Overwatch Beta Impression

Overwatch is an upcoming and highly anticipated multiplayer first-person shooter in development by Blizzard Entertainment. Revealed at BlizzCon 2014 to make every fan be overwhelmed with curiosity, the game emphasizes cooperative gameplay using a cast of various "heroes", each with their own abilities and roles within a team. It's a chance to be knee deep in combat in a first person perspective, unleashing abilities, accessing high tech inventions and without the worry of ammo supply but requires you to have a quicker draw and a keen eye.

Zenyatta's highlight- Harmony and Discord

The game will be available to your local retailer or may download it on the main Overwatch website on May 24,2016.

Story

In the near future mankind suffers from a global crisis, but hope rose back up as an international task force of heroes banded together to restore peace to a war-torn world. This organization, known as Overwatch, ended the Omnic crisis and helped maintain peace for a generation They also inspired an era of exploration, innovation, and discovery. After many years, Overwatch's influence waned, accused of heinous crimes, attacked and it was eventually disbanded. Now in the wake of its dismantling, conflict is rising once again. Overwatch may be gone… the world still needs heroes but more importantly it's time for you to be one!

Opening cinematic- Omnic CrisisReinhardt- Emote

Graphics & Sound

The Characters are crafted into fine graphical designs and polished details. The overall designs and theme are between realistic and animated art that works very well with frame rate action and game modes.

There are amazing maps with colorful variation suited into the theme in the world of Overwatch and you can really feel like it's different era of new possibilities but with a murderous opposition of random heroes. You can fight on these maps: "King's Row", "Hanamura", “Nepal”, "Temple of Anubis" and “Illios” that are inspired by London, Japan, Solemn Temples of  Nepal, the ruins of Ancient Egypt and beautiful harbors of Greece.

The sound effects are great and varied from the weapons, abilities and character reactions as they bring meaning to each committed decision transpiring in each match. There are no accompanying soundtracks but there are announcer voice lines from a female robotic voice to encourage or warn players of the current status of the team.

Opening cinematic- Award CeremonyTracer's Victory Pose

Gameplay

Overwatch is a first person shooter that features team-based combat, map control and power/tech based abilities with two opposing teams of six players each. Players choose one of several hero characters, each with their own unique abilities and role classes. When choosing a match you are given a screen selection of heroes with each being categorized into combat roles and can be interchanged on death or within spawn area. Custom games are game modes that you can choose locations, game mode and implement modifiers for a game of your liking. Ammo supply is no longer a problem as the characters do not need pick ammo but only need to reload, so fire away with your heart's content and only keep in mind to take a breather form the firing and a chance to reload.

Hanzo killshotReinhardt pinning Roadhog off a cliff...."It was a spur of the moment"

Characters

There are currently 21 Characters in Overwatch come in four varieties: Offense, Defense, Tank, and Support. These roles serve to categorize the heroes of Overwatch by similar characteristics that can be used to describe them and their primary purpose in the battlefield. Chose the face of your handiwork and determination then head off unto victory or peril, but who knows just hope the team composition and skill can match each other.

Reaper reloads by dropping both his handheld shotguns and spawns new ones.

The four character roles: Offense characters with high damage and flexible movement but low defense, Defense characters meant to provide support fire for allies and form choke points for enemies, Support characters that provide buffs for their allies and debuffs enemies (such as healing, shields and speed alterations or slow and damage amplifications) and tank characters that have a large amount of armor and hit points to withstand enemy attacks, abilities that break through enemy defenses and draw fire away from teammates.

Hero Selection

Abilities

Each hero you utilize has a standard of 3 abilities and one auto attack, the first 2 abilities are the standard skill or ability personally accustomed to a hero but requires a cooldown before it can be used again . Ultimate ability is a unique and powerful ability which can only be used once the Ultimate Meter has been filled to 100% located on the center of the screen ranging with a percentage indicator.

Players can switch between characters in-game following deaths or re-entering the spawn area, which is encouraged by the game's overall design but you will lose all your ultimate meter percentage and start all over.

Zenyatta's Ultimate ability- Transcendence

Game modes

Overwatch currently has three main game modes, with some maps featuring a hybrid of assault and payload. Each game mode will look easy on the opposing group role until you fill in the shoes of that role and see if you really can do better. In this beta my favorite amongst the 4 is the Hybrid to keep both sides on their toes regarding what positions and targets would manifest a stronger version of defense or keep the payload moving with a flexible offensive push.

Assault: The attacking team is tasked with capturing two target points on the map, while the defending team must stop them. Quick Tip on this one gain at least one Winston or a mobile Reaper player to break formations and strategies while you capture  a point.

Escort: The attacking team is tasked with escorting a payload to a certain delivery point before time runs out, while the defending team must stop them. The payload vehicle moves along a fixed track when any player on the attacking team is close to it. In some escort maps (referred to as hybrid), the attacking team has to capture the payload first before actually escorting it. An essential part of this mode is a tank with a barrier and a mobile defender clearing out any ambush points, because in my experience a bastion is always an easy pick for cutting down any predictable target especially ones who are escorting the payload.

Hybrid: This hybrid mode combines two modes first objective is “Assault” to capture a point until a meter is filled then the “Escort” phase begins to safeguard and guide a vehicle or mobile payload to a destination, while a defending team tries to stop both objectives. It's best to switch heroes after using an ultimate as an offensive and keep a Symmetra for the slowing turrets and the lovely teleporter.

Control: Each team tries to capture and maintain a control point until their capture percentage reaches 100%. This game mode is played in a best-of-three format. Turret creation comes second when holding down a point since a sturdy tank will be the one holding out the point, but if you ever lose the point an explosive character like Pharah and Junkrat will be the answer for your pesky invaders.

Highlight Introductions

A showcased highlight replay of the best moves, kills and defense of a player even if they didn’t win the match. It is unclear on how specific it will choose on what is the best play out of the game mode but it normally relies on the use of the ultimate or number of kills compared to all teams. So in short if you want the whole crowd to be in awe of your 5 minutes of fame you got the make that push or defense with all the magic you can muster into that limelight!

Escort- Defense with ReinhardtControl- Pharah on objective

Extras

Character Customization

There are a dozen customization to your character’s image from skins, emote, spray mark and showcased highlight introductions. Few costumes have actual appearance alteration the rest are dye alterations that represent the same costume under a different light. Though seeing a sophisticated safari ape going berserk or gaining cover fire from a turret building pirate makes the game feel more free and crazy. 

Highlights

Even if you’re character was not given the spotlight the next best thing is being given a replay worthy of being play of the game that you can view after a match located on the main menu. Now feel like a rcokstar with your limelight shining on the epic moments of your previous games.

Lootboxes

 A reward given for each level gained by the player and when used it will grant a random prize from skins, character voice lines and sprays. I had fun unlocking multiple costumes and sometimes disappointing for gaining a low priority white lootbox, but hey you’re in it to take a chance rather than spending cold hard cash for a cosmetic.

Winston's Victory poseLucio's Highlight Intro

Summary

I am proud to say I was part of an awesome beta of a game that lived up to most of it’s hype and promises. Though this is just a beta impression it will most likely have the same analysis and interpretation for the released game since it was already in the finished product phase. You will enjoy the game modes, skins, emotes and abilities of the heroes while experimenting on ways to gain a higher advantage against an entire squad. Take care and hope your teammates try to balance out the hero line up or not duplicate the landscape with a single face as it was in my experience a not so pleasant progress. I would recommend this game to friends and family for fun and exciting gaming sessions. Losing or winning you still gain the heroes who can turn back time, storm through with a rocket propelled armor and launch dragons form a tip of a single arrow. Hey if you want you and your friends can go wild and be the same hero and spam 1 solid ability over another like 6 Bastion fortress raining down rivers of bullets or 6 annoying Tracers popping on every corner of the map. This game actually has an integrated in-game voice and text chat system that allows players to communicate to convey thoughts and reactions during an intense fight. I would give the game a 8.7/10 for the moment since it only has a few and very similar game modes with a steep 60$ price.

                                                                           ARE YOU WITH US?
Opening cinematic- Winston's invitation

9 Comments

  1. Avatar photo

    I dig this blog bro and epic screenshot of you as Reinhardt charging within a freakin dragon shot!!

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      Cool thanks man! When you use that hero you will feel like a force of nature

      Reply
  2. Avatar photo

    Awesome review it really brings a great shine on Overwatch, We Are WITH YOU WINSTON! oh and do you cover let’s plays?

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      Thanks. We want to write a new complete review and not just first impressions. And if possible even Let’s plays, yes 🙂

      Reply
    • Avatar photo

      There’s a full game review in our site 😀 ..also Winston would be proud of your enthusiasm

      Reply
  3. Avatar photo

    Hey, it was a good read! Do I understand correctly, that you don’t have a favorite hero?)

    Reply
    • Avatar photo

      Well depends on who I am fighting against then I use the appropriate counter.

      Reply
      • Avatar photo

        Yeah, that’s the general approach with Overwatch. Don’t you have any favorites?

      • Avatar photo

        Zenyatta because has awesome highlight intros

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