Overwatch 2 Review: Redefining Sequels
Overwatch 2 is as strange a sequel as many of us expected it would be. It makes fundamental changes to the way Overwatch is played, in ways that go far beyond the average update, while still remaining the same game, far beyond the level of even something like Splatoon 3 or the yearly Call of Duty releases. The lines are blurred even further by Overwatch 2, containing all of the original game’s content, and even replacing it so that this is now the only way to play Overwatch. Still, any six-year-old game can use a boost, and Overwatch 2 provides just that while proving that the core of the game is still strong.
Usually, we wouldn’t review a game in early access, but Overwatch 2 is a bit of an odd duck in many ways. For one, while the multiplayer will undoubtedly evolve and change over time as any live service game does, that core part of the game is fully here and has gone through more tweaking and growing than most games do for a full release. While promised future content like a player vs. enemy story mode aren’t here yet, they’re not why most players will be coming to Overwatch.
Largely The Same Game
For those who have been living under a rock for the last half-decade, Overwatch is a team-based, role-based, hero shooter. That means in each match, players are assigned to three different roles, tanks, damage, and support. They then pick the character within their role they want, from a total roster that now features thirty-five characters. While each of these characters has their own unique abilities, weapons, health, and ways to play, within each role, there are certainly expectations. Tanks are there to soak up damage, get in the way, and hopefully deal some damage on the side. You’re basically supposed to protect your team.
Meanwhile, damage characters are just that, specialized in getting in and taking out opponents. Support characters are there to heal and buff their team, keeping them alive and making them the best versions of themselves. Some have more options to do actual damage than others, but none of these characters will be doing much more than getting out of tough situations with their own attacks.
While the original game had two teams of six fighting it out, with each team having two characters in each role, the most significant change to how Overwatch 2 plays is that it is now five versus five fight with a tank being removed from each team. While players who like to play as tanks may be sad to see that get harder, with the queue to play as a tank character always being the longest, this does make Overwatch 2 feel quite different when you start pouring hours into it. A lot of strategies in the first game revolved around having two defensive characters protect their teams in very specific ways, with some skills synchronizing in devastating ways. That’s just not possible now, and it makes Overwatch 2 a faster game which requires more aggression to succeed. I’ve found it a breath of fresh air, and it has made certain damage characters more deadly than ever. A good Tracer or Genji can be absolutely devastating in the new meta that’s evolving.
New Heroes
The downside of this finds certain characters not quite fitting in with what teams need. Doomfist has been completely reworked into a tank character but might have used some additional reworking. His abilities just don’t do enough of what you need from a tank in this game, and that’s an extra large problem now that you only have a single tank. Almost every character has at least minor tweaks, with some feeling more substantial than others, but the complete reworks of a few have mixed success. Still, like with the original game, few characters feel completely unplayable. In the hands of a skilled player who understands their kit, even weaker characters are plenty viable.
Three new characters are joining the roster with Overwatch 2. Junker Queen is the newest tank, a powerful character who is a bit less focused on absorbing damage and protecting her team than the average tank but who does so much damage that she can often overcome this. Teams making use of her will need to know what to expect, but she can make a significant impact in the right hands. Sojourn, meanwhile, is a damage character with a powerful railgun and a lot of mobility, allowing her to get in and out of fights fast. She doesn’t have as much health as some characters but is already becoming a favorite of mine. Kiriko, meanwhile, is already gaining popularity as a support character, and for good reason. She’s a fast, ninja-styled character who can deal a bit of support damage while offering massive healing potential and mobility. She’s a handful.
The biggest change to Overwatch 2 outside of the number of players is that Blizzard has made it a free-to-play title. That’s right, anyone can jump in and have a good time right now at no cost. Those who owned the original before the last few months will have a founders pack, which gets them access to new character Kiriko right from the start, but all players will be able to unlock her by either leveling up the game’s free battle pass or purchasing the premium version for $10.00. The other two new characters are free just for entering the game, though that may not be true after the current season ends. The original game’s cast remains unlocked for returning players, while new ones will have to unlock them by playing the game though there is no cost for any of them. Future characters will almost certainly be tied to future battle passes, as will new costumes and unlockables.
The Worst Way To Play Is Still Great
Playing on the Switch remains the worst ways to play Overwatch, yet it remains remarkable that this is by such a small margin. When Blizzard announced the original was coming to Switch, people laughed and figured it would be a hugely scaled-back version of the game, but that simply isn’t the case. Overwatch 2 on the Switch is the full game, and it still plays extremely well. It’s at a lower framerate than the game runs on other systems, and the resolution is lower, but its bright and colorful graphics still look excellent, particularly on a smaller screen in handheld mode. I noted a couple of frame drops here and there, but they were rare, and the netcode leaves matches feeling smooth. Controls are excellent, with gyro being available for the community that has fallen in love with using them in shooters. If you can play Overwatch 2 on a different platform, you should probably do so, but the difference isn’t as large as you’d expect, and if your only option is to play on the Switch or you crave playing it in handheld mode, you’re still fundamentally going to get the same game.
While there’s a ton of fun to have with Overwatch 2, I should note that right now, it’s still not as easy to get into a match as it should be. Most online titles have server issues in the early days, that’s no huge surprise, but multiple DDoS attacks have knocked the game offline for extensive periods, and even when it works, huge queues of players have made it tough to get into a match. In some ways, this has been an advantage for Switch players as a smaller player base has kept queues manageable. Thankfully, over the last day or so, it has become much more consistently possible to get into matches, and this should only improve from here. An annoying start, but not something that should plague the game long term.
Conclusion
Overwatch 2 probably didn’t need to be billed as a full sequel or have a number put at the end of its name. It offers more changes than the average update, but billing it as a major update to the game would have been more honest. Still, marketing is marketing and doesn’t change that there are a lot of changes here that will make Overwatch fans who haven’t played in some time want to jump back in and see what all the fuss is about. Overwatch 2 remains a fantastic shooter, and now that you can play for free, any Switch player in need of a great multiplayer shooter should absolutely check it out.
Final Verdict: 4/5
Available on: Switch (Reviewed), PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC; Publisher: Blizzard Entertainment; Developer: Blizzard Entertainment; Players: 10; Released: October 4th, 2022; ESRB: T for Teen; MSRP: Free To Play
Full disclosure: This review is based on a retail copy of Overwatch 2.
