Context for this review: I've hit grandmaster on tank & DPS and mostly play socially and for the gameplay. My Overwatch 1 review is four stars.

- Gameplay changes are a mixed bag, but I'm enjoying the gameplay a bit more than I expected (I had low expectations from the beta). Removing CC and shields is an upgrade. 5v5 is... I don't know, less deathmatchy than I thought it would be, though I still prefer 6v6 (especially because many heroes still aren't balanced well for this change). The faster pace kinda works, though Overwatch was fast-paced already. The new hero additions are great, best gameplay from new heroes in ages. I somewhat dislike the linearity and gameplay of push, but some of the new maps are pretty alright. Ping system is good.

- Cosmetically, definitely a downgrade. Miss the on-fire meter, player cards, old competitive ranks, the old UI, and many QOL features. The in-game leaderboard is nice from an information perspective, but could look better. Some of the new art is pretty.

- The lore is neglected - let's see if they improve on that by releasing PvE (which they'll certainly heavily monetize).

- For casual players' sense of progression, it's a huge downgrade. Cosmetics aren't viably earnable anymore, levels are removed, all to point people towards the battlepass for any dopamine. This is really bad for Overwatch's health in the long run; with the competitive scene dying, it relies on casual players.

- The monetization is atrocious and makes me want to quit the game. I'm trying to ignore it as much as possible. FOMO and preying on people with addictive impulses is the name of the game for Microsoft-Activision-Blizzard now.

Overall verdict: Worse. I'll probably still play it consistently, but the monetization scheme may make me quit in the long run.

Edit: I play only a couple times a week now, changed my rating from 3 stars to 1.5. Game is just soulless.

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Overwatch 2 is not a sequel. The title itself is a lie. It is merely a version 2.0, a version which admittedly I have had way more fun with in my short time with it, totaling around 40 hours compared to the 150ish I had on the original version. The update to the game is pretty fun, but the story mode that was promised has yet to be delivered to us - so the real focus of the change is the way progression works.

Gone are lootboxes! Which would usually be a good thing if they hadn't replaced them with the most heinous monetization I've seen in a videogame. Skins are ridiculously priced, more than any other game I've played recently, and have the same effort put into them as when they were free to gain. There is no fun logging onto an event, playing the same gamemode as the last five years and knowing your only way to obtain any of the event exclusives is to pay money to a company that doesn't deserve it.

TBH, I'd rather play League of Legends. At least the skins there are well done and cheaper to get.

Overwatch 2 is a sequel in name only. In reality it is an update to the original, so this review will focus on that.

Overwatch's universe is full of captivating concepts & characters, which blizzard uses to lure you in to a game which has its moments, but is generally full of despair.

A combination of bad balance choices, horrible monetisation and incomplete content has made it not very fun to play.

Gameplay loop is improved upon, but by & large it is essentially the same game with the same coat of paint. The same game which has grown stale and is generally frustrating to play.

"skill issue" "get good" i have a bomb in your mailbox

It's actually pretty good. Free to play now, so if you have never played Overwatch before and are looking for a new ranked ladder then this can be a really fun one to climb! I realise there isn't a whole lot of new content per se, so one could argue that it doesn't justify itself being called a sequel. BUT, if you think of it as just a really big patch, it is an incredible patch to what was a really fun game in 2016 and then was absolutely ruined for a number of different reasons. Taking away most of the shields and one of the tanks saved this game. Funnest Overwatch has ever been!