Overwatch 2 in the test: Blizzard gets the best out of its hero shooter

Like its predecessor, Overwatch 2 has a well-rounded concept and motivating gameplay. The long-term success of the shooter is in Blizzard’s hands.

Overwatch 2 has been giving FPS shooter fans a new alternative to live out their passion since October 4th – whether on PC, Xbox, PlayStation or Nintendo Switch. To evaluate Overwatch 2, the question of context is important. Do I want to compare the sequel to Overwatch 1, or take Blizzard’s hero shooter all on its own?

While the comparison with the predecessor is important and will be taken into account in this review, I would like to focus on the presence of Overwatch and its position in the current FPS landscape. How much fun the game is in the end doesn’t depend on the gameplay of the old version. Looking back can give a better appreciation of Blizzard’s efforts and the path the game might take in the future.

We leave the past behind us

Overwatch 2 is not an entirely new game. Basically, it’s a free-to-play Overwatch with some tweaks to the gameplay. One could say that Blizzard has caught up on all the missed changes and updates that would have been necessary for Overwatch to survive. Old maps, heroes, skins and modes have been carried over directly into the new concept and a few new things have been added to the launch.

Making the sequel its own game certainly wasn’t necessary, but it’s symbolic. A rebirth, a new beginning. Everything should be better this time. Instead of six heroes in a team, there are now five, roles and heroes have been revised a bit, the ranking system has been made more flexible, the graphics have been improved, loot boxes have been removed, a battle pass has been introduced and a story mode should come into play in the foreseeable future.

We can leave the past behind – however, Overwatch itself, despite many changes, works from the same basis. That’s not a bad thing, though, because Overwatch was a shooter with a lot of potential that Blizzard hasn’t fully realized until now. In fact, I’m glad that the basic gameplay hasn’t changed much, because Overwatch was a unique FPS that no other shooter has come close to.

The current state of Overwatch 2

So, enough reminiscing. I no longer have to miss Overwatch, because there is now Overwatch 2. In the meantime, the problems with logging in have subsided, at least for me. I can even register again directly at 7:00 p.m. or 8:00 p.m. without queuing. So it’s time for an (almost) final test – the PvE mode still doesn’t exist. Nevertheless, I already like Overwatch 2 better than the first part. The reasons for this lie in different areas.

First of all, the game meets the ravages of time visually and in terms of gameplay. Even on medium graphics settings, Overwatch 2 leaves many genre colleagues behind and has a pleasantly fast gameplay in which you as an individual player have an impact on the team’s performance at almost every second. However, it is difficult to shoulder the game on your own compared to other competitive shooters. This strong focus on teamwork and the fulfillment of special roles using very concise skills is a holdover from the old days and gives Overwatch 2 its very own niche between Valorant, Rainbow Six Siege and Co.

All heroes so far feel unique and bring abilities with strong influence. I would like to emphasize that almost all heroes currently feel optimally balanced. Whether it’s Symmetra, Pharah or Widowmaker – every hero or heroine has strengths that can be used in a specific mode or on specific maps. No character is so weak that it’s never worth playing. And we know from other character-based games like Apex Legends or League of Legends that it really isn’t that easy to achieve.

Even though veterans probably know many maps and modes by heart, in addition to most of the heroes, Overwatch 2 generally offers a wide variety of activities. From ranked and unranked matches to a handful of rotating arcade modes where you can just blast away. Whether you play in low gravity, compete in duels or play completely crazy fan modes, there should be something for everyone who wants to take a break from ranked.

So far, Overwatch 2 has run mixed and smoothly for me. At first, when Blizzard’s servers were still plagued by overload and DDoS attacks, there were crashes and unsightly stutters. The further away I am from the release, the more enjoyable it becomes. Overwatch 2 now runs fine most of the time, except when it complains about the overclocked GPU in my laptop by default and crashes in complete insult – but only every few laps and not always. The shooter doesn’t complain a bit on the PC – the sweet Nvidia GeForce GTX 2070 Super runs here without steroids and easily manages the highest graphics settings without losing a lot of FPS.

Overall, Overwatch 2 delivers a really nice and well-rounded live service experience. The times in the queue for the matches are not long, the menu is clear, the Battle Pass is filled with pretty cosmetic items and the shop is not unusually expensive. In other games it is also possible to buy a skin for 20 euros. I haven’t noticed pay-to-win mechanics so far – Blizzard already has Diablo Immortal for that.

Only the future knows more

We will probably only know in a few months whether Overwatch 2 will achieve the desired success. There’s little to complain about about the shooter itself – other than the tedious grind for free skins. It used to be faster with the loot boxes. You can not have everything. I think Overwatch 2 is going to take a while to get going. After all, the concept of the game has already proved successful and Blizzard has mostly kept it.

There aren’t any major changes, particularly in terms of gameplay. Early Overwatch fans will find their beloved game back with a few patches that modernize the game, add content, and shake up the meta a bit. There really isn’t much to complain about, especially since all other live service titles have gone through the same changes.

For new players, Overwatch 2 is a competitive shooter that knows how to stand out from the very popular genre peers. The map and mode rotation can feel a bit cluttered for beginners, but other than that there’s no reason for fans of competitive shooters not to at least take a look at Blizzard’s second attempt.

Overwatch 2 Review – Conclusion

So far Overwatch 2 gives me a lot of confidence. I missed the game in the hero shooter landscape and highly recommend it to friends of this genre. Thanks to the good basis that the old Overwatch offers its successor, it has an already proven gameplay concept and is free of most teething troubles. In Overwatch 2 we are dealing more with a teenager who has already outgrown his infancy but has not yet fully settled into life. The new orientation towards a free-to-play model suits the shooter really well and is a sensible step towards making the game competitive in the long term. The only important thing is that Blizzard stays on the ball.

Overwatch 2 – pros and cons

Per:

• Unique gameplay concept in hero shooter landscape
• Does a lot better than its predecessor
• Heroes have a high recognition value – both visually and in terms of the kit
• Heroes are well balanced at release
• Many modes and maps
• Matches are short and easy to estimate in terms of time

Cons:

• Skins in the shop are a bit expensive
• PvE mode is still a long way off

---

Developer: Blizzard Entertainment – Publishers: Blizzard Entertainment- Platforms: PC, Xbox Series, Xbox One, PS5, PS4, Switch – release: 10/4/2022 – Genre: FPS – Price (RRP): Free to play