Overwatch 2 Beta Hands-On: An Introduction Lacking in Substance
Overwatch 2 beta dazzles you straight away with its stunning graphics that surprisingly do not severely impact its frame rates. But underneath its beautifully designed maps and characters, does this game have enough to warrant being called a sequel? I spent a few hours playing the ongoing closed beta to find out. Instantly, the UI changes are apparent, with the in-game scoreboard now boasting a classic look, which is in line with other first-person shooters out there. The Hero Select menu has also seen some minor adjustments.
Having installed the game on an SSD, the load times were insignificant on PC. Whether I was waiting in the lobby or warming up in a Skirmish, the Overwatch 2 beta smoothly transitioned to the match. Once in the game, I could straight away communicate with my team mates through voice chat. There is also a chat wheel and a new ping system in place for players that do not have a microphone.
On the other hand, the matchmaking wait times in Overwatch 2 beta were abysmal. The Quick Play matchmaking is divided into Tank, Damage, and Support queues similar to the previous game. Tank and Damage queues had wait times of over 5 to 10 minutes, while I had to only wait a couple of minutes to play Support. The Priority Passes had no significant effect on the wait times either. Since this was the first closed beta, I'm hopeful things improve in the future.
In terms of content, disappointingly there aren't many new or significant changes to report. The Overwatch 2 beta currently mostly includes reworked maps from the first Overwatch game, like Eichenwalde and Ilios. Most of the Heroes have also been left untouched except for their updated designs.
Orissa and Doomfist are the only two Heroes to receive major
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