Overwatch 2 finally let himself be approached in a closed beta on PC, with many changes to the program. Was the wait worth it? Our first impressions!
Note that this is only the first beta phase among many others to come, in which all the changes planned by Blizzard have not yet been implemented. But still, it allowed us to discover the new engine, the new direction adopted by Team 4 and the new features that await us in Overwatch 2 multiplayer, the official release of which is a priori scheduled for 2023.
As a reminder, the multiplayer ofOverwatch first of the name will merge for free with that of the second opus. To take advantage of the new engine and PvE mode, however, you will need to purchaseOverwatch 2.
An engine of the future?
Developing a sequel for a service game was not a decision that was well received by the community. This indeed led to a long desert crossing for the first opus, with all Team 4 efforts being focused on Overwatch 2 since its announcement in 2019. Among the arguments put forward by Blizzard justifying such a decision: a brand new engine.
If it will be highlighted above all in the famous PvE mode, this closed multiplayer beta has allowed us to discover the beginnings. If it is in no way a revolution, Overwatch 2 gains in sharpness and finesse in its graphics, and shines thanks to lighting and frankly shimmering light effects to the eye. And this without necessarily being more greedy. With our solid test configuration, the game ran blithely above the constant 100 fps in ultra quality.
Planning to integrate a day/night cycle and weather effects, this new engine allows us in multiplayer to discover old and new maps in a… new light. Dorado or King's Row by day are thus shown in all their sunny glory, and this brings a certain welcome diversity.
Another point on which Blizzard has pleasantly revitalized the game: sound design. The sounds of the different weapons and skills gain in intensity and give the action a lot more punch. This coupled with the updated technique offering greater fluidity makes the games all the more satisfying to play.
The interface also takes the opportunity to become more refined and notably displays (finally!) a complete scoreboard and a really well-crafted ping system. This will make it easier than ever to blame his teammates for having a better overview of the game and being able to communicate with his team in addition to or as a replacement for voice chat.
Shieldwatch is definitely a thing of the past (and so much the better!)
Speaking of action, Overwatch 2 is certainly not lacking in it, with a new direction that has caused a lot of ink to flow: the transition from teams of 6 against 6 to 5 against 5! In an effort to completely eliminate the infamous Shieldwatch meta, Blizzard has decided to get rid of one tank per team in order to bring more dynamism to the games.
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And it is clear that the formula works in our opinion really well, counting other additions and major changes for many heroes like Doomfist (now a tank), Orisa, Sombra, Bastion and many others. We can notably cite passives specific to each class: tanks are less sensitive to crowd control effects and charge ultimates less quickly; DPS move faster and supports passively heal after a delay without taking damage.
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Of course, this does not go without a complete relearning of the mechanics of the game and much more difficult work for the only tank and the supports. They indeed lose a second teammate to protect them from the DPS, who gain a lot of freedom in the maneuver.
Blizzard has also worked to drastically reduce the amount of crowd control effects. It also helps to make the action ubiquitous and more enjoyable. In the process though, some heroes who received only minor changes (if any) along these lines find themselves on the sidelines, while others are clearly far too powerful right now. But Team 4 eventually plans to fully reimagine and rebalance all heroes so they have a place in this new 5v5 world.
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Similarly, the ultimate abilities that could sometimes completely reverse the course of a game will be much less frequent in Overwatch 2. This contributes to teamfights more based on coordination and individual level rather than the famous "Press A to to win ". Overall, and without distorting what makes the charm and identity of Overwatch, this new 5 versus 5 orientation therefore seems to us a step in a promising direction as followers of dynamic multiplayer FPS.
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Note that the beta does not have a level-based matchmaking system. Each game is therefore a lottery that can place us with and against beginners as well as professional players from all over the world. The beta is indeed not delimited by region and therefore sometimes conducive to significant latency. Under such conditions, it is therefore difficult to have a clear and fixed vision of what Overwatch 2 multiplayer will be like once the game is officially released, but at the very least allows you to form a first opinion that is altogether promising.
The world really needed new heroes/game modes/maps
In addition to the gameplay, what makes Overwatch so charming is the release of new content such as heroes, maps and game modes. The closed beta thus introduces us to Sojourn, a DPS heroine with extremely pleasant gameplay, endowed with a great complexity requiring a certain time to master its full potential.
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With Overwatch 2, Blizzard also took the opportunity to relegate the hated “2 CP” mode to ancient history. Instead, a whole new mode called Push in total contradiction, because constantly moving the theater of action. Each team must indeed control a robot which will be responsible for pushing a barrier on one side or the other of a line. No more static teamfights focused on a single area, Push mode is a real breath of fresh air and dynamism.
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To inaugurate this new mode and rediscover the old modes under the aegis of 5 versus 5, the closed beta also offers us new maps to discover: Rome, Toronto, Monaco and New York. More open than the old maps, they also impress with the care taken in the superb artistic direction so characteristic of Overwatch and prove to be very intelligently constructed.
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Blizzard also plans to readjust all the maps of the first game so that they stick more to the 5 versus 5 orientation. New flank roads, more cover and other elements will therefore enhance the game over time. next beta phases and beyond. We should also be able to discover other maps and heroes there, as well as major changes for certain heroes who really need it.
Our first impressions of Overwatch 2's multiplayer
We had to be extremely patient, but the multiplayer of Overwatch 2 promises to be a real makeover for Blizzard's FPS. The new 5 versus 5 orientation completely reshuffles the cards of a game that has stagnated for two years, and the gameplay is more dynamic than ever.
The new features have so far proven to be convincing in this regard, even if there is still a lot of balancing to be done so that each hero has his place in this new, more ruthless world. The closed beta has also proven to be particularly stable, apart from latency issues due to global servers.
Either way, Overwatch fans should have something to celebrate: their game of choice looks to be in better shape than ever, and it's really nice to see! It remains to discover the PvE mode which intends to offer new mechanics and above all to expand the fascinating lore of this universe with small onions concocted by Blizzard… if all goes well in 2023.
In the meantime, we're not going to fail to take full advantage of this first closed beta phase, which will end on May 17!
