New updates are being added at the bottom of this story……. Original story (published on October 7, 2022) follows:
Overwatch 2 is the most recent installment in the Activision-Blizzard ‘Hero Shooter’ saga. It’s meant to be a bigger and better version of the original game, but that could also be one of its weaknesses.
It’s worth pointing out that Overwatch 2’s initial launch has been somewhat bumpy. For instance, many have lost their progress when transferring to Overwatch 2, while the Watchpoint Pack is not working for others.
Going back to the subject, after its release in 2016, Overwatch attracted the attention of millions of players worldwide. Among its virtues were the frenzy of matches, the large catalog of heroes and the good map design.
So, Overwatch 2 seeks to keep all of the above and make it better with some tweaks and additions. While this has been well received by many players, there is another section that is not so happy about it.
Overwatch 2: a proper sequel or a big DLC-like update?
Overwatch 2 shares many things with the original game. The most obvious resemblance is the graphic and artistic section that are practically identical.
Perhaps the graphic/technical continuity seeks to maintain the balanced Overwatch hardware requirements. That game didn’t require very powerful hardware to play it, and something similar is expected in its sequel.
Accessibility could be behind multiple decisions regarding the new game. The most outstanding is its business model that is now free-to-play.
Judging by these decisions, Activision-Blizzard probably sought to attract a lot of new audiences and keep the current one at the same time. So, this would have led them to be ‘conservative’ in various sections.
But these changes are generating a debate among players. While some consider it appropriate for the game to be a sequel, others see it as more of a big DLC or update.
The availability of Story Mode could have changed things
One of the key additions that could have established the game as a proper sequel for the majority of the public is a campaign mode. After all, Overwatch was a game with some lore, but without a campaign.
Overwatch 2 developers announced that the game will have a campaign mode. Unfortunately, this new big feature won’t be ready until sometime in 2023.
This probably helped fuel the feeling that Overwatch 2 isn’t a “full game”. The presence of the campaign from the start could have been a huge ‘game changer’ for player perception.
Some might also justify these decisions because the game is free-to-play and in theory you don’t have to pay anything to play. But even the new monetization format is not to everyone’s liking.
Overwatch 2 free-to-play format: good or bad for players
Some players consider that the free-to-play format is actually an excuse to lock a lot of content behind paywalls. So, in the long run, players will have to pay much more than the price of a full game to unlock everything.
We would like to know your opinion on this matter. Do you feel that Overwatch 2 is a proper sequel? Or do you feel like it’s a DLC/update of the original game?
Feel free to vote on the poll and leave your comment below.
Update (October 14, 2022)
17:00 pm (IST): Poll results are out and 76.9 percent of our readers believe that Overwatch 2 feels more like a glorified DLC. The remaining 23.1 percent believe that Overwatch 2 is a proper sequel.
Featured image: Overwatch on Twitter
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