OVERWATCH - Multiplayer Fun Redefined

Platforms: PC, PS4, XB1
Developer: Blizzard Entertainment
Release Date: May 24, 2016

"Play of the Game", the announcer voices the line and you fill up with glee when you see you are the one who is in the spotlight. Your teammates cheer and admire your skill while the opponents helplessly watch in anguish as you decimate them in the replay. These moments are what Overwatch is about. 

The main premise of the game is set on Earth 60 years into the future. Overwatch has been disbanded following a freak accident at the Swiss headquarters that reportedly resulted in the casualties of three of its founding members. The group of heroes was created to combat the Omnic Crisis, an event where robots rebelled against mankind. The Omnic Crisis has since then been quelled but new tensions arose amongst humans and omnics following attacks on key omnic leaders led by the assassin organization Talon. Seeing this, an Overwatch agent initiated a recall of all dormant agents of Overwatch.

The game sets itself up perfectly for a campaign but it doesn't contain one. The story and the lore are fantastic yet it diverges away from exploring them in terms of the actual game. 

Overwatch is a first person shooter. But that's just the outer perception. The game has various heroes and it pits them in game modes akin to popular MOBAs. Thus it is a culmination of battle arena games and first person shooters. 

The 21 heroes in the game are free to play from the start, each of them are unique both in terms of gameplay and personality. For example, you can play as a cybernetic ninja who can deflect any oncoming projectiles and climb up structures, or you can play as a robot-monk that can heal his allies and make them invulnerable. The stories behind all these characters are very detailed which complements their overall image. You may also unlock different skins for each of the heroes.

The gameplay is immensely satisfying as it has a flavour of competitiveness while also favouring casual players as well. There are no items, no snowballing from kills, and no levelling system. Basically, it provides players with an incentive to try to make a comeback in the game and encourages the leading players to constantly outplay opponents with their skill. There are minor balance inconsistencies in terms of map and hero designs. Some heroes are outright annoying to play against as they leave their opponents with little room to react. Some maps are also favour the defending team more. Nevertheless, minor balance tweaks should solve this problem.

The fun factor is bolstered by Blizzard's ability to create amazing multiplayer experiences. It is just satisfying to outplay opponents with sheer skill. The objective-based gameplay does not leave out players who prefer a support-esque approach either.

While Overwatch brings a lot of revolutionary ideas to the board, it also refines certain formulas of competitive multiplayer gaming to provide gamers with an unprecedented fun factor. Whether you go solo or team up with friends, Overwatch is a classic delight that you'd do well to not miss out on. 

Shahrukh Ikhtear is a gamer who doesn't rage. A writer who doesn't read. A musician without a teacher. Full time procrastinator. You can reach him on Facebook: fb.com/FearRedBro and email: shahrukh.ikhtear@yahoo.com