Overwatch 2 review in progress – same as ever
Overwatch 2 has few calm moments. Actions are closer, louder, and faster, and voice lines are quicker and more frequent. However, in the brief period between selecting a hero and the barrier opening and unleashing you and your teammates onto the battlefield, there’s a brief window of peace, a moment for meditation.
It was during these moments that we saw the beloved Hana Song, aka D.Va, shift her weight from one side of her mech to the other before offering her teammates a sweet “Annyeong.” I forgot I was playing Overwatch 2- -I forgot it wasn’t 2016 anymore.A lot has changed in both my life and Overwatch.
Having spent 700 hours on the first Overwatch, what I wanted from Overwatch 2 was a number of meaningful changes that moved the series forward while remaining true to the identity it forged at the beginning. A game driven exclusively by multiplayer elements, such as a big fan of the first Overwatch. And in a way, Overwatch 2 delivers on this, offering a new character who feels right at home among the rest of the veteran roster, jumps into his 5v5 awesome, and adds an engaging push mode. Even better, this game does all of this while maintaining the same engaging combat flow and core gameplay that fans love. The case is very familiar, and that sameness often makes this new Overwatch feel more like an update than something new that “2” suggests. often feel disconnected from the principles and charm of the original.
One of the biggest changes to Overwatch 2 is the new 5v5 combat format. Overwatch had 6 heroes on each team (usually 2 damage, 2 support, and 2 tanks), but Overwatch 2 eliminated one of those tanks, leaving each team with 1 one, and then the combat dynamics change. Only one tank absorbs damage, so it becomes important that the whole team is there and supports them as well as providing enough attack to break through the other team’s defenses. This allows for faster, more focused matches where cooperation and coordination are essential, and every action (or omission) has greater impact. It also means that understanding how to complement each other is more important than ever.As intense as this sounds, it also makes chaos and split-second strategy incredible funevery sure victory is a meaningful victory.
The newest mode focuses on creating engaging and intense matches for Overwatch 2. pushIn Push, each team is tasked with reaching the center of the map, where a robot and two barriers (one on each side) are waiting. Once a team secures a robot, it will start pushing the opposing team’s barrier. The team that covers the most areas at the end of the match wins. In every game I’ve played, the push-and-pull of fights has been incredibly tense and felt like a series of tug-of-wars where the tide could turn at any moment. , never feels better than Overwatch 2.
Given this intensity, it makes sense that Blizzard goes to great lengths to prevent and eliminate harmful behavior within the Overwatch community. This includes requiring the player to have a phone number registered to his Battle.net account and eliminating any of Overwatch. cherished Features: Medal. These are no longer dealt at the end of each game, instead you’ll just see the coveted Play of the Game reels followed by a full personal experience bar. However, you can always see how your stats are stacking up against your teammates and enemies with the push of a button. This makes losing the medal seem pointless. For me, the satisfaction of winning a medal during a game makes me want to improve as a player, helps me identify that certain teammates and opponents are showing some serious skill, It also contributed to the way awards were given. It’s a subtle omission, but it certainly felt like it.
However, this is not the most significant change to Overwatch’s reward system.Overwatch 2’s move to free-to-play introduced a highly disruptive feature in the game: the Battle Pass. Instead of randomized loot boxes, Overwatch 2 offers players cosmetic upgrades through the Battle Pass, which lasts for the entire nine-week season. These Battle Passes come in free and premium versions, with the premium pass priced at 1,000 Overwatch Coins or US$10. As part of my review code, Blizzard has provided Overwatch 2’s first Premium Battle Pass. While I support the belief that randomized loot boxes can be predatory and basically prey on people’s willingness to gamble for prizes they like, these particular battle passes It’s hard to judge how consumer-friendly it feels.
Blizzard tries to curb the idea that buying a Premium Battle Pass is essential, touting that all new heroes scheduled to be released every other season will always be available for free. Anyone who has paid for can get these heroes right away, but those who haven’t will need to level up the Battle Pass to Tier 55 to unlock it. Despite performing decently in matches and knocking out some of the game’s new challenges, the Battle Pass didn’t level up that fast. will occur, meaning you will have to spend a lot of time to unlock the level. Even if Blizzard chooses to exclude new characters from the first few competitive PvP plays, this feels unfair. week. Indeed, just like in Fortnite, it’s possible to earn currency through his Battle Pass that reduces the cost of future premium his upgrades. But some of this feels very at odds with the ethos of the original Overwatch, which prided itself on not putting heroes behind paywalls and keeping the playing field level.
Additionally, the easy looks we got in seasons 2, 3, and 4 put a lot of effort into themed seasons boasting special cosmetics, and these more elaborate ones are locked behind a paywall. Loot boxes were at least equally similar in that they allowed any item to be obtained randomly, but this new model meant that if players wanted to dress impressively, they could either spend money on a premium battle pass or Of course, this may not be an issue, but it is something to keep in mind.
Another thing to consider is that if someone who doesn’t own the original Overwatch jumps to Overwatch 2, they’ll have to play 100 games before they can use the full roster of characters. clarified… I find it completely strange, even though I understand the intent behind it. The team calls this decision part of the game’s first user experience. This is intended to slowly onboard new players to acclimate them to the game and prevent smurf accounts from becoming a problem. However, the idea that players have to prove themselves by logging in for 10 to 20 hours to unlock other heroes is unnecessary and perhaps even a little insulting. It just doesn’t feel like the spirit of Overwatch, which encouraged players to explore and experiment freely and find what they felt was best for them. Given that some of the roster has been locked, that ethos now feels disingenuous.
The lack of PvE at launch is also a notable omission. It’s simply not a shame that we have to wait until next year for. It makes the sequel feel like an update simply packaged as a whole new chapter. This feels like an exercise in fitting Overwatch to the modern business model of multiplayer his shooters, no matter how good they play. Sure, it might come off as a cynical assessment, but it feels as cynical as it sounds. From the new style of almost overly polished game menus, to the move to free-to-play, to the implementation of the Battle Pass, Overwatch 2 takes the franchise from genre-defining shooter to trend-setting. So it’s starting to feel more like many other games than a unique sci-fi or superhero comic in video game format. That’s not necessarily a bad thing.Many of the other games are better in their own right, and while Overwatch 2’s gameplay certainly ties in with the best of the best, it’s the unique aesthetics of Overwatch that make it so appealing. At the expense of the world… Decreased.
Luckily, Overwatch 2 has a big silver lining to its characters. The subtle changes that the older characters have undergone feel beneficial both in terms of appearance and abilities, successfully giving them the gentle refreshment they needed without disturbing the magic of their original designs. It may take some getting used to not having some key abilities (admittedly, I miss Orisa’s barrier), but it’s improved the tank’s handling of damage and reduced its reliance on shields. Lowering the makes the tank more fun to play and adds a more aggressive nature. Overwatch 2. Similarly, characters like Sombra and Cassidy hit harder, and heroes with stun and freeze attacks no longer stop the game, instead allowing the game to continue and increasing their damage numbers. It can be obtained.
And I can’t sing enough praises for each of the three new heroes. All of these are well designed and extremely versatile. The Sojourn is her tactical one-woman army, while the Junker Queen’s ability to undermine enemies gives tanky powers a supportive advantage. Kiriko, in particular, doesn’t feel like any other support hero before her, as she can not only walk through walls to heal her teammates, but also deal serious damage with her kunai. But you have to play a supporting role. Finally, we also explored her two heroes heading into the upcoming Overwatch 2. Both of these heroes (though still subject to change) are well designed and add new elements to the game, so I’m excited to see how they fit in with the rest of the roster.
Crucially, Overwatch 2 feels like a great update to the multiplayer game with mechanics that allow for thrilling skirmishes between teams of heroes. However, as a separate entity and sequel, it stumbles. The changes to core gameplay are a step in the right direction, but they’re surrounded by new points of friction that weren’t there before. Thankfully, as a live service game, Blizzard will add or change as player feedback grows, so at least the studio has a strong foundation to build on. The engrossing multiplayer dynamics that fans love are back in the heat of battle. But if the first Overwatch has taught me anything, it’s to dream a little bigger about what the game could be like, and there’s still a little bit more to do here.
https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/overwatch-2-review-in-progress-same-as-it-ever-was/1900-6417972/?ftag=CAD-01-10abi2f Overwatch 2 review in progress – same as ever