming soon), there’s only the same few multiplayer modes.
Overall, Overwatch is a great game. A fantastic game, even. The problem is, in my opinion, the amount of stuff that it offers is not enough to warrant such a high price tag. If you’ve got disposable income however, then by all means buy it.
Above Image: Overwatch Cinematic