Recent reviews by kulinoe

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Is Overwatch 2 truly a sequel? It’s a question that has lingered around the second iteration of Blizzard’s multiplayer shooter ever since its unveiling in 2019, and one that intensified when it was revealed that it will fully replace the existing Overwatch, not exist alongside it. Well, now it’s finally in our hands, and I can say that while it’s less of a reinvention and more of an evolution of the intense, nuanced, and brilliantly colourful team-based battle that made its predecessor so enjoyable, it still brings enough new things to the table that it feels like its own distinct game and not simply Overwatch 1.5.

The bigger question, as Overwatch 2 begins to open up to the public as a free-to-play game, is how many of those new ideas are positive changes – different is, after all, not synonymous with better, and there are definite improvements here, just not universally so. I don’t mean to sound too negative – the original Overwatch is genuinely among the most fun I’ve ever had with a video game (and one of only two 10s I’ve ever given at IGN), so a step down from that is still something very enjoyable. Blizzard has simply set an incredibly high bar for itself here.
Because it’s not a radical reinvention, Overwatch 2 still revolves around the exciting, team-based hero shooter gameplay that made the original such a massive hit when it launched in 2016. Its sheer variety in character design across its 35 heroes, the ways in which they each feel unique to control, and the charm bursting from every seam remain clear to see. Everybody’s weapons still feel fantastic to wield, and a full pass to the sounds they produce and a slight visual glow-up only add to the empowering joy of battle. Its highs and lows, from the delight of those last-second tactical switch-ups to the agony of a teammate refusing to step onto the objective at a crucial moment, have yet to be fully replicated by any game since. That rush was the beating heart of Overwatch, but one that unfortunately diminished as it descended into a relatively stale affair near the end of its lifespan thanks to a lack of new content and an abundance of shields leading to a tedious meta taking hold. Some of the changes being made in this sequel act as a defibrillator, though, jolting new life into Blizzard’s hero shooter.

Outside of the fact that Overwatch 2 is a free-to-play game, by far the biggest shake-up that comes with the sequel is the move from its traditional 6v6 matches to a smaller 5v5 format. It’s just two fewer players in the arena, but it represents a huge ideological shift in which tangible repercussions are immediately felt. Aside from the potential horror of discovering you were the sixth-best Overwatch player out of your friends and finding yourself the odd person out, it comes with both blessings and curses – it fully drags Overwatch 2 out of the stagnant meta swamp its predecessor found itself in over the past couple of years, but also denies itself some of the lustre of its satisfying team play.