As the highly-anticipated sequel to Blizzard's hit hero shooter, Overwatch 2 put many fans on the edge of their seats. As trailers were released, many noted the striking similarities between it and the original, but were assured that there would be several balance changes and new heroes added to give a breath of fresh air to the game.
Upon release, many noted a distinct change of pace in the game, but some still preferred the original. The debate surrounding the necessity of a new title continues to rage on, but the existing characters, and favorites who debuted in Overwatch 2, like Kiriko, are keeping us engaged. despite the divisive new Battle Pass and monetization options.
Review
From the get-go, Overwatch 2 confused and frustrated fans and reviewers alike. Our Lead Features editor, Jade King, attempted to get an early look at the game, but was met only with menus to look at, as matches were nearly impossible to find until the embargo lifted. Unfortunately, her experience with the game once she could find matches was far from stellar. "I am beginning to fall out of love with Overwatch 2," Jade wrote.
Ranking up its battle pass isn’t satisfying, while previous doses of serotonin once delivered through loot boxes have been thrown away in favor of an economy that isn’t afraid to make its greedy intentions clear.
Despite a disappointing first impression, Jade believes that Overwatch 2 may evolve into a worthwhile experience once the developer synthesizes its vision. She says, "I remain convinced this moment will come for Overwatch 2, but right now it feels like a game out of time that is laughably behind when compared to its rivals."
For now, the game remains in a state of limbo, providing the same charm that won the hearts of many, but lacks a feeling of accomplishment that used to come from more frequent level-ups and now-defunct loot boxes.
Time Commitment
Fans of the original Overwatch will be divided by the inclusion of a Battle Pass, but it stands as the sole metric of completion for those who don't want to grind competitive ranks. The once fast-paced profile level-ups have been replaced with Battle Pass ranks, which require 10,000 experience per level to advance. There are bonuses tied to daily, weekly, and role-specific challenges that award anywhere from 100 points to 5,000.
While some of the challenges can be completed through normal play, some others require specific playstyles and roles that can pigeonhole you. For instance, one challenge requires you to deal damage with weapons as a support hero, but, on top of the low number of support heroes in the game, only certain choices even have offensive options that make completing the task viable.
Levelling up requires you to come back to play every week if you want to achieve the largest chunks of progress via challenges. Otherwise, it will be a slow grind if you want to keep playing after your feasibly attainable challenges are complete. Expect to dedicate around three-to-five hours a week to complete the weekly bonuses, and about one or two hours per day to finish the ones that reset daily.
Value
The minority who only play Overwatch to use their favorite heroes in the game's limited PVE modes will certainly derive joy from destroying waves of enemies without spending a dime on this free download.
However, those who enjoy playing against others online will find paywalled heroes, the new OWL currency, and the high costs of skins as a major deterrent to their enjoyment of the game. Fans will point to the release of Ramattra – who was buffed to near-broken status – as an example of why locking new heroes behind Battle Pass ranks is a horrible idea.
Skin prices also received a fair amount of backlash since launch, and have seen their costs reduced in response. In addition, there is now a free allotment of 1500 earnable credits; 500 more can be earned via the paid Battle Pass track. For reference, character bundles – which include skins and sprays – can be purchased for between 900 and 2200 credits each.
However, despite the heavy-handed transition to a free-to-play model that demands your money – or obscene amounts of time – to keep up with the metagame, there are a few elements of gameplay that you can enjoy without opening your wallet.
There are redeeming elements to Overwatch 2 if you enjoy a casual experience; the real problems come with the monetization and FOMO tactics that compel you to spend money to feel like you're having fun.
What Players Are Saying
A Soft Yes, Only Because It's Free - Sachi Go
Overwatch 2 is enjoyable enough that you won't feel like you've wasted a download, but it offers many of the same elements you can now get from better games out there. Although it tries to build on Overwatch by implementing various changes, it never manages to feel like an actual improvement. If you were a fan of the first game, you really have no choice. If you're new to the series, it's worth a shot if you're not bothered about many heroes being practically locked behind a paywall.
It's Like Overwatch, But Worse - Branden Lizardi
Between weird balance changes, subtracted content, and less user-friendly monetization plans, Overwatch 2 is just a less enjoyable version of the original game. But having replaced the original, it's the only option. If you really need to scratch that Overwatch itch, then you could settle for this. Otherwise, it might be worth looking into a different hero shooter.
One Of The Best, But Let Down By The Business - Joe Parlock
Everything great about Overwatch 2 is due to it basically being the same game as its predecessor. The characters are fantastic, the shooting feels great, and it still encourages teamwork like almost no other FPS. However, the shift to free-to-play has really let it down, with predatory monetisation and an arduous battle pass making trying out new characters impossible for those not wanting to dump a load of time or money into it.