On March 31st 1998, the world was introduced to Starcraft – Blizzard Entertainment’s latest franchise that would go alongside the likes of Warcraft and Diablo. Fast-forward seventeen long years later from the creation of the intergalactic war game, Blizzard are preparing to release its next franchise.
Yesterday, at BlizzCon, Blizzard showed off their new game ‘Overwatch’. The game is a team-based, six-versus-six multiplayer shooter with an emphasis on ‘fun’. The six-minute (yes, six minutes) trailer showed off cartoonish visuals, reminiscent of films created by Pixar, and the game itself will remind some of Team Fortress. The developer showed off a whole host of different characters (called heroes in-game), who make up an ‘elite taskforce’ that are set with the mission of ‘ending the war’ and ‘restoring liberty to all nations’.
The game is set on Earth in the distant future. Players will battle in iconic real-world environments including Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro, to the Eiffel Tower in Paris, and even Egyptian temples. Those were just some of the maps that have been seen in gameplay videos released in the past day.
Then there are the heroes, who players will take control of to wreak havoc across the world. Each hero fits into a specific role, with their own unique abilities and play styles. There are offensive-based heroes such as Tracer– a former British test pilot, who can teleport, drop bombs, and reverse time – who are meant to push the objective, and have a high damage output.
There are also tank characters such as Winston – an ape, who uses a jetpack to storm into battle – who are meant to lead the charge and have high survivability. The key for Blizzard was to have abilities that broadened the diversity of characters, enhancing the play style while avoiding making characters feel the same.
The beta of the game is due for release next year, and if you are interested you can sign up here: playoverwatch.com. You can view the trailer below:
