By: Ashton Newton Staff Writer
In the modern world of video games, the studio Blizzard stands out for some of the most memorable games around. Games like “World of Warcraft” and “Diablo” are some of the most popular in recent years, so when Blizzard comes out with something new, it’s going to be big.
“Overwatch” is just that. Announced at BlizzCon 2014, “Overwatch” excited first person shooters and Blizzard fans alike with a stunning cinematic trailer.
“Overwatch” is a team-based competitive first person shooter. The game features 21 playable heroes with all different abilities and play styles. Characters break down into four broad categories: offense, defense, support, and tank.
Cooperation is highly encouraged. Players can switch heroes during the game, so it’s advised to switch things up often and find a perfect balance of offense, defense, and support to have an advantage over the opposing team.
Each character can be individually customized with voices, emotes, and skins, unlocked with level ups and coins won in game. This gives players a chance to express themselves in game and look way cooler than everyone else. Luckily, all customizations are purely cosmetic, so no player has an unbalanced advantage.
“Overwatch” has three objective based game modes, instead of the standard “team deathmatch” style modes. This forces players to work together in order to complete objectives like capturing control points and escorting vehicles across the map.
Game developer Chris Metzan said that “Overwatch” “promotes teamwork and relationship and having fun with your friends.”
Last week, “Overwatch” had an open beta test for players to jump in and get a feel for the game before its May 24 release.
I got a chance to play the beta for a few hours and I found it to be an outrageously fun experience. The game played smooth and people were cooperative and sincere.
Blizzard has also been releasing mini comics and animated shorts to immerse players into the world of “Overwatch” before release. These can be found on the “Overwatch” website, as well as YouTube.
The general plot of “Overwatch” is that an “Omnic” artificial intelligence crisis led to an uprising of robots around the globe in a near future Earth. Because of this, the UN creates a task force to protect Earth called “Overwatch.”
“Overwatch” also has its own Reddit community where players can share tips, strategies, and original artwork, all while sharing the excitement of the game.
“Overwatch” releases May 24 for Playstation 4, Xbox One, and PC. No Mac release is planned. Blizzard has talked about adding cross play between platforms, so all players could play together, much like the game “Rocket League.”
Contact the author at anewton15@wou.edu
