A sequel to Blizzard’s ‘hero shooter’ sensation is getting closer to launch, and beta players don’t know if Overwatch 2 is ready.
Blizzard’s Overwatch took the internet and gaming community by storm back in 2016 with its self-proclaimed ‘hero shooter’ that drew massive amounts of players to the multiplayer game. Fans were drawn to the slightly cartoonish design style, the colourful cast of characters and their abilities, and the fast-paced multiplayer gameplay dynamic that pits two six-player teams against each other to complete various objectives.
The loose story of the game explains that the two opposing parties are made up of Overwatch, the ‘good’ soldiers there to prevent mass destruction, and Talon, the ‘not so good’ soldiers that are hired guns. When playing there is no real way of knowing which side you are on as you are just Team 1 and Team 2. Most players aren’t too worried about the story though, as the game’s main draw is a first-person shooter and its fast-paced gameplay.
Overwatch earned numerous awards and accolades during its time in the limelight and became one of the most popular esport games at the time – even spawning Overwatch League in 2017.
Blizzard initially revealed Overwatch 2 in 2019, and audiences were divided in opinion about it. It seemed like the development company was trying to make just enough changes to their already sensational game to make the now 6-year-old shooter “feel fresh again”.
“The game is intended to have a shared environment for player-versus-player modes with the first game while introducing persistent cooperative modes.” The game is set for release in just a couple of months, on the 4th of October 2022, and is currently in beta.
Some improvements have been made from the first game such as that Overwatch 2 will be free-to-play, unlike its predecessor. It also looks like it will have both cross-play and cross-progression functionality, something that the prequel did not feature. This means that players would be able to move their progress from one platform to another. In a similar vein, the new rendition will allow you to transfer the cosmetics you have earned or bought from Overwatch to Overwatch 2.
Unfortunately, there is always bad that comes with the good. So far, the PVP aspect of the game seems virtually the same as the previous game, according to beta testers. Additionally, the promised PVE aspect won’t be launched until well into 2023.
PCMag’s Zackery Cuevas wrote in a recent preview: “The upcoming Overwatch 2 is as fun and fast-paced as the original game, but you must take a close look to notice differences between the two shooters.”
So, with the release date creeping closer and closer, it’s currently still looking like Blizzard has just copied and pasted their first game and slapped a 2 on it to revive their game. Hopefully, more changes are in the pipeline, but with the release being so close, it’s doubtful.
