In multiplayer shooters, the main focus is always working as a team. But this can be boring if players are all forced to choose between identical or very similar characters.
So one of the main draws of Blizzard Entertainment’s new first person shooter, “Overwatch,” is that each of the 21 playable characters feels different, even though some fulfill the same roles. Though characters such as Lúcio and Mercy both provide support, their movement and available actions are different.
These differences play into the flow of the game, often influencing the way the match goes. For example, Mei is a character that uses ice to her advantage to freeze enemies in place and create temporary barriers to prevent the enemy team from pushing forward. Other characters such as Tracer and Pharah have special movement abilities that allow them to traverse the environment faster.
While it’s easy to pick a character and stick with them, much like in a fighting game, “Overwatch” encourages experimentation by letting the team know about their overall balance. If there isn’t a sniper or a healer on the team yet, the game suggests trying one of these characters without penalty. Players are also able to play practice matches against the computer and bring up a move list to further learn how to play as each character.
Throughout the game, players will travel across the globe from a Hollywood movie set to the streets of a Mediterranean city to try and accomplish various objectives, like defending a point from the enemy team or escorting a vehicle to its destination.
“Overwatch” also offers a rotating mode known as the “Weekly Brawl,” where the developers have changed the game’s rule set to force players to change tactics. These range from the game selecting a random character to play as each time you die to decreasing ability cool down timers.
While “Overwatch” feels competitive, it also stays away from leaderboards and kill/death ratios that have become standard in most multiplayer games. Players who perform well in combat are awarded medals based on things such as “damage blocked” or “time spent on objective.” Players can also influence the match with their ultimate move, which is often showcased post-game in a “Play of the Game” highlight reel.
From the opening cinematic to the way characters interact, “Overwatch” feels like a game that has an overarching narrative, but that simply isn’t present. Through short animated features and character biographies on Blizzard’s website and YouTube, players can piece together lore about the world of “Overwatch,” but these elements hardly surface in game.
Despite this, “Overwatch” is brimming with personality and style. No match feels quite the same and even when my team loses, I look back fondly on moments where we almost had it.
“Overwatch” is available now for PC, PS4 and Xbox One.
