"Is Overwatch Overrated?"

October 8, 2018; Review

Blizzard’s Overwatch made its debut in May of 2014 and quickly won the Game of the Year award. Since Blizzcon 2015, it’s 21 heroes have expanded to 28 with new heros still being added. It features an extensive list of arena maps, extending across four game modes. Overwatch is a first person shooter style game, comprised of two teams of six players fighting for the map objective, be that a “payload” or simply an “objective point”.

One of the many things that make Overwatch an award-winning video game is it’s unique play style. Unlike other, similar, multiplayer online battle arenas, or “MOBA”s for short, players can switch heroes or play styles throughout the match. The ability to do so allows players to counter enemy heroes, whereas in games with locked hero choices this would not be available. Each hero has specific skills and abilities that make them suitable for a team, like mixing support heroes in with the damage dealers to ensure longer survivability.

While the gameplay in Overwatch is important, it would be nothing without the equally amazing graphics and effects. The maps are beautifully designed and include dazzling attention to detail, and then are decorated for the many holiday game events. For example, in maps like Hanamura, the vending machines in the spawn room can be shot to make the drinks fall out, a feature that, while unimportant, is still fun to play around with.

The heroes all have personal voice lines or emotes that add to their personality or overall storyline, though it is told mostly in out-of-game comics and short films. There are currently over 500 non-default voice lines in game, speaking to the full scale of the game’s customization. Every hero features a plethora of skins and emotes, including dances, which are frequently used in game.

However, not every part of the game is its best. A good portion of the heroes seem unbalanced compared to other heros, and connectivity issues plague most players’ experiences with the game. Players often leave matches or throw the game when it seems like they’re using, or another player chose the hero they wanted, leaving the rest of their team to be outnumbered and overwhelmed. However, updates are regularly being added to buff or nerf heroes, making them more equal.

Overall, Blizzard’s Overwatch is a game deserving of its multiple awards, both for gameplay and game design. While it does have a few flaws, the game is continuously improving and growing. Excellent gameplay and a welcoming community of millions of players make Overwatch stand out in a crowd of other first person shooters, and likely will keep doing so for a long time to come.