Overwatch 2 review roundup – 'a wonderful shooter full of depth'
Blizzard's free-to-play team-based shooter is now available, but is it worthy successor to Overwatch?
➡️ The Shortcut Skinny: Overwatch 2 reviews
🔫 Overwatch 2 has a Metacritic score of 81 based on 13 critic reviews
👍 A score of 81 means the game has been generally well received
💰 Like most free-to-play games, Overwatch 2 has a battle pass and microtransactions
🆓 Overwatch 2 is available on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and PC
Overwatch 2 is now free-to-play, though you might have trouble logging in at the moment. The game has been hit with a DDoS attack (distributed denial of service) that’s making it difficult to connect, but the situation is slowly improving.
So how has Overwatch 2 scored with critics? The game is currently sitting on a score of 81 on Metacritic, meaning the majority of reviewers enjoyed Blizzard’s sequel to its popular team-based shooter. However, many reviews are still marked as “in progress” meaning the game’s overall Metacritic score could change in the coming days.
The sequel has also fallen well short of Overwatch’s critical consensus, which scored an impressive Metacritic score of 91 when it was released in 2016.
Windows Central gave Overwatch 2 a 9/10, saying “Overwatch 2 represents the arrival of the foundational changes Blizzard's hero shooter needed in order to return to its former glory. While it's not perfect — few things ever are — the changes that the game makes to Overwatch's gameplay structure, progression systems, content release schedule, and presentation are absolutely stellar.”
Forbes were also fans of Overwatch 2, awarding the game a 9/10. “At launch, Overwatch 2 is a launchpad for something much, much grander. It’s rough around the edges, but the controlled chaos of the actual gameplay is right up my alley. Given the live service nature of the game, it’s something I’ll likely re-review every so often. Still, Overwatch 2 is in pretty great shape overall.”
IGN was also impressed, giving Overwatch 2 an 8/10. “Overwatch 2’s switch to a 5v5 format breathes new life into what was once the sharpest shooter around. It just hasn’t quite recaptured all of that glory – yet.”
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However, not every outlet has clicked with Overwatch 2’s new approach. PCGamesN gave the game a 6/10, saying “While Overwatch 2 adds a host of heroes and features to Blizzard’s iconic FPS game, its PvP feels more like a simple content update than a full blown sequel.”
Game Rant felt similarly, and said: “For long-term players, Overwatch 2 may feel more like a glorified update with problematic progression and roadblocks to enjoyment that didn't exist in the original game. In its current state, Overwatch 2 is more product than art, but there is still plenty of time to turn things around between now and whenever the game's 1.0 version launches.”
Will you be diving into Overwatch 2? Let us know in the comments below.