Blizzard Entertainment’s Overwatch is for gamers who enjoy a good old-fashioned team battle with some strategy thrown in. The battle sequences shown in the trailer look fierce and fast-paced.
The trailer above showcases various characters with very high-tech, detailed weaponry and an original battle system all its own. The characters are shown defeating each other in complex ways, but for what purpose?
According to the official website, Overwatch takes place during a “time of global crisis” and players are part of the Overwatch, an “international task force of heroes banded together to restore peace to a war-torn world.”
However, the Overwatch was disbanded, so characters who can still serve that purpose decided to step up and keep the organization’s dream alive.
Players take on one aspect of the team: offense, defense, tank, or support. Everyone has a crucial part to play in defeating the other team involved.
There are two team-based objectives available so far: Payload and Point Capture. Payload consists of “[moving] a payload to a delivery point, while the defenders must halt the attackers’ progress until time runs out”, according to the official site. Point Capture, however, is more territorial in that it requires teams to control a point for a certain amount of time.
A sampling of the diverse playable characters
Lucio, who was recently revealed at Gamescom, is a 26-year-old from Brazil who describes himself as a “freedom fighter” and a “DJ,” according to the official site. Considered part of the Support role of the team, Lucio uses a weapon that resembles a sub-woofer speaker in the shape of a gun and shoots blasts of green sonic bass from it. One of his moves is called Crossfade, where he uses his music-based weapon to “energize himself and nearby teammates” with the universal power of music. As in real life, music can be a weapon or a peacekeeper.
Tracer is also 26 years old, but she has a role in Offense. She’s from London and considers herself an “adventurer.” She wields two guns, which aid her in her signature move Pulse Pistols where she rapidly sprays up enemies, and she’s also able to Blink or “zip through space in the direction she’s moving and reappear several yards away.”
Reinhardt, a 61-year-old giant robotic Tank, is also a self-proclaimed adventurer from Germany. He wields a huge hammer, which he uses to pull off the move Rocket Hammer which causes a great deal of damage to enemies. He also has an Energy Shield that he can use at his disposal to block enemy fire.
Widowmaker is a Defense part of the team who is an assassin from France. She’s 33 and has a great assassin move called Widow’s Kiss where she can snipe enemies far away. She also has a Grappling Hook that she can use to scale buildings and evade fire from enemies.
All 12 characters are different and already reflect a variety of playstyles, genders, ethnicities, and body types. All gamers have different preferences for weapons, tactics, and desire for which roles to fulfill within a team. The beta is sure to be compelling with over 12 characters to choose from and an assortment of intricate, exotic surroundings to battle in where strategy is key.
The beta is set for sometime this year. Sign up on the Overwatch site to receive more information on the upcoming play experience.
