Preview: Overwatch Beta

If you enjoy fun filled first person shooters with a twist, a myriad of colourful characters and lots of unique maps then Blizzard’s Overwatch is the game for you.
The beta ran from the 5th of May and was meant to end on the 9th, but was extended until the 10th.
Admittedly the beta did take a couple of playthroughs to get the hang of the gameplay and the intricacies of choosing the correct character that suits your gameplay style, but the amount of effort you put into the game is worth it.
That’s not to say that kills are everything. Overwatch judges you on how involved you are in your match.  Did you inflict the most damage?  Were you the healer of the squad? Did you have the largest kill streak?  All these things and more amount to how you are viewed as a player.

There is a character for every type of player and each has their own unique set of skills.  There are guns, turrets, arrows, rocket launchers and even bear traps to ensnare your opponents. You can even be a cowboy.  Certain characters have the added advantage of having shields or being able to teleport right behind the unsuspecting enemy. If you prefer being a sniper you can always make use of the grappling hook to find a nice high advantage point to take out as many people as possible.
You need to work as a team as you don’t stand a chance if you are a lone wolf. You need people at your back. The game will prompt you if your team is lacking in certain areas or if it feels that your team is unbalanced which is an added bonus.  Heed the warnings because the outcome could be disastrous.
The maps are fantastic; no two maps are the same. They each have their little hidden crevices and spots to sneak up on people.  There are some great areas for cover when the battle gets a little too heated and lots of open areas for you to move about freely.
There isn’t much customisation to the game.  You can unlock new skins for the characters from loot boxes you acquire when you level up but there isn’t the ability to upgrade your favourite character.  Everyone is equal, no one is overpowered and if you feel like you are getting nowhere in the game playing as the character you chose then there is always the option of choosing a different character when you re-spawn.
Blizzard did a great job with the beta; hopefully, the full game will be even better.  Definitely, one to look out for when it releases on May the 24th.