Product Description:
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Overwatch
An Epic Evolution
by Daniel Tack
Concept:
Two teams battle in fast, objective-based matches with a roster of distinct characters
Graphics:
The colorful characters and settings are bright, but you can always tell what's going on
Sound:
Audio is integral to the gameplay, calling out when ultimate abilities have been activated. Memorable quips from each character flow endlessly, and a spirited score enhances the action
Playability:
Incredibly easy to pick up and play, since most characters have only a single weapon and a handful of abilities. However, advanced teamplay and strategy leave plenty of room to grow
Entertainment:
Vibrant and endlessly entertaining. Whether you just want to play a few quick rounds or settle in for hours with friends, Overwatch delivers with polished panache
Replay:
High
As the clock winds down to zero, you backtrack in time to drop a perfect pulse bomb on the enemy position, blowing apart the greedy robot-turned-turret and his teammate, a slick sniper assassin who was too busy tracking her prey to notice your explosive gift. The game heads into overtime as the payload wagon rests mere inches away from the victory point, but your team has just been annihilated by an enormous magical dragon. Then you hear it: "Heroes never die!" As your one chance, your team's Mercy hero activates her ultimate ability and brings your entire group back to life for one last stand. After Mei brings a scientifically sound winter to your opponents by freezing them, victory is yours. Moments like these define Overwatch, including amazing victories and last-second defeats. No matter what happens - win or lose - you're going to have fun. Overwatch may not have a campaign to speak of, entertaining stories emerge from the interactions with your team and your enemies.
Blizzard's influence on gaming is unquestionable, having redefined and reinvented almost every genre it has set its sights on, including real-time strategy, collectible card games, and MMOs. Wading into first-person shooter waters, specifically the team-based shooter, is a daunting prospect for any company. Even so, Blizzard has done it again, pairing objective-focused play and fast matches that encourage you to pursue objectives rather than kill/death/assist stats.
Overwatch's strength lies in its simplicity and polish, much like Dota 2 or League of Legends. Two teams of six players each do battle on a handful of maps, and modes all boil down to some form of escorting, capturing, or protecting an objective. Other modes may be available, but the game is at its best by keeping things close to the core, with maps everyone knows and easy-to-understand modes. While expectations today may call for a single-player campaign or a wide variety of modes, Overwatch's consistently chaotic gameplay stands on its own, giving players the tools to ensure that no game ever plays out the same. These elements simply form the canvas where players paint a new and unique experience, match after match.
See the rest of the review at Game Informer Opens a New Window.
The future is now. Are you with us?
Clash on the battlefields of tomorrow and choose your hero from a diverse cast of soldiers, scientists, adventurers, and oddities. Bend time, defy physics, and unleash an array of extraordinary powers and weapons. Engage your enemies in iconic locations from around the globe in the ultimate team-based shooter. Take your place in Overwatch. The world needs heroes.
Experience the extraordinary
Speed up and slow down time. Rain destruction from above in an experimental, jet-powered armor suit. Stalk your prey as a wraith-like assassin that can appear anywhere, anytime. Unleash powers such as dragonstrike, transcendence, graviton surge, and so much more. Every hero has a unique set of devastating and game-changing abilities.
Play heroes, not classes
Every hero has a unique perspective on the battlefield and a story behind how they arrived there. You are a champion of a bygone age wielding his punishing rocket hammer in the service of honor, a robotic monk committed to healing the rifts between man and machine, a genetically engineered gorilla who also happens to be a brilliant scientist, and many, many more.
Fight for the future...together
Teamwork is imperative for survival as you enter the fight with friends and comrades. Careful coordination will prove the difference between victory and defeat as your team combines the formidable powers at your disposal to devastating effect.
Shift your perspective
Just when it seems like your team is destined to go down in defeat, switch heroes on the fly and change the course of the battle. But don't forget that your opponents can do the same. Master the game within the game as both teams shift strategies and heroes in a constant dance to gain the upper hand.
The world is your battlefield
Protect the secrets of the mysterious Temple of Anubis in Egypt, safely escort an EMP device through King's Row in London, and do battle at other key locations around the planet. Every map has its own distinct feel with unique gameplay and team-based objectives.
Origins Edition Features
Overwatch - Hero Skins
Pay homage to the original Overwatch strike force by wearing the vintage skins Blackwatch Reyes or Strike-Commander Morrison. Explore other heroes' origins with Overgrown Bastion, Security Chief Pharah, and even Slipstream Tracer!
Diablo® III - Mercy's Wings
Slay demonic forces throughout the High Heavens and Burning Hells as you don Mercy's wings. All of Sanctuary will know of your allegiance to Overwatch!
World of Warcraft® - Baby Winston Pet
Adorably cuddly and highly intellectual, the Baby Winston pet will be at your side as you fight your way through Azeroth.
Hearthstone® - Card Back
Battle it out in Hearthstone with an Overwatch-themed card back fit for a hero!
StarCraft® II - In-game Portraits
With brand new portraits of Tracer, Reaper, Pharah, Winston, Bastion, and Soldier: 76, you're sure to become a champion of the Koprulu Sector.
Heroes of the Storm - Tracer Hero
Jump into the Nexus with Tracer and surprise your enemies in the blink of an eye.
