• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

Overwatch - Review Thread

Jamiaro

Member
Are there really no complaints about the game? Seems really odd, makes me think it's too good to be true. Every game, even the best one, has downsides.
 
Are there really no complaints about the game? Seems really odd, makes me think it's too good to be true. Every game, even the best one, has downsides.
The gameplay itself is divine and near flawless in my opinion.

I think the biggest issue that critics have are the microtransaction implementation (not an issue to me) and the lack of "content" (modes and such).
 
PC players have options and if they choose to pay $60 it is because they want to, console players do not.

but it's because of licencing and retail. Which you seem to fully understand so....

would you have preferred if Blizz just made it 60 across the board and not allowed PC players to get a cheaper price by buying DIRECTLY through them?

or would you have preferred Blizz be like "Well, let's just take LESS money per game on console because...you know...we aren't a business"
 
but it's because of licencing and retail. Which you seem to fully understand so....

would you have preferred if Blizz just made it 60 across the board and not allowed PC players to get a cheaper price by buying DIRECTLY through them?

or would you have preferred Blizz be like "Well, let's just take LESS money per game on console because...you know...we aren't a business"

Yeah I see what you mean. I wasn't suggesting Blizzard charging for less on consoles because that is not how business work, it is just an unfortunate situation, but it still potentially hurts consumers (albeit only $20) and I want to point that out. And since I write for a Chinese outlet, currency differences makes the gap even bigger, as the localized PC version is prized at a even lower CNY 198 ($30), so it bothers console players even more.
 

Sesuadra

Unconfirmed Member
Are there really no complaints about the game? Seems really odd, makes me think it's too good to be true. Every game, even the best one, has downsides.

It's one of the most flawless games I've ever played. especially thinking about the incredible launch with close to zero server problems.
The gameplay is incredible satisfying and just fun all around.
 

DooMAGE

Member
It's one of the most flawless games I've ever played. especially thinking about the incredible launch with close to zero server problems.
The gameplay is incredible satisfying and just fun all around.

I have a hard time figuring out what is new about this game. When I played the beta I had TF2 vibes all over again. And that's it... there is nothing new on the table.
 
Yeah I see what you mean. I wasn't suggesting Blizzard charging for less on consoles because that is not how business work, it is just an unfortunate situation, but it still potentially hurts consumers (albeit only $20) and I want to point that out. And since I write for a Chinese outlet, currency differences makes the gap even bigger, as the localized PC version is prized at a even lower CNY 198 ($30), so it bothers console players even more.

i disagree, it doesn't "hurt" consumers that choose to purchase it on a Console, when a console has a smaller entry price and it's more accessible/convenient.

On PC, it might cost more due to the entry level price by getting a good PC, that can do everything the console version can at that framerate (including stream it live). but the game itself is cheaper being that the PC player has the ability to by directly through the company.

I think it's less the hurting of the consumer, and more just a benefit for being a PC gamer.

But that's just my perspective on it and perspective is everything.

I have a hard time figuring out what is new about this game. When I played the beta I had TF2 vibes all over again. And that's it... there is nothing new on the table.

it's less about what's "new" and more about, this game just Captures "Fun"
 

Jamiaro

Member
The gameplay itself is divine and near flawless in my opinion.

I think the biggest issue that critics have are the microtransaction implementation (not an issue to me) and the lack of "content" (modes and such).

Check out Polygon's review. http://www.polygon.com/2016/5/27/11797672/overwatch-review. Its of course overall positive but they do mention downsides.

Because Blizzard.

It's one of the most flawless games I've ever played. especially thinking about the incredible launch with close to zero server problems.
The gameplay is incredible satisfying and just fun all around.

The only real flaw I can think of is the tickrate, besides that it's pretty amazing.

I got burned SO HARD by Destiny that I need a good amount of time to see if this game gets any drought.
+ as a 33yr old family-man, this game seems all too competitive to play casually (havent played multiplayer for any game other than Souls-series for like 5 years). Good to hear that you all genuinely like it, though. :)

Time will tell if I dare to jump in, I guess.
 
i disagree, it doesn't "hurt" consumers that choose to purchase it on a Console, when a console has a smaller entry price and it's more accessible/convenient.

On PC, it might cost more due to the entry level price by getting a good PC, that can do everything the console version can at that framerate (including stream it live). but the game itself is cheaper being that the PC player has the ability to by directly through the company.

I think it's less the hurting of the consumer, and more just a benefit for being a PC gamer.

But that's just my perspective on it and perspective is everything.

I agree with your reasoning, still on the grand scheme of things, for the same game, PC gamers pay for less, and console gamers are forced to pay more, that feels unfair to me, especially for what our content is catered towards (Chinese players).

And even on PC the retail verson is just a code with other materials anyway.
 
Been away from home all day.

Shacknews - 9/10
Overwatch is a collection of firsts, but it carries itself with the confidence and proficiency of a veteran. It has plenty of room to grow and expand, but as our first step into this world, it's inviting, competitive, smartly designed, beautiful to look at, and fun to play. You can't ask for much more than that.

TechnoBuffalo - Buy
Overwatch is a tight, friendly, fun, well made shooter. It’s easily one of the best games I’ve played this year, and it’s one I see myself playing daily for a long, long time. What are you waiting for?

Gamestyle - 10/10
If this is surpassed as game of the year, then I will be very shocked.

PC Gamer - 88
Whatever happens in the future, what Overwatch offers right now is an excellent start.

GamesRadar - 4.5/5
Whether it's a small victory, like narrowly saving an ally's life, or a pivotal ultimate that lets you obliterate the opposing team and secure the final objective, Overwatch is ripe with the kinds of memorable moments that define worthwhile multiplayer.

Digital Spy - 5/5
Play it if you love online shooters, play it if you don't: Overwatch is ready to join the likes of Quake and Team Fortress 2 in the pantheon of greats.

IGN - 9.4/10
Overwatch is an incredible achievement in multiplayer shooter design. It bobs and weaves almost perfectly between being the quick-fix adrenaline hit you might want after a long day of work, and the thoughtful, strategic multiplayer experience that becomes the center of evening-long binges with friends.
 

level1

Member
I have a hard time figuring out what is new about this game. When I played the beta I had TF2 vibes all over again. And that's it... there is nothing new on the table.

Not being groundbreaking is not a flaw and takes nothing away from all the things the game does perfectly.
 

zoukka

Member
I agree with your reasoning, still on the grand scheme of things, for the same game, PC gamers pay for less, and console gamers are forced to pay more, that feels unfair to me, especially for what our content is catered towards (Chinese players).

And even on PC the retail verson is just a code with other materials anyway.

It's the same for every single game dude. PC games have always been cheaper. Suck it up.
 

level1

Member
I got burned SO HARD by Destiny that I need a good amount of time to see if this game gets any drought.
+ as a 33yr old family-man, this game seems all too competitive to play casually (havent played multiplayer for any game other than Souls-series for like 5 years). Good to hear that you all genuinely like it, though. :)

Time will tell if I dare to jump in, I guess.

It's not. This is what makes it so brilliant to me. It's a game that will sing your praises if you play well, but won't tell anyone if you play badly. This encourages experimentation with different characters and combinations without that awkward feeling you get when you know your team is going to see how badly you fucked up at the end of the match.
 

Pakoe

Member
I have a hard time figuring out what is new about this game. When I played the beta I had TF2 vibes all over again. And that's it... there is nothing new on the table.

It doesn't have to be "new" to be fun or good, there's no need to constantly reinvent the wheel.
Yes, it gave me TF2 vibes as well but since i have way too many hours in that game i was done with it. Overwatch gives me the same, but with a twist and that's very much enjoyable.
 
On consoles, specifically on Xbox, I don't know if it's possible but Blizzard should really investigate ways to improve matchmaking even further cuz in my experience, as a level 33 playing solo for 22 hours, I have encountered way too many matches that end up with my team or the enemy team getting steamrolled. I don't know if the game is trying to match me up with groups but it sure seems like it and it's really obvious when you have a competent team in a party together and a team that is scattershot and dying on their own. Maybe everyone is probably still in the learning phase on console but I agree with Polygon's main complaint with the game's matchmaking. Steamrolls and bad teams can really ruin your enjoyment of the game when it's constant.
 

V_Arnold

Member
On consoles, specifically on Xbox, I don't know if it's possible but Blizzard should really investigate ways to improve matchmaking even further cuz in my experience, as a level 33 playing solo for 22 hours, I have encountered way too many matches that end up with my team or the enemy team getting steamrolled. I don't know if the game is trying to match me up with groups but it sure seems like it and it's really obvious when you have a competent team in a party together and a team that is scattershot and dying on their own. Maybe everyone is probably still in the learning phase on console but I agree with Polygon's main complaint with the game's matchmaking. Steamrolls and bad teams can really ruin your enjoyment of the game when it's constant.

Steamrolls are kinda built into the game until EVERYONE in a group understands the importance of switching characters. Even if it is not coordinated, having to defend an objective with the initial starting, mixed roster is nearly impossible if 2 or 3 of the enemy team switched to heavy offensive characters to this next one push. Fail to switch even then, and you are bound to lose. Some people realize this sooner, others later.
 

Makikou

Member
On consoles, specifically on Xbox, I don't know if it's possible but Blizzard should really investigate ways to improve matchmaking even further cuz in my experience, as a level 33 playing solo for 22 hours, I have encountered way too many matches that end up with my team or the enemy team getting steamrolled. I don't know if the game is trying to match me up with groups but it sure seems like it and it's really obvious when you have a competent team in a party together and a team that is scattershot and dying on their own. Maybe everyone is probably still in the learning phase on console but I agree with Polygon's main complaint with the game's matchmaking. Steamrolls and bad teams can really ruin your enjoyment of the game when it's constant.

Can't fix stupid players with matchmaking.
 

Nyx

Member
When I’m playing Overwatch, time magically disappears into oblivion. For a game that has rounds lasting just a handful of minutes, the hours do sure fly away very, very quickly…

Definitely! But I think the short duration of the games causes this actually, it's so easy to play '1 more round'!

If rounds were 20-45 mins f.e. I would not play as much as I do now.
 

Donos

Member
I have little time for gaming/multiplayer (1-2 hours after kid goes to bed) and usually don't mind unlocks but seeing in UC4 how much of the perks i need to use to unlock them, i just lost the will to play on. Don't mind unlocking weapons in games like BF3/4/HL since starting weapons are also good.

So seeing that everything is available from the beginning in Overwatch and the similarities to TF2 (which i really liked on PC) i'm thinking about getting OW (PS4). Seems also a really polished game. Is it playable without having bunch of friends/squad?
 
I have little time for gaming/multiplayer (1-2 hours after kid goes to bed) and usually don't mind unlocks but seeing in UC4 how much of the perks i need to use to unlock them, i just lost the will to play on. Don't mind unlocking weapons in games like BF3/4/HL since starting weapons are also good.

So seeing that everything is available from the beginning in Overwatch and the similarities to TF2 (which i really liked on PC) i'm thinking about getting OW (PS4). Seems also a really polished game. Is it playable without having bunch of friends/squad?

Yes
 

V1LÆM

Gold Member
i played the beta but what put me off was that nobody was bothered with playing the objective. every game just felt like a game of TDM. also you'd have more than 1 of the same hero a lot of the time and nobody was interested in filling roles.

i'm holding off on buying it right now. will give it a few months before jumping in. maybe by then there will be less players like that and more people who play the game properly.
 

Donos

Member
Well, you have to play/test all characters before you can use them effectively in roles. I guess this will get better in a few weeks
 

KrawlMan

Member
i played the beta but what put me off was that nobody was bothered with playing the objective. every game just felt like a game of TDM. also you'd have more than 1 of the same hero a lot of the time and nobody was interested in filling roles.

i'm holding off on buying it right now. will give it a few months before jumping in. maybe by then there will be less players like that and more people who play the game properly.

I had a very different experience in the beta. While I had a few games that played like a deathmatch, plenty were working towards the objective. I wasn't seeing the best coordination in the world, but there was definitely some.

You're probably right that it'll improve in a few months, but even now I'm enjoying it.
 

B.O.O.M

Member
I absolutely love this game but it has one major issue that bugs the hell out of me

Good
Great set of diverse characters
Maps range from good to great
Fantastic net code

BAD
fking unlock system. It's so damn obvious blizzard has set it up in a way to entice people to spend money buy those loot crates. The drop rate is an absolute joke for legendary skins etc. I understand that these are cosmetic items, but this is an online MP only game. That's all there is. Uncharted also gives out the maps for free. But the unlock system is much more generous and easy to use. It's a disgusting business move. And what makes it worse? You can only get loot boxes in game after reaching the next level in the leveling up system AND there can be duplicates too. I have had at least 4 duplicates so far.
 

nahlakhai

Member
Any thoughts on people on the fence between diff versions? I'm struggling between PC v PS4. I don't have the greatest PC for gaming (Surface Book w/ Nvidia GPU) but I also feel like PC has the best player base for a game like OW.
 

Mrbob

Member
Any thoughts on people on the fence between diff versions? I'm struggling between PC v PS4. I don't have the greatest PC for gaming (Surface Book w/ Nvidia GPU) but I also feel like PC has the best player base for a game like OW.
I have both but haven't had an issue on ps4. Plenty of games going on. In fact I've been playing it on ps4 more lately since those is where my biggest friends group is at.

I have an i5 surface book with nvidia gpu and Overwatch runs ok. I didn't test frame rate but it is playable. Definitely not 60 though. Seems to run around 30 ish. You would get better performance on ps4.

I would go where your friends are at.
 

TheYanger

Member
I have both but haven't had an issue on ps4. Plenty of games going on. In fact I've been playing it on ps4 more lately since those is where my biggest friends group is at.

I have an i5 surface book and Overwatch runs ok. I didn't test frame rate but it is playable. Definitely not 60 though. Seems to run around 30 ish. You would get better performance on ps4.

I would go where your friends are at.

Shift Ctrl R to see the framerate and ping and such in the top left if you were curious.
 

Mrbob

Member
Shift Ctrl R to see the framerate and ping and such in the top left if you were curious.
Oh nice I'll check it out later today then. Game got mad at me when trying to start overwatch with fraps enabled. In fact Overwatch wouldn't start with fraps open.
 
Just watched Joe's review. I think it was very fair. Guess his audience is largely on console? It'd be interesting to see what he would rate it if all versions were 40 USD
 

scoobs

Member
I throw any and all reviews out the window when they critique a game for what it doesn't have in it. You review a game for what it is. Why can't a multiplayer shooter be $40 and just be a multiplayer shooter? If I play this game for 40 hours and get enjoyment out of it, how is that any different than if I play any another shooter with a forgettable campaign for 40 hours? Its no different. I just don't understand why we can't accept things for what they are. Not every $40-60 game must have a campaign, multiplayer and coop to be considered for 9's and 10's.

I usually like his reviews, but I completely disagree with his philosophy here.
 

GametimeUK

Member
I throw any and all reviews out the window when they critique a game for what it doesn't have in it. You review a game for what it is. Why can't a multiplayer shooter be $40 and just be a multiplayer shooter? If I play this game for 40 hours and get enjoyment out of it, how is that any different than if I play any another shooter with a forgettable campaign for 40 hours? Its no different. I just don't understand why we can't accept things for what they are. Not every $40-60 game must have a campaign, multiplayer and coop to be considered for 9's and 10's.

I usually like his reviews, but I completely disagree with his philosophy here.

Dead Space wasn't criticised for a lack of multiplayer and neither was God of War 3 so it baffles my mind why a game can't be multiplayer only. The thing is I have more playtime on Overwatch than God of War 3 and I like it more. Which game was more worthy of my money? I don't think the controls and abilities lend themselves well to an actual campaign anyway.
 
Wow, Joe's reviews are going downhill. It's just sounds more and more like he's trying to play devil's advocate for views.

At least in the past he was trying to be entertaining with his production value, now it's just talking over gameplay. Lame.

Edit: lol, did he say BattleCry? That game is dead. Check your facts Joe
 

mcz117chief

Member
Wow, Joe's reviews are going downhill. It's just sounds more and more like he's trying to play devil's advocate for views.

At least in the past he was trying to be entertaining with his production value, now it's just talking over gameplay. Lame.

Edit: lol, did he say BattleCry? That game is dead. Check your facts Joe

He is on vacation, so he just does these Rapid Fire Reviews. Too many games, too little time.
 
He is on vacation, so he just does these Rapid Fire Reviews. Too many games, too little time.

He didn't mark this one as a "Rapid Fire"

Whatever, he's of course entitled for some R&R but lately the content in his channel is just Lets Plays, paid promotional videos and movie discussions. A far cry from his old reviews regiment.
 

mcz117chief

Member
He didn't mark this one as a "Rapid Fire"

he did, it's in the name of the video and in the first few seconds of it.

Whatever, he's of course entitled for some R&R but lately the content in his channel is just Lets Plays, paid promotional videos and movie discussions. A far cry from his old reviews regiment.

If he enjoys doing movie discussion and Let's Plays then it's his business. It is his show, he can do whatever he wants. He still does his big reviews though, so I don't think a little bit of diversity in his content automatically means he is slipping.
 

valeo

Member
i played the beta but what put me off was that nobody was bothered with playing the objective. every game just felt like a game of TDM. also you'd have more than 1 of the same hero a lot of the time and nobody was interested in filling roles.

i'm holding off on buying it right now. will give it a few months before jumping in. maybe by then there will be less players like that and more people who play the game properly.

Doesn't really happen anymore. Most people play objective. Of course, it doesn't matter what game you're playing - there will always be people new to it.
 
Top Bottom