Overwatch 2 Review: Is It a Sequel or an Update

Overwatch, a multiplayer FPS game released in 2016 by Blizzard, proved to be a massive critical and commercial success. Considered among the greatest games ever, it drew millions of players and became a popular e-sport. So, when Blizzard announced a sequel named Overwatch 2 in 2019, it created a lot of hype.

Now that it has finally been released in Oct 2022, replacing the original Overwatch, the question is if it good enough to be called a worthy successor. Read the article to discover what is new in Overwatch, what has changed, and our final verdict.

• Part 1: System Requirements
• Part 2: What is New?
• Part 3: The New 5v5 Battle Mode
• Part 4: The New Three Heroes
• Part 5: Game Modes

Part 1: Overwatch 2: System Requirements

With the release of Overwatch 2, the original Overwatch is gone. If you intend to play the new Overwatch 2 on PC, below are the minimum system requirements and our recommended system specs.

Part 2: Overwatch 2: What is New?

If you were an avid Overwatch fan, you’d be happy to know that Overwatch 2 is built over the top of the original game and retains many features. It is still a team-based FPS with a limited number of characters or heroes, now increased to 35. Three new heroes: Kiriko, Junker Queen, and Sojourn, have been introduced. Another major change is that team battles are no longer 6v6 and have been modified to 5v5.

The greatest change is the game’s transition towards being free-to-play like other team-based shooter games, Fortnite, PUBG, COD, etc. It now offers seasonal battle passes for a premium game experience and is moving towards the seasonal updates model, with new heroes, maps, and game mods introduced after every season.

Part 3: Overwatch 2: The New 5v5 Battle Mode

Unlike the original Overwatch game, the team battle mode has been redefined as 5v5 instead of 6v6 battle mode. You can no longer play with the traditional 2 DPS, 2 Support, and 2 Tanks team combination. In the new 5-person teams, there can only now be one tank-class hero. All the heroes have also received many tweaks and refinements for their adjustment to 5v5 battle mode.

The new 5v5 mode will be exciting for old Overwatch players, allowing them to refine and finetune their strategies and gameplay. Since only one tank is now allowed, it will allow the tank players to diversify their roles in the game.

Part 4: Overwatch 2: The New Three Heroes

There are three new heroes introduced in Overwatch 2, Sojourn, Junker Queen, and Kirko. All three new heroes have their own unique abilities and gameplay experiences. You can read about the three new heroes, their weapons, and their abilities below:

1. Kiriko Kamori

Kiriko Kamori is a new hero introduced as a powerful healer in a support role. Though her main role is to heal teammates, she can also protect them or deal critical damage to enemies. Her only weapon is a Kunai which can deal maximum damage of 120. The Healing Ofuda is her main ability that can send 5 healing talismans to marked teammates, and each talisman can restore 23 health points.

Her other abilities include Swift Step, which allows her to dash to allies or escape dangerous situations quickly. Protection Suzu is an ability that protects allies, removes all adverse effects, and makes them invulnerable for a few seconds. Kiriko’s Kitsune Rush ability is an AoE ability for movement, attack acceleration, and reducing cooldowns.

2. Junker Queen

Junker Queen, the queen of Junkertown, is a new tank-class character. Her weapons include a Scattergun and a Jagged Blade named Gracie. The scatter gun can deal 80 points of damage with each shot and has a quick reload, while the jagged blade can be thrown and recalled using her magic gauntlet. Her passive ability Adrenaline Rush allows her to heal over time when wounding enemies.

The Commanding Shout ability grants her 200 points of extra health, and her nearby allies get extra 50 points in health and a 30% movement increase. She can activate the Carnage ability, where she uses a huge axe to cut through enemies. Rampage is her ultimate ability, where she can inflict wounds on enemies and heal herself with up to 100 points per enemy hit.

3. Sojourn

Sojourn, the former Overwatch captain, was present in the original Overwatch game, narrating many missions. She is a damage dealer equipped with a powerful railgun that can fire 14 rounds per second up to 45 rounds. Her Power Slide ability allows her to slide across the ground without losing momentum, and it can be canceled anytime with a jump.

Disruptor Shot is another ability that ensnares the enemies for four seconds dealing 210 points of damage. Her ultimate ability is Overclock, which increases the railgun damage by auto-charging the energy required for secondary fire. It remains activated for 9 seconds with 7 possible railgun shots, and during its activation, secondary fire pierces the enemies dealing massive damage.

Part 5: Overwatch 2: Game Modes

The three primary categories for game modes in Overwatch 2 are Unranked, Competitive, and Arcade. Many modes are available to play in all three categories, like Control, Push, Deathmatch, Escort, etc. The few most popular gaming modes in Overwatch 2 are summarized below:

Push

Push is a new mode introduced in Overwatch 2 where two teams fight to control a robot that needs to be escorted to a team’s barricade. The game standard time is 10 minutes, and if the robot hasn’t reached the destination, the team with the farthest covered distance wins.

Escort

Escort is a mode where a team needs to deliver a payload at the destination while moving through the game. The opposing team’s job is to halt the delivery and stop it from arriving at the destination. If a team successfully delivers the payload, they win; otherwise, the opposing team is declared the winner.

Deathmatch

Deathmatch game mode is available in Unranked and Arcade and is the mode where every player tries to get the highest kills to win the game. The first person to get the 20 kills or the player with the most kills at the end of the game is declared the winner.

Control

The control mode consists of three rounds in which both teams try to control the objective point. The team is declared the winner when their control reaches 100% for the objective point. The first team to win two rounds of control wins the game.

Mystery Heroes

Available in Unranked, Mystery Heroes mode place you in a random game mode like Control, Escort, Push, etc. The main feature of this mode is that you can’t choose the hero, as it is randomly assigned. Every time you die, you will receive another random hero.

Final Verdict

After playing the game and looking through the new features and heroes, we believe it is harsh to call Overwatch 2 a mere update to the original Overwatch. It has improved many things compared to the previous Overwatch but still lacks much to deserve the same success and popularity. Die-hard fans might dislike the new free-to-play monetization change, but it will attract a broader user base.