First announced to the world in November of 2019, Overwatch 2’s existence has been hampered by widespread miscommunication, the pandemic, major personnel overhauls, and even the splitting of the title’s PvP and PvE modes into separate versions. Now that it’s here (PvP at least) and is in our hands, the gameplay for what amounts to a major update and a huge drop of new content remains a mostly satisfying team experience. The problem, of course, is that it’s impossible not to acknowledge the hype surrounding Overwatch 2, from the new battle card model to the high cost of cosmetics and even the lack of appeal of some of the new additions at all.
In regards to the game itself, the big change in Overwatch 2’s 5v5 over 6v6 gameplay has resulted in more fun and fast gameplay, which is also at no public cost because it’s now free-to-play. Gone are the days of shooting through two shields while the enemy team is not moving, protected by double barriers and a stationary fortress. Now, the game is forcing teams not only to stay alert but to work together more than was necessary before. Just like any game where you owe it to other people, even strangers, how much quality time you’ll have still depends on the quality of your teammates.
Tanks, now the only one in its class on every team in most games, has a slightly different workload but character changes complete this shift and make the most of it. Zarya, Reinhardt, Roadhog, Sigma, and D.Va all have minor tweaks to make them better anchors for a five-man team, but it’s the kind of quality-of-life changes that will make longtime OG Overwatch players happy (Reinhardt has two-stroke fires, can a Roadhog self-heal while toning, and Zarya can self-heal twice in a row!).
Orissa and Doomfist both got major mods as a result of this tank change, however, the latter switched from the DPS to the new role, and with it a lower damage ability (something most players haven’t apparently realized yet). On the other hand, Orissa is playing a completely new character. No longer equipped with armor but featuring javelin throwing and an all-new ending, players who may remember the character that leaked years ago under the codename “Anchora” will feel like it’s still a fitting title. Junker Queen, the new tank, has a fun gameplay as well, it’s constantly moving and attacking in a limited area, it even introduces a new mechanic method to hit the enemy, and bleed. It proves that Blizzard is still considering new additions to the roster in terms of how it stands out from the rest of the heroes.
The damage and support heroes still have their own quirks and some new quality of life changes that make things even better. All stents now do a mild treatment for themselves after a short period of time, so you no longer have to waste your grenade like Anna to keep yourself alive. DPS players also get a speed boost and reload after every kill, which seems like a nightmare for slower support players dealing with the gins next door but at the 20+ hours of gameplay I’ve had…a big deal. There’s also a built-in feature for all heroes where players can keep a percentage of the final charge if they need to switch characters, which is a huge dynamic shift.
Overwatch 2’s new maps, and the new Push mode, are welcome additions, too. With the exception of Control – which is basically King of the Hill – the game modes in Overwatch have never given themselves to a sense of straightforward justice for both teams. Push does this by assigning teams to escort a bot from the middle of the map to an end point marked with checkpoints throughout the bot’s path. It’s a largely mobile version of Control, but the honeycomb design on the maps always opens up new paths to reach and take in. So far, there are only three pay maps, but if each new addition to the genre is as fun as what we already have, it could become my favorite game mode in all of Overwatch.
The problem with adding Push and five new maps is that Blizzard threw in the towel regarding Assault mode and its maps, taking it out of the playable spin entirely. Players who want to play these games can do so in dedicated games, but you won’t find them in quick play or competitive modes at all. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t happy to see some of this stuff removed from play, but that makes the “add new content” magic sparkle a bit when you realize that a good portion of the original game was taken out entirely in favor of the new. How long until the same thing is done for new things?
With talk of the new additions to Overwatch, it should also come that the game has switched from loot chest style rewards to a nine-week battle pass. So far, this change has rightly been called for having class roots, although Blizzard has already backtracked on a major confusing addition that forced players to associate a phone number (but not one from a prepaid provider) to their account. This was done as an anti-cheat measure, one that took a game with the least hurdle to enter and gave it a customs gate for new players. Blizzard changed this last week, making anyone who played the game before June 9, 2021 not have to be restricted, but it still applies to anyone completely new to the game.
There’s also a higher cost for…everything related to the battle pass and the new game store. In the same way that Fortnite or other games have a battle card with skins, emotes, sprays, etc. that one can play the game to get, Overwatch 2 also has a shop where coins can be spent for such things (including cosmetics Beautification that was previously free in the original game). The 80-level Battle Pass also offers cosmetics that can only be obtained to purchase the Premium version, which comes at $10 every nine weeks. Each new level unlocks a new piece of something, whether it’s a great featured intro, a new expression, or even a legendary spray (completion of which provides the game’s rarest appearance, the first ever legendary). The limited number of levels also means that only certain characters get a lot of love, Battle Pass 1 for example is heavy on cosmetics for new characters, while some, like Torbjorn or Wrecking Ball, get none.
A handful of what is being served feel is worth it in the largest sense. Skins for example are great additions; But for the most part, the Battle Pass rewards are lackluster. Items like weapon charms, player icons, and name cards seem like fillers, some of which I might never think twice or even use. Tragically, these are also the “free” levels in the Battle Pass. Don’t want to pay? Here, you get a sound line now and a drizzle at three more levels. I don’t envy Blizzard adding some of those extra layers of customization to the game, but not all of them deserve to be listed as a reward for completing levels on game levels, not when we’re used to getting four items from a simple game. level up.
What is worrying about this in general is the near-predatory levels of price gouging that players are paid to participate in this, and the real lack of rewards being offered in return. Many other games with the battle card model offer a certain level of in-game currency in exchange for your playing and achieving certain goals. Overwatch 2 has this but the amounts are ludicrous, forcing players who don’t want to (or can’t) spend the money for months on end that probably won’t even have what they want available by the time they’ve managed to question together the required amount. Scarcity and FOMO are two things that will fuel the cosmetics market in Overwatch 2. In the past, not getting a look during an Overwatch event meant you could get it the next time you spin. Currently? Who knows if you’ll get the chance again, at least not for free.
There’s also a double-edged sword here although the “levelling” threshold was halved from the 20K XP that Overwatch 1 had between levels, but then the amount of XP provided per match was drastically reduced as well. Removing post-game cards and even in-match medals eliminated not only the level of pride players can have in their gameplay, but also the amount of reward they get through XP. Of course, paying for the Premium Battle Pass offers bonus XP (and Blizzard announced that Dual XP Weekends are in the works for all players). Blizzard has found a convenient solution here though, offering daily, weekly, seasonal, and lifetime challenges that reward extra XP. From “Say Thanks to a Support player” to “Win 250 competitive matches”, the challenges are a nice bosot and sometimes even surprise that you’ve completed something after any given game.
After what seems to be a lot of complaining about the battle pass and Blizzard’s new cosmetics strategy, it’s worth reiterating how fun Overwatch 2 really is and how satisfying the game can be at times. Even when you don’t win, a really great match in Overwatch 2 is fun and refreshing. There are new character dynamics and interactions that will have you laughing or screaming “Ugh!” before the start of the game, as well as a complete rework of the game’s sound effects and design that give it an extra level of polish; Not to mention the new dynamic lighting that shows maps at different times of the day.
Overwatch as a world is the world I fell in love with because of the original game. Character dynamics, maps, interactions, facts, events, new skins, airbrushes, there were some new avenues in the franchise that expanded it. The good news is that new content drops will be more frequent, which means players can get more of what they love not only from the game but also in how they choose to play as their favorite characters. New maps, new characters, and new modes will eventually arrive with hesitation. The bad news is that instead of being asked to spend $60 one time to play the game you love and get all the things you want, you are required to spend that amount annually just to make sure you don’t miss out on anything.
I hope newcomers will see the allure of what makes Overwatch as a game and world so unique despite the negative cloud that surrounds most of it. In terms of gameplay, Overwatch 2 is more fun than ever. We’re in luck, however, as Blizzard has obviously been listening very hard to the community since the game’s launch hasn’t gone very smoothly, and the possibility of further fixes and tuning seems to be their top priority. It will be interesting to see where things are after a year, as this is both a blessing and a curse for a live service game. but now…
Rating: 4 out of 5
This review was performed primarily on PlayStation 5 using codes provided by the publisher.
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