Overwatch 1 came bursting into the gaming scene in 2016, bringing us a whole new fresh gameplay involving team-based objectives. Imagine Team Fortress but with an upgraded look and feel. Fans of the original game in this particular were excited to get another installment of the beloved game, hoping to get a glimpse of the extended Overwatch universe weaved into the gameplay.
Overwatch 1: The Beginning
The hype around Overwatch 1 was real, and Blizzard are ecstatic with the reception of the game, considering how their community will turn on them in a couple of years later, due to another reason. But, Overwatch 1 was a great hit at the time. It paid great homage to Team Fortress, and introduced interesting characters with unique abilities. Each hero is grouped into specific functions such as tank, damage and support. Hero abilities can be used to deal damage or to protect team members from dying. Heroes can be chosen to execute the best combination.
At the time, there are several team-based online multiplayer FPS.
However, Blizzard’s track record of coming up with subpar sequels to beloved game franchises is well known. And everyone was nervous with what they’ll end up pulling for Overwatch 2.
Issues with Overwatch 1
No game is perfect, and with Overwatch 1, there were a couple of persistent problems. We’ll sum it up below:
Balancing Issues
Like with a lot of games with multiple characters, there’s a balancing issue. Some are overpowered and some are under powered, which could ruin the game experience to a lot of people.
Toxicity
Unfortunately, Overwatch 1 players are known for their toxicity. Although toxic gamers are quite common with other team games out there, Overwatch 1 takes the cake. There’s no place in virtual space as toxic as Overwatch 1. There isn’t much moderation and the reporting system seems to be placeholder where toxic players aren’t punished.
Limited Progression System
Unlike other games in its genre, Overwatch 1 had very limited progression system, where players are only able to earn loot boxes for cosmetic items by leveling up.
Lack of Content Updates
With the initial hype worn down, it’s apparent that the content for the game is somewhat lacking. Content updates are scarce and there’s a long gap in between updates, making the game feel stale and repetitive. A curious state of the game considering its huge success in initial stages.
Matchmaking Issues
Overwatch 1 skill-based matchmaking system is non-existent, pairing players with huge level differences, causing newer players to have a terrible experience when going against more skilled players. Paired with toxic attitude, this encourages new players to leave the game and never touch it again.
Smurfing
We have losers who create new accounts, so that they can start again in order to play with lower-skilled opponents, leading to unbalanced matches. These roaches unfortunately, exist in many other games and in Overwatch 1, there was an infestation of smurfs.
The Signs
If there’s one thing I learned, is that overhyped game trailers can be terribly misleading. This has proven many times in the past where games that pump out marketing dollars to make awesome looking trailers for the upcoming game end up sizzling out on launch day. Here’s a golden tip: a great game does not need a cool-looking trailer every quarter of the year. Looking at you, League of Legends. Overwatch 1 started out with a game trailer, and subsequent lore short animation videos. While it started out pretty cool, they started rolling out slideshow lore videos, which is curious, but didn’t raise any alarms.
Overwatch 2: Trailer
The hype for Overwatch 1 died down, the lack of content slowly killed the game. The game is now on life support. But in Blizzcon 2019, Overwatch 2 trailer was showcased to the audience, and the Overwatch fandom is revived once again. Cool story about Overwatch the entity being needed once more to defend the world from the robot uprising. Familiar characters that we’ve grown to love over the years. It’s great! The game is going to be a new experience, right? Right?
Overwatch 2: Is it Good?
It took the Blizzard Entertainment 6 years to come up with Overwatch 2 since the first game. And with a studio this big, the expectation for the game is high. Even though, Blizzard has been disappointing fans around the world with its company direction, Overwatch 2 sounded like the triumphant ticket to the hearts of fans everywhere.
Well, Overwatch 2 is an OKAY experience. It isn’t a whole new experience that showcases a totally different gameplay from Overwatch 1. It is pretty much the same game, that looks better than its predecessor. Most of the problems are solved in the second one, but it’s not perfect. It felt like the first game is now dead and now replaced by the second one which is a remake. Nothing new, only improved and fancier graphics.
The difference now is Overwatch 2 is free to play, and there’s a battle pass system implemented. So if anyone who wants to enjoy skins, credits and other unlockable features, they could do so by purchasing the battle pass. Free players can also enjoy a limited battle pass item that is scattered throughout the battle pass levels. Some are great, others are just placeholders.
Another controversy that Overwatch 2 found itself in is the removal of a hero slot. Overwatch had always been a 6v6 gaming experience. In Overwatch 2, it is a 5v5 experience with the removal of one of the tank slots. This has changed the gameplay experience to something new, which a lot of hardcore fans might have a tough time accepting. Personally, we felt it was still an okay experience.
Overwatch 2: New Characters
Hey, if the gameplay is nothing new, maybe the new characters would zhuzh the game up a little bit.
We have 2 tanks: Junker Queen and Ramattra, 1 damage: Sojourn and 1 healer/support: Kiriko. Junker Queen is a roided up version of Roadhog with the difference being her smaller hitbox as compared to big ol’ tubby Roadyhog. Ramattra is another roided-up character, sharing similarities to Zenyatta in terms of design. Just made to kick ass. We have Sojourn, a mobility damage dealer that deals a good chunk of damage if used effectively. And we have Kiriko, an interesting healer character that heals up the team with the capability of killing off enemies if she hits all of her kunais.
While the new characters does add the level of intrigue to Overwatch 2, there is some balancing issues when it comes to the new characters. So, expect additional patches to nerf these new heroes. But in the meantime, if you’re playing Tank, we highly suggest you try out Junker Queen and Ramattra. They kick serious ass in any map and game type.
Verdict: Is Overwatch 2 Worth Playing?
We are a big believer in personal choice and for what its worth, Overwatch 2 is still a game worth playing. Although it doesn’t really bring new gameplay into the mix, the game modes are interesting and well-made. There is tons of fun to be had, if you have a group of friends to play with.
Plus the game is free now! So, there is no monetary barrier to getting a group of friends to try out Overwatch 2. There are a few new heroes to try out and new game modes. Overwatch 2 is an okay game overall, but it really didn’t have to overhype it to the level that it did, considering the amount of new content that came with the new installment. However, there is a story campaign that is slated to be released soon. So, Overwatch 2 in its full game form might be a whole new game after all.
If you enjoy more game review content, check out our review for Star Wars Battlefront 2.