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Overwatch started life as a long gestating project simply dubbed “Titan”. It was described by the development team as an ambitious MMO, and perhaps so much so the game was ultimately cancelled. All was not lost as much of the multiplayer components remain and can been seen here. Early signs of a hit were certainly suspected for Blizzard Entertainment as even the open beta proved popular, attracted 9.7 million players. Now we have it in our hands, does it bring something fresh to the FPS market or have we seen it all before?

The game itself is a multiplayer, team based first person shooter where you and your squad must square off against other players (or AI if you wish), to secure/defend/escort objectives using your very particular set of character skills. Team size is made up of 6 players on either side and able to pick from 21 colourful playable “heroes”. Each fits into one of four different roles: offensive, defensive, tank and support, all of which possesses a unique ability that is charged up through play then released to, hopefully, some sort of devastating outcome. Mechanically, Overwatch can be strongly compared to (and borrows much from) Team Fortress 2. The majority of the Valve’s characters can be witnessed here however the game takes what works, and then gives those familiar character classes an upgrade – and I’m not just talking silly hats here! “Torbjörn” (not a Dwarf so he says) for example has the ability to create turrets, while “Mercy” the medic can produce a stream of healing energy for her nearby friends. What the game does with these is to expand roles and abilities. Mercy not only heals, but can switch to a damage buff and also fly in short bursts when tethered to a pal. “Widowmaker” looks like she plays like a carbon copy of everyone’s favorite TF2 Aussie sniper, but with her grapple hook she can approach the enemy from unexpected vantage points.

My biggest concern for Overwatch was keeping a balance with such a large number of cast and learning how they all work. First off thankfully balance is handled extremely well. In my opinion this is the key for any game where people are not only fighting one on one, but also matters when needing to complement teammate abilities. When I did come face-to-face with a rival, I was never too frustrated (maybe a little with walking robo-gatling gun “Bastion”) as despite some being much bigger than myself, I found it was still possible to counter them if you know what you’re doing. To achieve this I needed to learn the ropes with all the in-game folks, which was made very easy thanks to the inclusion of plenty of modes for practices against targets, or fighting AI with others. This afforded me the experience to work out how things work without letting down colleagues in a real match. Inadvertently you will however let your team down, be it with a poorly executed ultimate ability or not helping protect the point, but this is all part of the fun! As well as getting to know playable characters, another daunting prospect is becoming familiar with the large arenas and modes. The maps are split across four game types:

• Assault – Players must attack or defend a control point.
• Escort – Move the payload to, or defend, an objective.
• Hybrid – Which is naturally a mixture of both of the above.
• Control – Both teams fight over a single point in a best of three matches.

The included twelve maps are expertly crafted, both in aesthetics and also in playability. Verticality plays a big and often overlooked (overwatched?) part, as some characters are able to perch high atop the environments – great for sniping or as another avenue to get behind enemies and capture the point …or cause some havoc. Cleverly Overwatch doesn’t include a traditional deathmatch mode as I guess this propagates a ‘lone wolf’ style of play which could take focus away from an intended harmonious team experience. Matches last approximately 5-10 minutes in length which prove long enough to be terrifically intense, and also short enough to leave you thinking “Oh go on then. One more game.”

Also going for it, Overwatch is far more accessible than other first person shooters I’ve played. Attaching the game as if it were Call of Duty by running in circles and twitch shooting will only get you so far. Only can working together and combining efforts be enough to push or hold objectives to win the match. Because it’s all about team, players can contribute to the game via not just a positive kill to death ratio, but also in offering support. As I’d say a third of the characters use a passive support function (a shield, healing or some sort of buff), I was very glad to see you’re rewarded for playing your role. At the end of each game you can even vote for a player of the match and it’s often great to see a healer here. Graphically the world of Overwatch is a joy to gaze upon. Characters themselves are wonderfully Disney/Pixar stylized, and despite having such a large cast each possess a unique silhouette to easily identify who is who – something imperative when in the heat of the battle. Sound direction musically, environmental and character wise are presented perfectly here. Each map is given its own catchy and appropriate worldly instrumental theme, much like Street Fighter does, and characters come armed (or unlockable should I say) with large array of emotes and gestures all accessible from a simple menu wheel. This all adds a great sense or charm and personality to them but more importantly none of which, to date, have grated on me to become tiresome.

The bad news is that the game has no story. The good news, and although it doesn’t necessarily need one, you can find a wealth of world building content that Blizzard Entertainment has made on the “Omnic Crisis”. If you’ve not done so check out the Overwatch heroes/villains through some quite stunning animated shorts, comics and other media. Overall Overwatch has plenty to entice new players and old hardcore FPS fans but also sustain them with its quirky balanced characters, and strong team mechanic. With a large number of playable people, it sure does make it easy to find a play style that suits you – never being a chore or bore to use.  The action is quick and it never takes long to get stuck in holding you for 5-10 minute bursts or, like I was, for up for some mammoth gaming sessions with friends. With the promise of a ranked mode coming in June, I’m sure the game will continue to enjoy more players looking for the next big eSport.

Overwatch is more than an anime Team Fortress 2. Hats off to that indeed.

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