Overwatch — PS4 Review
At this point, can Blizzard do any wrong? If you take Overwatch as evidence, the answer is no. After pumping back to back for nearly two decades, Blizzard has entered FPS arena with it’s very own character shooter, Overwatch.
Overwatch is much needed breath of fresh air in a stale, gasping genre. After years upon years of the ultra-grim-super-serious-tough-guys-kill-terrorists shooters, and the more recent market interest in the most boring versions of space imaginable, it’s good to see the goofy, colorful characters and environments that Overwatch delivers.
Visually, Overwatch is easily one of the more impressive games on current consoles. With it’s very stylized, fun designs, Overwatch is reminiscent of Pixar. I know that’s a comparison used far too often when talking about video games, but it’s especially apt here. Each character in Overwatch’s vast (and diverse) roster has a wholly unique visual style. Winston is a high-tech armor wearing scientist gorilla from the moon, whereas Pharah is an Egyptian soldier with jump jets. All these seemingly disparate characters are able to mesh well, and makes sense within the ostensibly deep fiction of the world.
While we’re on it, Overwatch’s fiction may be one of the few disappointing things about the game. Almost all of the fiction I know of the Overwatch universe is from sources external to the game, via Team Fortress 2 style shorts, that portray a number of the characters, as well as a couple paragraphs of text on each character, coming from the game’s website.
This is all disappointing on several fronts. I’d much rather learn about the universe within the game itself, instead of YouTube videos. And while the world seems intriguing and dense, there’s next to no content to actually sink your teeth into. There is of course, the (very likely) possibility that Blizzard will expand upon their fiction in the future, but for now, it feels a little barren.
I should probably talk about things that are actually in the game now, so I’ll start with the gameplay itself.
Overwatch plays like a dream, there’s no two ways about it. Each character has there own set of abilities that can vastly alter the way they control and feel. For example, Lucio, a Brazilian freedom fighter, has a wall run that allows him to, you guessed it, run on walls. This can help to get over gaps, or to just stay out of the direct line of fire coming from your enemies. In addition to his wall run, Lucio’s normal ground movement has a glide-like quality to it, as a result of his skates. Sniper characters such as Hanzo and Widowmaker have the ability to quickly gain elevation, via a wall climb ability, and a grappling hook, respectively.
Of course, there are special abilities that range far beyond traversal options. Mei, a former scientist, current human popsicle, has the ability to instantly build an ice wall, creating a barrier, blocking projectiles, and hopefully protecting your teammates, for a short amount of time. She also has the ability to trap herself in ice, protecting her from damage, while also healing her.
I’m not going to go into detail on the other abilities, because in reality there’s a wiki that you could easily go to if you wanted that. I will say that all abilities in Overwatch can serve very useful if play correctly. Some abilities are easy to set up and use in battle, while others can easily whiff, leaving you more vulnerable. Of course, if you’re able to land the more difficult abilities, the payoff will be worth it.
The final, and potentially largest pillar of Overwatch’s moment to moment play, is Ultimates. Like all else in the game, Overwatch’s Ultimates are extremely varied, and all devastating in their own unique ways. A well placed shot with Hanzo’s wall penetrating dragon arrow could wipe an entire team. But not every Ultimate is capable of such things. Something like Widowmaker’s Infra-Sight Ultimate, which enables you, and your team mates to see enemies through walls, may seem impotent at first, but with a good team, it could turn tables, easily.
One of the most important aspects of multiplayer shooters is good map design, and Overwatch has that in spades. Overwatch’s maps were reportedly made for Blizzard’s canceled WoW successor, Titan, which explains the huge variance in location with in the game. The maps are located all across the globe, from places like Hanamura, Japan, to Egpyt. The actually level design of the maps is as tight as the rest of the game. Most maps are centralized around choke points, which serve as the frequent battleground for most matches.
The first major post release support came in the form of competitive mode. You’re given a skill rating, based off of your performance in 10 placement matches. After being placed, you play with other players of similar skill ratings. When you win a match, your skill rating increases. When you lose it decreases. Your goal is to have a high skill rating at the end of each season (3 months). You’ll collect a reward based off of your rating at the end of the season.
If you’re a fan of shooters, mobas, or anything else really, you’ll probably like Overwatch. Blizzard does a remarkable job of making the player feel like they’re helping the team, even if they aren’t. It’s an imminently fun game, that anyone can enjoy.
