I’ve debated whether to buy Overwatch for some time. Rarely have I failed to buy a Blizzard title but I’ve held out for this long because pre-purchasing Overwatch is no guarantee of access to its beta. Having finally gained access to the game yesterday, the first thing I was asked by several friends was whether or not the game is worth the money. For anyone already head over heels for Overwatch, this article likely won’t help you. For anyone on the fence however, or currently saving to purchase the game, maybe it will. With that in mind, here’s my five pro’s and con’s for the game.  

Pro's

It’s Gorgeous

There’s no mistaking that Overwatch is a beautiful game. Heroes are wonderfully realized and the maps that you play in are at times absolutely gorgeous. Clean lines, bright colors and an almost cell shaded look make the game really stand out. As always Blizzard have readily applied their own artstyle and I suspect, like most things they craft, Overwatch will age well.

Heroes Are Undoubtedly Fun

Whether it’s leaping around as a giant gorilla carrying a tesla cannon, or scaling walls to fire ricocheting arrows over your enemies, every Hero in Overwatch is unquestionably fun. As someone who tends to enjoy support Heroes, there’s also plenty on offer here if you want to do something other than baby-sit a tank as a healbot.

Torbjorn might not be original, but he's tons of fun to play

There’s A Continuously Evolving Meta

The fact that you can change Heroes on the fly, as long as you’re in your spawn point, means that there’s an ever changing meta throughout the game. As your enemy team adapts to your Hero choices, it’s important that you adapt to them. This constant game of count and mouse is incredibly interesting and gives Overwatch a huge amount of depth because it allows you and your team the opportunity to counter your opposition.

Matches Are Quick

Most matches in Overwatch tend to last around 10 or so minutes and I’ve only had a handful that lasted a little longer (mainly when the enemy team dug deep and bunkered down hard). If you’re pressed for time and just want to jump on for a quick play session, it’s absolutely possible. Unlike DOTA 2 or League of Legends where matches can last up to an hour, there’s no such time constraints here.

It’s Polished. Really Polished

Like all things Blizzard, Overwatch is an incredibly polished game. Whether it’s the finish on individual Heroes and the attention to detail on their costumes or the user interface and the new reward system, it’s leagues ahead of the competition. Even the options menu has a raft of customisation you rarely see any more and it’s a welcome change for an industry that often overlooks the small things.

Con's

It’s Surprisingly Slow Paced

The lack of a sprint, relatively slow movement speed for all but a few Heroes and game modes that involve remaining in one place or escorting a slow moving object make Overwatch feel slow paced. In comparison to Dirty Bomb or Gigantic it’s practically pedestrian at times, when it comes to speed of play. This'll likely suit many coming from Team Fortress 2 but for anyone who has spent time with much faster games, it takes a while to get used to.

Lucio is one of few Heroes who actually has some mobility

It Suffers Peaks And Troughs

Unless your team specifically chooses a Hero capable of quickly moving you and your team to the front line (Symmetra or Lucio) the travel time after death is punishing, especially if you’re still on the furthest control point. The result is lengthy periods of down time between death, respawn and travel. It certainly emphasises the need not to die, but boy is it boring on the run back.

Hero Stacking Isn’t For Everyone

My first match in Overwatch saw four of my team stack two of the same Hero. We lost miserably and none of them were willing to switch to a tank or healer and instead chose to stay on Reaper and Widowmaker (surprise, surprise). For some in Overwatch this is a huge negative and should never have been implemented. For others, it’s an important part of the games meta and many teams who do it , can be easily punished. Although I’ve placed this in con’s, it’s here not because I think it’s negative but because it’s a hotly discussed topic that will likely displease some players.

Current Game Modes Are Tried And Tested

There’s no original game mode in Overwatch and those that are here have been present in other games for a long time. Payload, Point Capture, Control and Hybrid (a mix of the two) are game modes I’ve played to death. Like many I was hoping for something new and unique to Overwatch, even something that was objective based that opened up different routes through a map (something akin to Brink or Dirty Bomb). Each mode might be fun, but they don’t exactly get the blood pumping.

Impact Lacks Punch

Considering Overwatch revolves entirely around shooting, there’s work needed in order to make weapons feel punchy. If it wasn’t for a UI indicator that you struck an enemy (their health bar depletes above their head) you’d have no knowledge that you had. With low hit sounds and most weapons lacking oomph on impact, it often makes you feel that you’re not hitting anything when in fact you are. Sexing up the sounds and adding greater audio to the ambience of a map - including some much needed music - would do wonders for the game.

Final Thoughts

Unquestionably fun, Overwatch is arriving to a market that’s soon to be very saturated with quality free to play competitive titles. Dirty Bomb, Gigantic, Paladins, Battleborn and Paragon are all vying for your attention. Most of these offer all that Overwatch does and also come with a dose of originality. No one can deny Overwatch has the Blizzard level of quality we’ve all come to expect, but the competition is fierce this year and for $40 (or $60 on console) it’s not particularly cheap. Is it worth your money, though? From my perspective, it’s a little on the expensive side (£44.99 in the United Kingdom) and there’s very little here that has truly blown me away. It’s a great game and tons of fun with friends but it’s also been done to death - Team Fortress 2 has been doing exactly this for more than ten years. If you’ve a spare $40 bucks however, it’ll provide you with plenty of entertainment.