Opinion: Why I want an Overwatch Story campaign more than Overwatch 2

By Simon Cardy

For a match where I still spend up to 20 hours a week, I will be the first to admit that Overwatch has its problems. Yes, the problems inherent in balancing a 30-character hero shooter make it difficult, the problems of his mailbox culture are well documented, and his lack of a role queue system. still frustrates a lot. However, none of these things affect my pleasure enough to watch Overwatch; it's still my favorite game.

All of these questions come to mind when I'm at the heart of the battle at Ilios or trying to get the payload through the sinuous backdrop of Hollywood. These places have provided me with some of the funniest moments of my life in the last three years, but unfortunately, that's all my business. There is no sense of history for them; I am not bound to them in any way beyond the fact that their geography is etched in my brain. At the announcement of the new, Blizzard draws resources from a planned SPF for Starcraft and puts more emphasis on developing a new game overwatch. That made me think about what I would like to see.

That's why I want a PvE game (playing against CPU-controlled enemies rather than other humans online) more than on an "Overwatch 2". I would find it frustrating that Blizzard introduces a new set of characters and maps without even delving into the history of those that already exist. I have always thought that a Netflix Overwatch series would be the perfect way to tell these stories, but with the recent announcement of the launch of a new Overwatch game, I can not help but hope that it will focus on the campaign. We recently learned that Blizzard considered the story of Overwatch to be built like the MCU. Are we about to enter phase 2?

Even before the launch of Overwatch, we were treated to several animated short films, promising well-developed characters rich in stories. Things started well with Winston's "Recall", then the Widowmaker and Tracer duel in "Alive" was immediately followed by my favorite "Dragons". After the launch, however, these extensive knowledge nuggets have been produced more and more sporadically. For years, the story of Overwatch teases us, but in reality, it is only drops in the ocean in the universe Overwatch. There does not seem to be a great deal to integrate history into Overwatch as it exists now. I loved the new "Bastet", which told the common story between Ana and Soldier 76 in Anubis, but it was much more rewarding if it was part of a larger story.

The now-archived archives of the Archives, which take place once a year, give us a glimpse of what Overwatch PvE might look like. Although these 15-minute missions basically serve to quickly win loot chests, they try at least to develop characters. Yes, they can just take the bare bones of the Left 4 Dead horde mechanics and dress them up with an Overwatch skin, but if you offered me a campaign entirely based on that topic, I would salute it.

Clearly, Blizzard should introduce more variety into the gameplay among the many hours that a storytelling campaign might require, and that would be a big challenge. After all, if Overwatch is so good at first, it's because it creates a unique game loop that prevents you from coming back. The recently released new workshop is a great way for Blizzard to see which modes and styles of play are of interest to players, which could be turned into a future iteration of Overwatch. This "Create your own game mode" area full of tools for creators has already resulted in some fan favorites that have been introduced into Overwatch's Arcade rotation, although these are now only PvP.

In fact, Overwatch's current game loop – capturing points and moving payloads with my friends – is a satisfying video game experience. Still, I'm still thirsty for history and want to know more about the characters I've come to love so much. Thinking missions of a history of cooperation of one hour excites me. The idea of ​​creating a strike team consisting of D.Va, Reinhardt, McCree and Mercy and discovering the central conflict in the heart of Overwatch mers me a lot. I do not want an Overwatch 2 with another dozen heroes and a handful of cards. It is true that the introduction of a new style of play will be a major obstacle to achieving a full PvE Overwatch, but I have no reason to doubt Blizzard. After all, society has not let me down yet.

Simon Cardy is a video producer for IGN UK and nothing gives him the thrill of a fivefold slaying of Dead Eye. Follow on Twitter.