Overwatch 2 Review in Progress

ign.com:

Here are my early impressions of Overwatch 2 after playing for several hours. For my full scored review check back next week when Overwatch 2 launches.

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 are for the betterment of the experience – different is, after all, not synonymous with better, and after playing several hours I’m still split on what’s an improvement and what isn’t. 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.

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