While Highguard does not drastically renovate the genre and subgeneres it draws upon, it does offer some unique elements here and there. It can deliver a solid bit of fun. For some that may be one or two matches, for others something more long term. One thing is for certain though, for a FREE TO PLAY game it does NOT deserve the quantity of negative reviews it has gotten. If this game launched with a $40 pricetag like concord, then maybe some of these reviews would be justified. However, the vast majority of these reviews seem to be in direct response to the way that Geoff Keighley presented it at the Game Awards.

Try it yourself before judging too harshly... It is free after all.

Update: It saddens me to hear about the layoffs. In my eyes this game has so much potential, but people seemed to have it out for Highguard since the Game Awards. Thankfully it seems like we'll still get a year's worth of content. My hope is that in this time we will see a turn-around with more love and support for the game. Many of the developers who were laid-off stated they would reapply immediately should the game turn around. Maybe its in vain... but I truly hope it does.

This game has wonderful satisfying combat, a beautiful + inspiring art-style, and is fully voice acted! Seriously worth every dime, even if you're someone who isn't traditionally into Beat 'Em Ups.

Such a wholesome and fun experience with friends or randoms!

Very expansive. Rewards exploration. Satisfying combat.

I've been playing Overwatch since its beta in October 2015. Coming from Team Fortress 2, I was captivated by Overwatch's character design, unique abilities, and breathtaking cinematics. The game's charm, soul, and story awe inspiring, and it drew players in and kept us invested. And with the story's build up to the launch of a PVE mode players were ecstatic...

Unfortunately, Overwatch "2" feels like a shadow of its former self. While the core gameplay remains fun and can still be enjoyed casually and competitively, the soul of the game has been made hollow. From a gameplay and balance perspective, it's not as bad as some claim, but that's not the reason I can't recomend it... this is:

The marketing is predatory, rivaling the some of the worst of the mobile gaming industry. What once was a promise of epic PVE modeds with narrative and creative storytelling has been replaced by relentless monetization. Porsche skins, anime crossovers, Transformers skins—it’s all about skins. buy buy buy Ads scream at you to spend, spend, spend before the "limited time" offers are gone. The game preys on FOMO.

The heart and artistry that made Overwatch special have been tarnished. The original game had a clear philosophy: you paid upfront, and everything—heroes, skins—could be unlocked through gameplay. Now, the game’s focus has shifted to exploiting its fanbase for easy profit. Resources that could have been used to expand the world and enrich the story have been funneled into brand deals and aggressive monetization schemes.

If you love Overwatch for its gameplay, by all means, play it. It’s still possible to have fun. But if you care about preserving what Overwatch once stood for and the art behind it, I urge you: don’t spend a dime. Supporting this business model only ensures the continued decline of what was once a truly great game.

Fun tac shooter with very interesting body swap mechanic that adds a level of complexity to an often stale genre. Not to mention a beautiful artstyle.