While Blizzcon seemed to be more of a negative than a positive for many this year given the fallout over mobile Diablo, it did inspire a friend and I to get back into Overwatch. I am unsure what the difference is, but I am really enjoying my return. Here’s why:
New or Re-imagined Heroes
I have no clue who is good or bad anymore. When the game launched, I played Roadhog most of the time and he was widely regarded as overpowered. He’s not who he once was after being nerfed, so I have been inspired to look elsewhere for my tanking needs.
Enter Orisa.
Orisa was released around the time I quit playing last. Despite this, I never got around to trying her. In truth, a lot of it comes down to her design, which I hate, and I associated her with more of a Reinhardt “stand still with your shield up front and hope you randomed into a good team” style of play. After giving her a fair chance, I really enjoy playing her.
In most shooters, I gravitate toward heavy/large machine guns. In Modern Warfare 2, I almost exclusively played with those kinds of weapons because I enjoy the concept of suppression fire in FPS games. With Orisa, I get the giant clip and more. Her shield feels a little broken (as do most of them in the game, especially when stacked, if I am honest). I also love her gravitation bomb thing as that’s the only aspect of Zarya – her ult which does the same thing but far better – I really enjoy (other than her awesome design, of course).
Regarding tanks, I have also taken to playing Winston, continue to play Roadhog, and am slowly coming around to D.Va.
Beyond tanks, I also really dig the reworked Torbjorn. I used to hate playing him and playing against him. I still think his turret is bullshit, but at least now he feels more interesting on his own. He’s a close enough approximation of the Dwarf Engineer class from Warhammer Online, at least in regard to his area denial ability. If the Overwatch team (or any other dev team with a compatible game) wants to add a hero that focuses on Point Black Area of Effect Damage Over Time attacks, then please do so. I absolutely loved playing Dwarf Engineer and miss playing it even though Warhammer Online was terrible. Plus, it is cool describing a class as PB AOE DOT specialist to someone unfamiliar with the acronyms.
Finally, I am in love with Brigitte. I know she is getting nerfed soon, but I am still hopeful I will continue to enjoy playing her. I am a sucker for a healing/tank hybrid, and she is that in spades. She reminds me of playing Taric in League of Legends whom I also loved. It doesn’t hurt that she has a fun personality and aesthetic either.
Casual Play is Less Toxic
While I was away, Blizzard implemented a new system to help counteract toxicity in Overwatch chat and I feel like it has worked. Rarely do I get yelled at – most people seem to opt for the “don’t say anything at all” approach. I did run into an incident the other day where someone spectating the game wanted to offer me unsolicited D.Va tips. He friended me after despite me not responding and I immediately said no. I appreciate the offer, assuming it was in good faith, but I tire of others assuming I want advice or am playing the game to “get good”. I know it’s a behavior that I am also guilty of, but there is a time and a place.
Mystery Heroes is Still Around
I never play ranked mode in anything. To me, that’s just asking for frustration and heartache. And, when it comes to playing without one of the two friends that regular play Overwatch, I prefer going solo in Mystery Heroes.
Mystery Heroes the same 6v6 objective gameplay as the regular quick play list, but with the slight wrinkle that your hero is randomly chosen at beginning of the game and changes every time you die. The randomization “seems” to keep up with having at least one tank and healer, but there is no limit on having more than one of the same hero on your team.
It isn’t necessarily more fun, but I love Mystery Heroes for two reasons:
First, when I am on my own, I don’t want to fight over which role I get to play. I do typically gravitate toward tank or sometimes support these days, but it is nice not being forced to play that way. I also like that there isn’t really any reason to complain at my or anyone else’s hero pick.
Second, it forces me out of my comfort zone. Part of the reason I stopped playing Overwatch, other than my friends all quitting and toxic chat, was because I felt stuck playing Roadhog > Pharah > Mercy as my three mains. And, even with a less toxic atmosphere, I still feel extremely self-conscience when trying to play a hero I am less familiar with, especially without the backup of friends who can either carry me or playing something complimentary, so I have more success. I would’ve never given Torbjorn a shot if it weren’t for Mystery Heroes, and the influence of seeing playtime as more characters is helping me a ton.
Conclusion
Overwatch is still fun, and I am enjoying playing it again. It is one of the few multiplayer-only titles I can play without feeling too frustrated. Better yet, I don’t mind playing with friends of different skill levels because win, lose, or get owned we still have fun. That’s a huge advantage over games like League of Legends where I am likely to break a keyboard over my monitor and be out a few hundred bucks.
Murf Versus 