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orthodoxy1095 · May 24, 2016

Seems like the reviews and reviews-in-progress are already beginning to trickle in.

Opencritic - 93
Metacritic - 91

The Escapist - 5/5

These are all little nitpicks and personal preferences, more than anything. It's very clear that Blizzard has put in a herculean effort into polishing Overwatch, making sure that it feels great to play, has basically no bugs or glitches, and has a solid amount of content.

Twinfinite - 5/5

Just as Team Fortress 2 burst onto the scene and captivated so many with its charm, and accessible gameplay, Overwatch is poised to do the same with its sharp gameplay and likable characters. There’s little doubt that the next great class-based shooter has arrived.

USgamer - Review in Progress

Naturally, I need to spend more time with Overwatch before I give it a final score. I'm having a blast with it now; but it's only been out a few hours (in addition to the open beta), and there's still plenty of time for its weaknesses to become apparent. But for now... wow. It sure seems like Blizzard has another mega hit on their hands.

Destructoid -10/10

Truly, I believe that we'll be seeing a lot more of Overwatch in the years to come. Blizzard has a great track record when it comes to long-term support, and given how good it is out of the gate, it can only get better from here. Blizzard has truly snatched victory from the draws of defeat.

Game Informer - 10/10

As the clock winds down to zero, you backtrack in time to drop a perfect pulse bomb on the enemy position, blowing apart the greedy robot-turned-turret and his teammate, a slick sniper assassin who was too busy tracking her prey to notice your explosive gift. The game heads into overtime as the payload wagon rests mere inches away from the victory point, but your team has just been annihilated by an enormous magical dragon. Then you hear it: “Heroes never die!” As your one chance, your team’s Mercy hero activates her ultimate ability and brings your entire group back to life for one last stand. After Mei brings a scientifically sound winter to your opponents by freezing them, victory is yours. Moments like these define Overwatch, including amazing victories and last-second defeats. No matter what happens – win or lose – you’re going to have fun.

Playstation Lifestyle - 10/10

With accessibility to spare, a real commitment to diversity and an infectious sense of innocent fun, Overwatch feels like an important game — the sort that can bridge boundaries in the oft-segmented gaming community. I don’t think I’m exaggerating when I say that this may just be the project to revitalize lapsed or disheartened gamers’ interest in the medium, or the one to bring new players onboard the FPS wagon.

Ars Technica - No Score

In a single word, "friendly" just about sums up the Overwatch experience in its early days. In the wide array of characters, the smooth sense of progression within each map and easy-to-grasp abilities, Blizzard seems poised to tap into yet another audience—curious but too intimidated by the sheer weight of established brands elsewhere in a popular genre.

CGMagazine - 8/10

I mostly enjoyed my time with Overwatch as it is very easy to pick up and play. The characters are diverse and just as colourful as the levels where battles take place. As a free-to-play title, I’d have no problems with the grinding and micro-transactions, but these mechanics in a feature-lite, full priced title, mar the overall experience for me. Maybe you’re okay with that, but I’m not. No matter how many games do it, I’ll never be okay with it.

In case you’re wondering, I think Battleborn is a better game, even though comparing the two is like comparing chess to checkers, sure they might look similar but they play quite differently.

The Game Fanatics - 9/10

If you want a game with tonnes of heart, beautiful imagery and superb online action, Overwatch is a no brainer, bud. It might even be necessary to go so far as to say that if you have online and you love co-op FPS, why don’t you have Overwatch yet?

Fox News - 8/10

Overwatch is a beautifully created world with great back stories and depth to its characters. Losing or winning, you will have a great time indulging in all the fun and new aspects about the game that makes it unique from other first-person shooters. So find a hero you love and prepare to get sucked into countless hours of battle.

Attack of the Fanboy - 4.5/5

Overwatch has been polished to a high sheen by Blizzard. There are a handful of nits to pick, as mentioned above, but everything comes together in an extraordinary fashion when it could have just as easily been a mess of half-baked ideas.

Forbes - 10/10

Yet here I am, wanting, no, needing to play Overwatch as much as humanly possible. Not to rank up. Not to grind for unlocks. But just because it’s fun.

ACG - Buy

Everyeye.it - 8.5/10

Wired - No Score

Blizzard is trying to make a place where people can enjoy themselves and relax without the fear that so often accompanies these types of games. I can’t say yet where it’ll succeed in the long run, but this is the first time I’ve had hope.

IGN Italia - 9.0/10

Overwatch has the potential to be the most important and influential FPS for this generation. At the moment, it's doubtlessly the game of this summer.

Forbes - 10/10

Yet here I am, wanting, no, needing to play Overwatch as much as humanly possible. Not to rank up. Not to grind for unlocks. But just because it’s fun.

GamingBolt - 9/10

Overwatch heralds a brave new age for hero shooters, competitive multiplayer shooters and just shooters in general. It's a unique yet fun experience that's accessible to all and flawless with its execution.

GameSpot - 9/10

It's that intoxicating path of discovery that makes Overwatch so varied, so rewarding, and ultimately another seminal release from developer Blizzard. Overwatch is an intelligent cascade of disparate ideas, supporting one another, pouring into one another, and coiling around themselves as they flow into the brilliant shooter underneath.

Brash Games - 8/10

Blizzard and their team, seem to have struck gold with a perfect combination of class based, team centric first person shooting with their latest entry in their storied career. They show that in an era of overpriced and overwrought online only first person shooters, Overwatch stands out above the fray, to deliver a meaningful, competitive experience sure to last for years to come.

M3 - 8/10

Keeping with tradition Blizzard plays it safe and sound when they take on the team based shooter. Overwatch bursts with polish and its great characters are a joy to be played by both casuals and hardcores alike.

Game Revolution - 4.5/5

Blizzard has always excelled at delivering enjoyable games with beautiful presentations, and Overwatch shows that it can extend this talent to genres that it’s never visited before. This might be its first shooter, but it has a remarkable fun factor that you would expect from only the most elite shooter-oriented developers.

Le Monde: 22 shurikens out of 27

The Jimquisition - 9/10

In dedicating itself to one strong, singular style of game rather than attempting to check too many boxes with heaps of modes and features, Blizzard has crafted a finely tuned and instantly playable production. It is a game of exceptional vision, a vision realized with utmost self-assurance. This game knows what it is, and doesn’t try to be anything else

GameCrate - 8.5/10

At the very least, Overwatch deserves our attention because it's trying something new, and it's doing it at a very high level. We're all better off as gamers with Overwatch on the market competing with other multiplayer shooters (and maybe even MOBAs), because the variety of characters and highly-polished experience it offers will force other developers to improve their games or see their playerbases dwindle.

TrustedReviews - 4.5/5

Gameplanet - 9/10

What’s incredible about Overwatch is how every single aspect of the game presented holds the same remarkably high level of detail and polish, and though the lack of progression systems and small selection of game modes may limit the experience for some in the long term, in the short to medium term, this game is nothing short of amazing.

Eurogamer - Essential

If that keeps going, Blizzard's first new universe in more than 18 years could go on to match the likes of Diablo, Warcraft, StarCraft and that puzzle platformer with the vikings.

Hardcore Gamer - 4.5/5

Putting a competent team together and snatching victory from the jaws of defeat is one of the most satisfying experiences a multiplayer game has offered in years. It could use a campaign, a few more game modes and refinement of its RNG system, but none of that distracts from the fact that Overwatch is an superb effort that will entertain players for an ungodly amount of time.

Gadgets360 - 10/10

There's a great balance between depth and accessibility as well as the right amount of reliance on skill, and moments of magic that make Overwatch well worth playing.

We Got This Covered - 5/5

With Blizzard’s pedigree, Overwatch wasn’t really in jeopardy of being a bad game, though it could have ended up with a worse fate as a mediocre copycat. But the sheer amount of care and polish that has gone into this release is apparent in every facet, from the tight controls down to the options screens. This game isn’t simply an also-ran that was shoved out the door for a quick buck. It’s leaps and bounds better than anything in its genre, and it sets a high bar for future competitive multiplayer games of all kinds.

Metro - 9/10
But no matter how you feel about the ongoing trend of feature lite game launches Overwatch is a fantastic game and one of the best multiplayer shooters we’ve ever played. By focusing on character, variety, and teamwork it repositions the whole genre to be more inclusive and good-natured. Shooting people in the face has never been more fun.

PSU - 9/10

But in all seriousness, Blizzard hasn't done anything new here, but what they have done is taken the genre of "shooty-shooty, bang-bang" and injected a dose of colour and personality, delivering a game that's enjoyable, eye-catching and crammed with just the right amount of depth and accessibility that will grant a tremendous amount of replay value to establish an audience. Go team Tracer.

Gameblog.fr - 9/10

JeuxActu - 17/20

Windows Central - 4.5/5 (Choice Award)

What I initially thought of as a shallow shooter rapidly expanded into a deep and polished experience, which I hope grows alongside the community.

ICXM.net - 9/10

Overwatch is the most detailed and stylised game that you will ever play. Blizzard have created one of the most fantastic multiplayer experiences I have played in years. While what is there is extremely hard to fault, the lack of varying game modes does make it hard to recommend. After hours of play, Overwatch keeps its insane fun factor and shows no sign of ever slowing down.

Atomix - 93/100

HobbyConsoles - 90/100

Eurogamer.it - 9/10

Areajugones - 8.8/10

LaPS4 - 86/100

Gamekult - 7/10 + Editor's choice

gameranx - 10/10

Overwatch is a carefully curated ship in a bottle made from some of gaming’s best new ideas.

Arcade Sushi - 9.5/10

In a genre full of dour shootymans using realistic guns to shoot at realistic people, Overwatch polishes off the grit to reveal a game that's optimistic and eager to be explored. This is a world you'll want to stay in, bring your friends to, and keep coming back to for years to come.

HighDefDigest - 4.5/5

Despite Blizzard’s untested pedigree in the realm of shooters, they have managed to craft one of the best entries in this generation. As a critic a big part of my work is to find flaws, and I had a tough job with this game. 'Overwatch' is loud, it’s fast, it’s audacious, and it is a welcome shot in the arm in a flagging genre.

Gaming Trend - 95/100

Easily one of the most necessary multiplayer experiences of the last few years, and a shot across the bow at shooters complacent in their defined expectations: whatever you do, Overwatch does it better.

God is a Geek - 9.5/10

While I do have concerns over its longevity on consoles and it can be incredibly frustrating at times, Overwatch is an incredible shooter and one of the most fun games I’ve played in years.

The Guardian - 5/5

It’s fast and fun, with an air of unadulterated joy throughout. And yes, that’s true of Team Fortress 2 as well. But can you really have too much of a good thing?

TheSixthAxis - 9/10

For multiplayer aficionados, Overwatch is essential. It’s the kind of game worth sacrificing entire evenings to play and the kind of game you won’t be able to stop thinking about, even when you’re away.

Lazygamer - 9/10

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…

VideoGamer - 9/10

This is a game that performs superbly; the design is so tight it probably steals toilet roll from hotels and would never lend you a fiver, and it's an enormous amount of fun.

DualShockers - 9.5/10

The bottom line is Overwatch is an amazing starting place for a platform that will undoubtedly operating for years to come. But, just like any other major online game, there are a few stumbling points that will undoubtedly be addressed in the following months.

Daily Dot - 4.5/5

Overwatch is filled with the same level of personality that all Blizzard games present, and it has the same high level of holistic quality.

COGConnected - 98/100

To sum it up, Overwatch is absolutely deserving of the majority of the praise it’s receiving.

RPS

Overwatch already feels as timeless as Blizzard’s other games, and it feels weird to realize that this is the first time we’ve seen any of these heroes. I definitely have some concerns about where Overwatch will be headed in the future, but I’m not thinking about that as I teleport across the map as Tracer. No, I’m thinking about how I’m going to get behind that Bastion to take that asshole down. I’m thinking about how good it’s going to feel seeing him crumple into metal parts. I’m thinking about how much fun I’m having. The one thing I’m not thinking about? Going to bed.

Polygon - 8/10

Some issues, like a dissatisfying progression system and a hostility to solo players, hinder the overall experience, but core of Overwatch remains strong throughout. It's an easy recommendation to make, so long as you've got some friends to back you up.

Jeuxvideo.com - 17/20

4players.de (Germany) - 85%

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.

Incitemaybe · May 24, 2016

Nice, just downloaded it on PS4 now, should be fun.

Hayama Akito · May 24, 2016

robotrock · May 24, 2016

seems early

Slixshot · May 24, 2016

Yup. Game is damn near flawless.

Corpsepyre · May 24, 2016

Is there any offline mode in this? Haven't read or seen anything of this.

NeoRaider · May 24, 2016

I expect 9-10. Game is pure fun.
Can't stop playing.

Linkyn · May 24, 2016

Guess I better enjoy that 100 on Opencritic while it lasts.

Fat4all · May 24, 2016

robotrock said:
seems early

I'm giving it a week or so before I decide to buy in whole hog.

I've been burned by similar games before.

Dreams-Visions · May 24, 2016

Game is nothing but winning, bros. I can't think of a bad thing to say other than,

"GODDAMNIT THIS ISN'T TEAM DEATHMATCH, PEOPLE. GET ON ZE POINT!"

jediyoshi · May 24, 2016

Hayama Akito said:

Nothing is sacred.

KRaZyAmmo · May 24, 2016

I plan on getting it later. I'm busy with Uncharted 4 on crushing. (god damn you island jungle encounter)

Anoregon · May 24, 2016

The fact that the launch was virtually flawless (some lag and DC's here and there, I know) is a god damn miracle itself.

Mattenth · May 24, 2016

Calling now that this will be one of the most overrated games ever

Titanfall had an 86 average review score. Overwatch will score higher for its IP and accessibility ("my first competitive shooter"). But it'll falter for the same reasons as Titanfall: insufficient depth in gameplay and progression/customization. Once the honeymoon phase wanes, I think you'll find that the games start to become repetitive and same-y. The lack of game modes really drives this feeling home: if you've played any competitive shooter, the lack of variety will get you very quickly.

Team Fortress 2 is another great comparison point. What is the killer Overwatch innovation that's going to cause it to be 10x the size of TF2? So far, seems very similar with some incremental improvements and some losses, but nothing revolutionary. Though I agree with the claim that Blizzard could add content to get it to that level. But then again... TF2 is also free to play. Overwatch is (strangely) a $40+ boxed product.

Congratz to Blizzard either way though. So happy to see a new and well-executed IP. The "best game ever" sentiment may be unwarranted but it's a great foundation for the future of the IP.

spindashing · May 24, 2016

Hayama Akito said:

this image is unsettling

Struct09 · May 24, 2016

My only nitpick is that the punishment for death is a boring run back to the action (unless you have an amazing support that laid down a teleporter). But really I'm not sure how else they could have handled it better so I'm not too angry about it.

bananas · May 24, 2016

jediyoshi said:
Nothing is sacred.

let me show you this subreddit i found....

Beautiful Ninja · May 24, 2016

robotrock said:
seems early

The open beta was the full game outside of ranked, so as long as the servers didn't crash and burn on launch, which they didn't, then you can just base your review on that.

Played from when the servers launched at around 7:15PM last night and played until around 1:30AM with my buddies. That Blizzard polish really shines and the game is just fun at the end of the day. Between open beta and the 1 day the game's been out I've already put in more than 30 hours into the game.

Succinct Verbosity · May 24, 2016

Mattenth said:
Calling now that this will be one of the most overrated games ever

Titanfall had an 86 average review score. Overwatch will score higher for its IP and accessibility ("my first competitive shooter"). But it'll falter for the same reasons as Titanfall: just no depth in gameplay or progression/customization.

All Blizzard have to drop is a new hero or map and people will be back. Hell, even if they simply add skins people will be back.

Dreams-Visions · May 24, 2016

Fat4all said:
I'm giving it a week or so before I decide to buy in whole hog.

I've been burned by similar games before.

There's no guarantee you'll ever like a game just because others do. Do you like Team Fortress style games? Did you play TF2 on PC? If so, you'll be good here, then. If not, it's not the game for you.

Anoregon said:
The fact that the launch was virtually flawless (some lag and DC's here and there, I know) is a god damn miracle itself.

They had like 3 beta stress tests and an open beta that had 9 million participants. I'm not sure anything has been as ready for launch as this game was.

DoublePayje · May 24, 2016

robotrock said:
seems early

I actually wonder why not everyone is having a review already. It is the same game as the beta, in each and every aspect. This game was available for testing for months, all we needed to find out today was server stability and if they have some cool secret stuff hidden away. They did not.

Corpsepyre said:
Is there any offline mode in this? Haven't read or seen anything of this.

You can play against AI but really, if you don't care for multiplayer shooters, don't buy this. Even Star Wars Battlefront will give you better value when you are a singleplayer guy.

ReConstructDead · May 24, 2016

I expected better.

AmaterasuOni · May 24, 2016

Great reviews. I'm not normally into online shooters, but it is Blizzard. I really have no doubts about it, I'm just questioning myself if the game would have any longevity.

dimb · May 24, 2016

robotrock said:
seems early

It's basically the game game I've been playing since closed beta.

Stone Ocean · May 24, 2016

But I was told there would be 8s!

Future PhaZe · May 24, 2016

between this and doom

DoT2 · May 24, 2016

Since I started dota 2, LoL... No other game has kept me hooked this long for hours on end. Litterally played this game for 9 hours straight yesterday and thats seriously uncanny for me. Vey fun!

j0hnnix · May 24, 2016

The game has been near flawless.. It had a minor hiccup at launch but my god, Amazing, there shouldnt be any complaints except newbs nit picking about OP Bastion. =P

Git Gud Polygon players... Too Soon?

KLoWn · May 24, 2016

Good reviews so far, and well deserved. The game is so damn fun.

RichiRamjag · May 24, 2016

Dreams-Visions said:
Game is nothing but winning, bros. I can't think of a bad thing to say other than,

"GODDAMNIT THIS ISN'T TEAM DEATHMATCH, PEOPLE. GET ON ZE POINT!"

Haha, no lies there. I'll be sitting there yelling "play the fucking objective!".

Anoregon · May 24, 2016

Stone Ocean said:
But I was told there would be 8s!

Oh, there certainly will be.

Orthogonal · May 24, 2016

robotrock said:
seems early

There isn't anything game changing in the full release that wasn't known in the beta. It is a known quantity by reviewers and many players alike. A review is just a formality at this point.

george_us · May 24, 2016

Future PhaZe said:
between this and doom

I haven't had this much fun with FPSes in over a decade between Doom and Overwatch.

Primethius · May 24, 2016

Mattenth said:
Calling now that this will be one of the most overrated games ever

Titanfall had an 86 average review score. Overwatch will score higher for its IP and accessibility ("my first competitive shooter"). But it'll falter for the same reasons as Titanfall: insufficient depth in gameplay and progression/customization. Once the honeymoon phase wanes, you'll find that the games start to become repetitive and same-y.

Congratz to Blizzard either way though. So happy to see a new and well-executed IP.

I've been playing the game for so many betas and I'm still waiting for the honeymoon phase to end.

Hope it takes another 300-400 hours.

ACE 1991 · May 24, 2016

Mattenth said:
Calling now that this will be one of the most overrated games ever

Titanfall had an 86 average review score. Overwatch will score higher for its IP and accessibility ("my first competitive shooter"). But it'll falter for the same reasons as Titanfall: insufficient depth in gameplay and progression/customization. Once the honeymoon phase wanes, you'll find that the games start to become repetitive and same-y.

Congratz to Blizzard either way though. So happy to see a new and well-executed IP.

No. It's a Blizzard game, they'll support the piss out of it post-launch in a way that Titanfall was not. Also, please explain to me how this game has insufficient depth. People use the word depth all the time without understanding what that means.

Neuromancer · May 24, 2016

Corpsepyre said:
Is there any offline mode in this? Haven't read or seen anything of this.

Literally none. Even against bots you have to be online.

Fat4all · May 24, 2016

Dreams-Visions said:
There's no guarantee you'll ever like a game just because others do. Do you like Team Fortress style games? Did you play TF2 on PC? If so, you'll be good here, then. If not, it's not the game for you.

This genre is one of my "bread and butter" genres, but that doesn't matter to my anymore. Because I bought Brink day one, and I bought Shadowrun 360 day one.

For me, it doesn't matter who made the game, no more day ones.

vaderise · May 24, 2016

Expecting a 89-90 Metascore.
Overwatch is the next big thing, that's for sure.

SarusGray · May 24, 2016

I want this game so bad but I'm broke after buying Atelier Sophie Limited edition. Tell me how it is everyone so I can live vicariously through you.

Randdalf · May 24, 2016

With the reaction this game is getting I guess I'll probably have to get it at some point... but I just don't want to say goodbye to TF2

Garlador · May 24, 2016

Not sure I want to play an online-only multiplayer-only shooter...

... But I AM certainly enjoying their phenomenal CG character videos.

Winterblink · May 24, 2016

Garlador said:
Not sure I want to play an online-only multiplayer-only shooter...

You do in this case. Trust me.

Neoxon · May 24, 2016

So far, so good.

The Lamonster · May 24, 2016

Hoping this franchise is popular enough to warrant a feature length film or a spinoff campaign game.

Personally, I'm having a blast with it. Feels so damn good on PC (especially with Gsync and 165hz monitor), and I normally play shooters on console.

Xaero Gravity · May 24, 2016

Garlador said:
Not sure I want to play an online-only multiplayer-only shooter...

... But I AM certainly enjoying their phenomenal CG character videos.

If it's not your type of genre, then it's absolutely best to try before you buy

Orthogonal · May 24, 2016

SomewhatGroovy said:
Man I wish I had a better appreciation for the genre . I just can't get into it for the life of me

I feel the same way, but because this is Blizzard, I'm giving it serious consideration to jump in.

ElBoxyBrown · May 24, 2016

This review thread should be interesting........

Beautiful Ninja · May 24, 2016

SarusGray said:
I want this game so bad but I'm broke after buying Atelier Sophie Limited edition. Tell me how it is everyone so I can live vicariously through you.

Overwatch has better waifus than Atelier, you chose poorly

Eggbok · May 24, 2016

No idea what this game is but awesome reviews!
Here for the "Battlefront had more content debates."

Lights and Waves · May 24, 2016

I've literally never heard of this game, yet everyone on Earth seems to love it. Is their a demo version for the PS4?

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