{"id":102086,"date":"2019-10-18T13:00:00","date_gmt":"2019-10-18T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/reviews\/nintendo-switch\/overwatch_legendary_edition"},"modified":"2019-10-18T13:00:00","modified_gmt":"2019-10-18T13:00:00","slug":"review-overwatch-legendary-edition-hardly-the-best-way-to-play-but-still-pretty-great","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/2019\/10\/18\/review-overwatch-legendary-edition-hardly-the-best-way-to-play-but-still-pretty-great\/","title":{"rendered":"Review: Overwatch Legendary Edition &#8211; Hardly The Best Way To Play, But Still Pretty Great"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"media_block\"><a href=\"http:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/98c3668d8a0c8\/large.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/98c3668d8a0c8\/small.jpg\" class=\"media_thumbnail\"><\/a><\/div>\n<div id>\n<aside class=\"picture embed\"><a title=\"Overwatch Legendary Edition Review - Screenshot 1 of 6\" href=\"http:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/screenshots\/100330\/large.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/screenshots\/100330\/900x.jpg\" alt=\"Overwatch Legendary Edition Review - Screenshot 1 of 6\"><\/a><\/aside>\n<p>Once upon a time, it would\u2019ve been a cold day in hell before we\u2019d see a Blizzard game on a Nintendo console. The traditionally PC-centric company broke its nearly twenty-year hiatus from Nintendo when it released <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/nintendo-switch\/diablo_iii_eternal_collection\">Diablo III<\/a><\/strong> last year, and after making that port a reality, tongues got wagging about what else the company could bring over to the Switch. <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/nintendo-switch\/overwatch_legendary_edition\">Overwatch<\/a><\/strong> was a name thrown around plenty, as the optimistic hero shooter seemed to be a great fit for the Nintendo audience, and evidently Blizzard was pleased enough with Diablo\u2019s performance that it saw fit to bring over its popular FPS to the Switch. As you\u2019d probably guess, this is far from the optimal way of playing Overwatch due to some performance issues, but the flexibility offered by having it on a smaller device is nonetheless a compelling reason to jump in on this port.<\/p>\n<p>For those of you out of the loop, Overwatch both does <em>and<\/em> doesn\u2019t have a story included. In other media, such as comics and short films posted online, there\u2019s some impressively-detailed lore surrounding this futuristic world, though this story isn\u2019t very much explored in-game. Rather it\u2019s all there as a backdrop that frequently shines through via character voice lines and oodles of easter eggs packed away in each of the maps. The basic gist of the story is that there was a textbook revolution by evil AI called the Omnic Crisis, which was quelled by an international organization called Overwatch, staffed by myriad quasi-superhero figures. After the revolution, ensuing events saw Overwatch disbanded and outlawed, as its members were scattered across the earth, but \u2018recent\u2019 terrorist acts by an organization called Talon and the threat of a second Omnic Crisis have spurred the former heroes to take up arms again and save the world.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"picture embed\"><a title=\"Overwatch Legendary Edition Review - Screenshot 2 of 6\" href=\"http:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/screenshots\/100341\/large.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/screenshots\/100341\/900x.jpg\" alt=\"Overwatch Legendary Edition Review - Screenshot 2 of 6\"><\/a><\/aside>\n<p>It\u2019s all very fascinating stuff if you keep up with the ongoing story, and while technically all multiplayer matches are \u2018non-canon\u2019, the <em>excellent<\/em> character design ensures that each hero feels distinct. Blizzard has done a fantastic job of crafting a nuanced and complex story that sees a few dozen characters so finely integrated into each other\u2019s histories, but it\u2019s especially noticeable how no two heroes play the same. This is a game where you can both play as a bog-standard soldier-type hero with a rifle or as a grinning hamster piloting a giant ball-shaped mech. There\u2019s a hero for virtually any playstyle you can come up with, and they\u2019re sure to have an interesting and possibly bittersweet story about how they acquired the powers or technology that give them their edge in the fight.<\/p>\n<p>As a hero shooter, Overwatch places a much higher emphasis on team-based play. This isn\u2019t a game that\u2019s all about maxing out the K\/D, but one in which individual success is measured by how well you were able to play your role. Each hero has a specific kit of abilities that are governed by cooldowns; knowing how to read the terrain and when to deploy certain skills will make the difference between victory and defeat. For example, D.Va is a flexible tank hero who specializes in flying around and either protecting individual heroes or erasing flanking attackers. She also has an ultimate ability that allows her to detonate her mech and cause a nuclear blast. The blast can be easily dodged on most maps or blocked by another tank, but if you wait to use it until the enemy team is all together and can\u2019t easily find cover, you can eliminate three or four at a time.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"picture embed\"><a title=\"Overwatch Legendary Edition Review - Screenshot 3 of 6\" href=\"http:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/screenshots\/100328\/large.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/screenshots\/100328\/900x.jpg\" alt=\"Overwatch Legendary Edition Review - Screenshot 3 of 6\"><\/a><\/aside>\n<p>Coordinating attacks and balancing roles is key to victory then, something which may come as a hard lesson for some. Like it or not, playing the healer hero Moira like she\u2019s a DPS character will not only lead to <em>you<\/em> having a bad time, but everyone else on your team, too, because they won\u2019t be getting the benefit of the heals she\u2019s capable of putting out. Six-player teams are large enough that they help to mitigate any shortcomings offered up by a player not adequately fulfilling their role, but they\u2019re also small enough that everyone\u2019s individual effort certainly counts. Depending on how seriously you take the game, this reliance on others\u2019 performance can prove to be quite frustrating at times, but we rather enjoy the more diverse type of play being offered here. Victories and defeats both often feel well-earned, and there\u2019s something about overcoming a stiff enemy team by sheer teamwork that\u2019s simply unparalleled.<\/p>\n<p>Along with an impressively diverse array of map lineups, Overwatch also has several objectives to fulfil in its main mode to keep games from becoming too stale. These rotate between assault, control, escort, and a hybrid of the three, each of which offer up unique challenges depending on who you\u2019re playing. Lucio, for example, is an area of effect healer who really shines in control missions, where he can camp out on the point and heal his whole team as they fend off the enemy. In addition to these main modes, Overwatch also has a collection of side modes in the &#8216;Arcade&#8217;, where you can play a rotating selection of more unbalanced and experimental game types, along with seasonal content. Considering the deep bench of characters and the diversity of game modes, there\u2019s quite a lot to do in Overwatch. This is easily a game that you can lose hundreds of hours to, once you \u2018get it\u2019.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"picture embed\"><a title=\"Overwatch Legendary Edition Review - Screenshot 4 of 6\" href=\"http:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/screenshots\/100340\/large.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/screenshots\/100340\/900x.jpg\" alt=\"Overwatch Legendary Edition Review - Screenshot 4 of 6\"><\/a><\/aside>\n<p>Part of this is driven, too, by the loot box system that lies at the heart of progression. At the end of every match, you\u2019re granted XP based on how well you performed, and once you level up, you\u2019re granted a loot box that\u2019ll give you four random cosmetic items for any heroes. These can be voice lines, skins, wall sprays, or taunts, and though none of them have any benefit to your performance, the collectable nature of this set up creates a <em>need<\/em> to collect everything you can for your main heroes.<\/p>\n<p>If you want something specific, you can buy it directly for coins, which are granted for duplicate items or occasionally in lieu of an item. Naturally, it takes quite a while to get enough coins to buy the rarest gear, but this can be cut back more if you want to kick some money Blizzard\u2019s way and buy loot boxes with real-world money. Though some will no doubt still cry foul at the inclusion of loot boxes, we feel that Blizzard doesn\u2019t force them on you in any ways that feel overbearing. New boxes come by every few games, and the contents of them don\u2019t <em>really<\/em> matter to begin with; it\u2019s all just for fashion. Even so, this adds even more to Overwatch\u2019s replayability, as there\u2019s always an air of excitement around getting new boxes and chasing certain items for your favourite heroes.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"picture embed\"><a title=\"Overwatch Legendary Edition Review - Screenshot 5 of 6\" href=\"http:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/screenshots\/100336\/large.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/screenshots\/100336\/900x.jpg\" alt=\"Overwatch Legendary Edition Review - Screenshot 5 of 6\"><\/a><\/aside>\n<p>Now, this being a Switch port, many are no doubt wondering how Overwatch holds up on the humble hardware. The reality is that it\u2019s somewhat middling. The drop to 30FPS is definitely felt, along with the simpler textures and character models, but Blizzard overall did a pretty solid job of keeping the experience consistent and smooth. Loading in at the beginning of a match takes some time, as character models are briefly replaced by floating orbs, but we otherwise didn\u2019t see anything that majorly affects the way you play. That being said, the drop to 30FPS combined with the limited travel on the Switch\u2019s sticks makes aiming a little more difficult \u2013 though this is greatly mitigated by the <em>fantastic<\/em> motion controls.<\/p>\n<p>The long and short of it is that this is a difficult release to recommend if you intend on playing the game solely in docked mode. Performance is <em>fine<\/em>, but considering that you could easily pick it up on other platforms for your TV and get a better experience, it\u2019s tough to recommend from that angle. However, playing it in handheld mode proves to be a delightful experience due to how easily accessible it becomes. You can play it in a coffee shop. You can play it while &#8216;sort of&#8217; watching a show on Netflix. You can play it on your toilet. As long as there\u2019s Wi-Fi you can play Overwatch <em>anywhere<\/em>, and though it may not be an optimal way to play if you want to get competitive with it, it\u2019s pretty tough to beat that level of easy access.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"picture embed\"><a title=\"Overwatch Legendary Edition Review - Screenshot 6 of 6\" href=\"http:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/screenshots\/100318\/large.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/screenshots\/100318\/900x.jpg\" alt=\"Overwatch Legendary Edition Review - Screenshot 6 of 6\"><\/a><\/aside>\n<p>One other complaint that bears mentioning (which veterans will want to pay attention to) is that you <em>must<\/em> start over with a clean account when playing Overwatch on Switch. So, those of you that have been playing since the beginning on other platforms and have amassed quite a collection of loot will sadly have to start back over from square one. Indeed, this is a pretty deal-breaking aspect for some who were considering double-dipping, but we\u2019d still say that it\u2019s worth picking up for the portability alone.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"conclusion\">\n<h2 class=\"heading\">Conclusion<\/h2>\n<p>At its heart, Overwatch on the Switch was always going to be a bit of a tough sell. Those who somehow haven\u2019t played it yet could easily buy a better-performing version on other platforms, while those who have played it to death may be put off by the weaker performance and the lack of shared progression. Even so, having the capability to play a match of Overwatch while using the restroom is 2019 living at its <em>absolute<\/em> finest, and the kind of flexibility offered up by the Switch\u2019s portability is not something to be understated. We\u2019d give Overwatch a recommendation, but with the caveat that you should consider first why you\u2019re buying it. If you intend on playing it plenty when undocked, we can\u2019t recommend it enough, but if you intend on mostly playing on the TV, consider first buying it elsewhere.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Once upon a time, it would\u2019ve been a cold day in hell before we\u2019d see a Blizzard game on a Nintendo console. The traditionally PC-centric company broke its nearly twenty-year hiatus from Nintendo when it released Diablo III last year, and after making that port a reality, tongues got wagging about what else the company [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-102086","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-nintendo-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/102086","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=102086"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/102086\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=102086"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=102086"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=102086"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}