The bright and colourful Overwatch is set to be the next big thing in competitive video games – and the wait is almost over.
From May 5-10, players were able to freely experience the upcoming game from Blizzard Entertainment, in which two teams of six face off in a fun and light-hearted take on the competitive multiplayer shooter genre.
The game dispenses with the gritty realism that’s been the rage in successful franchises such as Call of Duty, and its simplicity is refreshing in a world of spiraling complexity and competition.
Players choose from a lineup of 21 heroes with wildly varying abilities such as teleporting or healing, and equally varied weapons from shuriken to sniper rifles, but it’s their character Blizzard really wants you to pick.
Do you see yourself as a bit of a cowboy? Then pick the wild-western gunslinger McCree. Care more about helping your teammates than inflicting damage? The angelic Mercy might be more your style. Or perhaps you just want to jump around as a glasses-wearing ape named Winston. It’s your decision.
For us, it was the giant hammer wielding German knight Reinhardt, whose ability to charge at people and pin them to walls made him an easy favourite.
Once you’ve chosen your character, that’s it – no need to fumble your way through umpteen weapons and their numerous attachments.
If you like, you can change the way your character looks, but unlocking skins requires time, effort and luck.
Then it’s up to you and your team to capture or defend an objective, dominate in a king-of-the-hill match, or escort a payload while the other team tries to stop you.
The game modes aren’t anything new, but with the large variety of characters on offer, no game ever really plays out the same.
What really sets Overwatch apart from its more serious peers, however, are its Pixar-like visuals.
The game genuinely feels like it should be on a big screen, enjoyed with a litre of watered-down soft drink and a box of popcorn bigger than your head, and in all likelihood it may one day be.
With subscriptions and microtransactions now the norm, Overwatch’s pay once-play forever price will appease parents hoping to avoid child-incurred bill shock, and the 30-year-olds who should know better.
However, be aware there are multiple versions of the game available at launch, and if skins and collectibles don’t interest you the cheapest way to play is on PC ($69.95 direct from Blizzard).
For console, JB Hi Fi seems to have the best price at $79 for the Origins (deluxe) edition, which includes an assortment of exclusive skins.
Overwatch is rated M and arrives for PS4, XBox One and PC on May 24.