Why Overwatch Works

Overwatch was released last May and ever since the beta, the justifiable hype has been overwhelming. It pulls fans in with it’s unique twists and spins on the first-person-shooter genre, and keeps them there with rewarding gameplay and a seemingly uncappable skill cap. One could argue that Overwatch is just doing what other games like Paladins and TF2 have already done before. But to those people I ask, have you ever played Paladins? Blizzard has put its heart and soul into working on Overwatch, and it really shows. Butter-smooth gameplay and an extremely clear art style combine to make Overwatch feel anything but unfinished, which is definitely the vibe I get from TF2 and Paladins. Since Overwatch is manned by Blizzard, that means that updates and additions will constantly be flowing into the game, giving the player a fresh new options and ways to play. The balancing of the many heroes Overwatch features makes the game feel like each is viable in the right hands. The many different abilities, traits and backstories of each colorful character gives players the option to not only play around with a set of tools, but to also relate to a personality. Each of these characters play so differently and have such varied roles that to switch your character is like switching to a different game entirely. While the huge, powerful Reinhardt boasts a massive shield and hammer to protect his team, the fragile Tracer blinks around the map, swiftly shooting down enemies with her high-damage blasters. These colorful characters make Overwatch popular, memorable and approachable for all kinds of people. And with a competitive scene growing in popularity, the player can choose to be as casual or as competitive as they’d like to be. This mix of options and personality make Overwatch one of the most popular games to date.