Overwatch, Blizzard’s new team based first person shooter, has been the talk of gamers worldwide for months now. Its cast of colourful characters, fast paced action, and fun team dynamics has already made it a huge success, not even a month after launch. However, many people just don’t seem to get what all the fuss is about. And the game’s seemingly instantaneous superfandom has left many puzzled shooter fans scratching their heads. Well fear not true believers, for I have decided to list my top five reasons to get on board with Overwatch.
The Characters
The first thing most people will notice about Overwatch is it’s incredibly diverse and wacky cast of playable characters. There seems to be a character to fit every play style one could imagine. Wanna hang back and snipe your enemies from afar, Battlefield style? Then maybe the blue-skinned assassin Widowmaker is for you. Are you more of a support player? Would you rather brave the war zone, healing and buffing your allies to victory? Then maybe the angelic medic Mercy is more your speed. Just wanna charge head first into battle and smash people with a giant hammer? Well then chivalrous techo-knight Reinhardt is your man. These over the top characters are what keeps players coming back for more. Learning and perfecting their individual weapons, play styles and abilities is one of the most rewarding things to do in this game.
Maps
Overwatch features 12 maps that offer interesting challenges and opportunities to engage the enemy. Spanning locations such as America, France, London, Japan and more, these maps allow players to tactically gain the advantage through experimentation and exploration. Bastion’s turret ability shredding your team? Why not use the maps impressive verticality to flank him and attack from above. Has the enemy team locked down the path ahead of you with turrets and shields? Use one of the map’s many other paths to navigate to the objective. These maps allow players to creatively outmanoeuvre one another using character special abilities and multiple branching paths. Plus, they’re super pretty.
Teamwork
Unlike most other first person shooters, Overwatch encourages teams to work together to defend, attack and hold objectives. Players are rewarded for assisting teammates and co-operating to take down the enemy team. Finding characters that compliment each other in a useful way is a joy. The games allows team members to communicate using the simple, yet effective message system. Zenyatta just told the team that his ultimate ability is charged? His healing orb will allow the team to be more aggressive and push the objective. Zarya just sucked a group of enemies together with her Graviton Surge? Well that seems like the perfect time to unleash Hanzo’s Dragon Strike ability on the unsuspecting prey. It’s this level of synergy and complimenting character abilities that could mean the difference between victory and defeat. Sure, you could play like its Call of Duty and go lone wolf for kills, but you’d be missing out on one of the games greatest strengths.
Customisation
In this era of gaming where teenagers will spend thousands of dollars on weapon skins for CSGO, the idea of player skins and emotes is sure to raise a few eyebrows. And while Overwatch does offer players the opportunity to spend real cash to unlock character skins and sprays (this is Blizzard after all), it’s purely cosmetic. The game wisely decides not to shove this option down your throat. Purchasing loot crates with in-game currency is just a fun little side activity that allows players to personalise their favourite characters. So hardcore gamers need not fear, this ain’t pay to win folks.
It’s Fun
My last, and possibly most important reason for playing Overwatch, is very simple – it’s fun! With so many gritty war games and intense competitive shooters on the market these days, it’s easy to forget why we play video games in the first place. Sure, you could play a game about faceless grizzled marines shooting each other in the face over and over, but where’s the fun in that? Overwatch is the perfect game to pick up and play for 30 minutes after a long stressful day at work. It’s suitable for kids and adults alike. Its delightfully silly characters and gameplay offer a perfect balance between fun and rewarding. Even on games where I did terribly, I still had fun. And that’s not something that many shooters can boast. It has something for everyone. Cyborg Ninja? Yup. Quirky British time jumper? Uh-huh. Clint Eastwood style gun slinger? Yes sir. Genius talking Gorilla with an electro-gun? You betcha. Now if they don’t convince you that this game is worth your time, then I don’t know what will.
So those are my top five reasons why you (yes YOU) should be playing Overwatch right this second. It’s fun, it’s silly, it’s surprisingly deep and it boasts some of the most interesting characters I’ve ever seen in a shooter. Thanks for reading, I’ll see you on the Battlefield.
