Release of Overwatch

by Keith Loh, staff reporter

Overwatch is a multiplayer first-person shooter that is currently being developed by Blizzard Entertainment, creators of the popular franchise World of Warcraft, Starcraft, Hearthstone, and Diablo.

First revealed during Blizzcon in 2014, Overwatch was scheduled to be released on May 24th, 2016, for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. The game is said to be easy to pick up, but difficult to master, making it appealing and fun for everyone.

“I preordered the game and all the bundles that came along with it. It was definitely worth the price,” senior Chris Stena said.

Players takes control of “heroes”, who all have their own unique skillsets and different roles in the game. The four main roles include offense, defense, support and tank. Offensive heroes capture points and apply pressure on the enemy team, defensive heroes protect objectives, and supportive heroes buff and heal other heroes while tanks absorb and protect heroes.

There are three main game modes, assault, escort, and control. In assault, also known as capture, two teams battle over control of the map, one team on offense, the other on defense. The attackers’ goals are to capture critical objectives, while the defenders must maintain control over them until time runs out. In escort, also known as payload, the attacking team’s objective is to move the payload to a delivery point, while the defenders must halt the attackers’ progress until time runs out. Lastly is control, which is similar to the game mode domination in many other first person shooter games like Call of Duty.

Every hero has multiple abilities and a single ultimate move that all do and accomplish different things. Some abilities are better than others in certain situations, just like how certain heroes are better suited for a specific game mode, which is what makes Overwatch so dynamic.

Overwatch has been acclaimed for its unique cast, play style, graphics and music. Each hero has a personality of his or her own and a rich background, with some intertwining with others. Though it is of the same genre, Team Fortress is often compared to Overwatch due to the similarity in graphic design, play style and gameplay.

“I thought that I was burnt out and done with first person shooters, but Overwatch proved me wrong,” senior Daniel Krichelli said.

One of the few widespread criticisms that the game has received is a lack of diverse game modes and single player viability. It has been suggested by the fan base for there to be modes like capture the flag and team deathmatch, which may come in the near future.

Overall, Overwatch is an appealing game for all audiences from experienced, veteran players, to first time beginners. Join the millions that are playing because the world could always use more heroes.