- Publisher: Blizzard Entertainment , Activision Blizzard
- Release Date: May 23, 2016
- Also On: PlayStation 4, Switch, Xbox One
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- Critic score
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- By date
- Unscored
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LEVEL (Czech Republic)Jul 12, 2016The first Blizzard shooter excels above the current competition in all aspects. A distinctive audiovisual style and plenty of pleasant details on each step are nice additions to its precisely-tuned gameplay. [Issue#265]
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May 30, 2016If there is a complaint to be had it is that, currently, there is perhaps not enough to it. The four game types are a variation on two themes, the 12 maps quickly repeat, while competitive ranked play is yet to be included. But Blizzard has made all the right noises about being committed to building on Overwatch, providing new heroes, maps and gametypes for free across the game’s lifespan.
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May 27, 2016Blizzard’s take on the team-based shooter is as polished as you’d expect, marrying tactical breadth with an emphasis on variety and inclusivity.
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May 26, 2016Overwatch delivers an unprecedented amount of fun and excitement to a genre that desperately needed a shot in the arm. The charm and personality of the characters and environments only serve to enhance the game's pitch-perfect action and fine-tuned mechanics.
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May 25, 2016It has been a very long time since I’ve felt this much passion for a game. Overwatch is a perfect storm. It’s a new IP, looks gorgeous, plays phenomenally and singlehandedly rekindled my desire to play a genre of game I thought I’d left behind at this point.
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May 24, 2016Overwatch is an amazing experience. It’s fresh and consistently fun, with matches that are great in random groups, but astonishingly good when played with friends. Blizzard has taken its masterful art of polishing and perfection to the team shooter, and things will never be the same.
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May 24, 2016You can't help but take note of the attention to detail immediately, even during the first few seconds of booting it up and watching a random character emote on the title screen. This arena shooter (not a MOBA) looks, sounds, and feels great, with the polish of a Pixar film without feeling overly childish. That extends to every facet of the experience, from its 60 FPS frame rate (even on consoles), beautiful locations, and insanely detailed character models.
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May 24, 2016Just 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
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May 24, 2016Pretty much everything about this game feels fresh and exciting: the class-based combat, the art style, the roster, the modes. It's equal parts strategic and twitchy, encouraging you to think while also rewarding skill, and its roster is a delight. Overwatch may well be the best new multiplayer shooter to come along since Modern Warfare and Team Fortress 2 took 2007 by storm. I can't wait to play more.
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May 24, 2016Overwatch is a fast, fun, and fresh take on the class-based shooter. Blizzard has made sure its first new IP in 17 years is polished to perfection.
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May 31, 2016I haven’t been this addicted to an online shooter since I was kid spending every day after school capturing flags in Team Fortress Classic (well, trying to capture them, anyway). Overwatch has everything going for it. It’s fun, beautiful, deep, and so far, it’s never boring. You might be overwhelmed at first when you start your first match and have to pick just one of those 21 gorgeous heroes, but you’ll quickly have a blast as you learn each characters’ strengths.
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May 27, 2016To sum it up, Overwatch is absolutely deserving of the majority of the praise it’s receiving. Some people will be turned away by just how much hype has surrounded the game as they have been burned by over-hyped games before, but Overwatch has objectively proven itself to be a great multiplayer shooter.
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May 5, 2017I'm certain that Overwatch will bring dozens of hours of fun to all lovers of dynamic online shooters. Focusing on one type of gameplay and an enormous attention to detail generated an excellent game. You have to appreciate the developers' sincerity when discussing doubts and problems with the community. Blizzard has done it again. You should see for yourself why so many players have fallen under Overwatch's spell.
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Dec 8, 2016Overwatch is a punch to the face for multiplayer shooters. It mingles quick-fix, objective-based gameplay with a deep tactical core and intelligent meta, forming a game that is simply perfect in short bites and thoroughly satisfying to play for hours on end.
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Game World Navigator MagazineJul 7, 2016Overwatch catches you instantly due to the hurricane dynamics of matches and the amazing smoothness of the game engine. There are no problems with the network code which can give odds to Swiss watches. It is impossible to get lost in the wilds of the interface. It offers extremely convenient controls. As a result Overwatch is very easy to learn. [Issue#210, p.68]
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Jun 7, 2016I fell in love with Team Fortress 2 because in that game, you win by being smart and considerate instead of quickly sniping off everyone you see. Overwatch improves on this concept tenfold.
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May 31, 2016A gaming experience that’s more polished and exciting than I have ever had the pleasure of experiencing and one I’ll be sure to continue to play for the foreseeable future. If not for the inclusion of microtransactions, this would have been a perfect game in my book.
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May 30, 2016Will it have the legs that games like Team Fortress and Counter-Strike have had? No idea, but Blizzard certainly has an impressive track record when it comes to supporting their games over time. For now, though, I can say that this is the most fun I’ve had with a shooter in years, and if you’ve got even a passing interest in team-based shooting, you should absolutely be playing it.
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May 29, 2016Overwatch is one of the most refreshing experiences in the FPS genre in recent memory. It’s easy to pick up but hard to master. Seventeen years after its latest new IP, Blizzard finally has a new crown jewel.
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May 26, 2016This new Blizzard title feels effortless, and already feels like another addition to their list of seminal, necessary releases. It doesn’t necessarily reinvent the wheel, but the way it polishes, presents, and executes is well above and beyond standards. 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.
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May 26, 2016Overwatch does the things most video games only dream of doing. This is a fresh, joyful experience offering an incredible variety of gameplay, high ease of access, and deep potential for mastery. 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.
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May 24, 2016Overwatch 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. It might not have the most exhaustive list of maps and modes, but it provides nearly endless opportunities for exhilarating, coordinated play. When you’re at the center of it, it feels like nothing else.
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Pelit (Finland)Sep 28, 2016Brilliantly designed, superbly playable. [Aug 2016]
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Apr 20, 2018Overwatch remains one of the most compelling and experimental shooters in the world right now. Blizzard Entertainment’s commitment to innovative new heroes, modes and responding to community feedback is unparalleled – and a treat to watch. Like World of Warcraft, Starcraft and Diablo before it, Blizzard has crafted something that will undoubtedly be around for years to come.
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Dec 1, 2016Though the game may seem sparse on maps and modes, the exquisite art direction, over-the-top action, and emphasis on teamwork all work together to provide endless hours of exhilaration. Most significant is the large cast of characters. With recognizable heroes that play as differently as they look, Blizzard has set a new standard for shooters. Overwatch is a triumph.
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CD-ActionAug 21, 2016Blizzard proved that it’s still possible to do something fresh in online shooters and helped me rediscover the charms of fragging. [08/2016, p.48]
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Aug 8, 2016The blending of genres, those perfect Moments and the beautiful pace of each game make Blizzard's new IP a must.
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PC PowerPlayJul 6, 2016Another fine example of Blizzard polish. We can't wait to see what they have planned for the future. [Issue#252, p.49]
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Jun 24, 2016Blizzard has created an excellent team shooter that smashes the bad habits of the other multiplayer games;game which keeps you at involved thanks to a pure gameplay and fun.
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Jun 7, 2016If you are looking for a gorgeous game, with gameplay balanced for both casual and competitive play, look no further than Overwatch. Blizzard has succeeded with its foray into the FPS genre, creating another gem we'll play for many years to come.
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Jun 6, 2016Well Blizzard, it looks like you have a fantastic new IP on your hands because Overwatch comes just shy of perfection with addicting enough gameplay to ensure people stay hooked in the same way they stay hooked on your other long standing games.
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Jun 3, 2016Overwatch may but not 100% perfect, but I haven’t had this much fun in a multiplayer shooter in about a decade.
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May 31, 2016A great package: fun, accessible and extremely well-made. It's a shooter as much for those pledge their lives to online play, as those chiefly interested in the occasional fun foray. It's an instant classic that, with the kind of good post-launch support Blizzard is known for, could prove the go-to shooter for an entire generation of gamers.
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May 31, 2016Overwatch is pure gold. A brilliant multiplayer action game with the seal of quality of Blizzard.
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May 30, 2016The game is incredibly polished with a unique set of heroes that are evenly counter balanced. The maps are vibrant and well designed for lots of interesting and challenging rounds. Blizzard has created a very solid foundation with Overwatch and I cannot wait to see what they do to enhance, expand and build on it in the future.
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May 29, 2016Quotation forthcoming.
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May 27, 2016Blizzard steps into the FPS world with a very strong team shooter with Moba elements that has already become the videogame in fashion: "easy to learn, hard to master" - fast, well paced, charismatic, enjoyable, strategic, and with the potential to last for years.
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May 27, 2016Overwatch is a funny, colorful and fast-paced class shooter made unique by a really huge roster of very distinct characters. There's room for improvement but we got a pretty good flying start.
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May 27, 2016Overwatch in a nutshell? Satisfaction, competition, excitement and heaps of fun, thanks to extremely refined gameplay. One of the best online shooters available, with plenty of varied characters to choose from and master.
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May 27, 2016Overwatch is an extremely polished Hero Shooter and looks absolutely lovely. Teamwork is important and encourages interaction with your teammates. With Overwatch, Blizzard has delivered another masterpiece.
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May 27, 2016If you are a first-person shooter fan generally, and if you enjoy team-based FPS play specifically, not at least trying Overwatch feels criminal. Blizzard always imparts a deep sense of holistic quality into its games, and Overwatch is no exception.
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May 27, 2016Blizzard have set a new example for the FPS genre that others will need to follow. Overwatch reaches near perfection with its polish and charm. It's fun, addictive, and will keep players hooked for a good, long time.
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May 26, 2016Yes, the amount of content isn't huge now, but knowing that there's much more incoming, there aren't too many flaws in Overwatch. Fun, deep, well-designed and full of possibilities, it's one of those games you have to, at least, try.
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May 26, 2016Overwatch is a great multiplayer game with an amazing artistic direction. Each hero truly feels special, and it is very rewarding to play with each and every one of them. It feels like the fun will never end. A solid contender for 2016's Best Video Game of the Year.
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May 26, 2016Blizzard has perfected the RTS and now they’ve laid a fantastic foundation for the FPS.
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May 25, 2016Blizzard 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’s rich with beautiful art and has a remarkable fun factor that you would expect from only the most elite shooter-oriented developers. It’s recommendable to just about anyone even if it falters when it comes to solo play. It won’t be difficult to invite your friends to come join you, after all.
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May 25, 2016It is Overwatch’s diverse group of characters that make the game shine, though. Blizzard has crafted each to stand on their own even within the same role class thanks to their weapons, abilities, and ultras. There is no mistaking one from the other thanks to supremely intelligent design from player silhouettes to character voices and sounds.
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May 24, 2016Whether 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.
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May 24, 2016It'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.
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Jun 4, 2016Overwatch is the perfect game to spend an hour with and to play a couple of matches before you do something else. And then you'll come back to it, again and again.
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May 27, 2016In most games, frustration and annoyance are solid indicators that something isn't working. Here, they're part and parcel of competition. If I'm annoyed, someone else is having a good time. If I'm elated, someone else is raging. That can be difficult to put a score to, because it removes emotion as the guiding light of a subjective process. Here's what I can say for certain: Overwatch is a great, occasionally fantastic shooter, and filled with fresh, clever design decisions.
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May 27, 2016It might not really be the “Multiplayer Shooter to end all Multiplayer Shooters” (not quite yet, anyway), but Blizzard’s Overwatch masterfully manages to find the sweet spot between accessibility, class balance, competitive multiplayer and pure, unadulterated fun.
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May 31, 2016Overwatch doesn't reinvent the wheel, but mixes well-known mechanics to create one of the best games of the genre in years.
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May 27, 2016Quality rules over quantity. Overwatch might be a little short on the content side. But other than that, you get a well-balanced, varied and beautifully-designed online shooter with a remarkably diverse hero selection.
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May 26, 2016If you can forget about its dubious commercial policy (high price, a myriad of microtransactions), then Overwatch becomes a very strong game, with many characters which are very distinct from one another. All of this with the Blizzard touch that makes each of their games accessible and polished.
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May 25, 2016Overwatch could very well come to dominate the hero shooter genre. There's plenty of room for improvement around the edges, but the core is strong enough to make this another huge hit for Blizzard.
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May 25, 2016Overwatch is the new dimension of competitive play. A step forward in the genre, an hypertrophic heir to Team Fortress: each of the 21 heroes represent a class, and the concept of asymmetrical balancing is just brilliant. On the other side, the game is not that fun if you play it alone, and the absence of ranked match is unacceptable.
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May 31, 2016Overwatch is a fast-paced, varied, incredibly fun competitive shooter, and that's a given. There are some balancing issues, nothing that cannot be fixed in the next few weeks, but the main problem of the game Blizzard is the lack of content sufficient for the player to keep coming back.
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May 27, 2016There's no question that Overwatch is a masterfully designed game. The wide array of amazing, unique characters, and the original ways they interact with one another, make for a peerless teamplay experience in the shooter space. 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.
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May 25, 2016Keeping 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.
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May 24, 2016I 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.
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Jun 8, 2016Overwatch is trying hard to rope in players who don’t normally go for team-based shooters, and in that respect it succeeds better than any other game in its class. The exceptional treatment newcomers get makes me want to love it, but I’ll need more modes and better maps if I’m going to spend hundreds of hours with it as I have with similar titles.
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May 30, 2016The game is enjoyable, the maps and characters are expertly designed, and the controls are tight and responsive, even on PCs that are not at the bleeding edge of technology. However, it's currently priced at the same level as a top-tier, AAA title, even though it delivers a fraction of the content that you'd expect from a game at that price level.
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Jun 6, 2016Blizzard has created a solid team FPS but right now it's light on content.
| This publication does not provide a score for their reviews. | |
| This publication has not posted a final review score yet. | |
| These unscored reviews do not factor into the Metascore calculation. | |
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May 23, 2016In 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.
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May 27, 2016It really feels like Blizzard bet everything on Overwatch’s 21 heroes and it absolutely paid off. 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.
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Jun 9, 2016From its commendably inclusive roster to its varied, dramatic action, it’s brimming with an welcoming liveliness that’s all too rare in games, multiplayer or otherwise.
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May 24, 2016By attempting to push the cynicism out of competitive gaming, Overwatch is working towards the seemingly impossible. Out of all the internet’s dark places, competitive shooters are among the worst. They’re the home of teabaggers and trolls, brimming with toxicity and vitriol. 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.
Awards & Rankings
User score distribution:
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Positive: 3,675 out of 6555
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Mixed: 957 out of 6555
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Negative: 1,923 out of 6555
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May 24, 2016
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Jun 13, 2016
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Jun 2, 201640$ to get matched up with retards. 2 game modes, less than 10 maps. Less content than Battlefront. 1 point because it doesn't crash that much. Waste.