I am not a First Person Shooter player. I did play some of the old school titles like Quake, Doom, Halo and Counterstrike but not long enough or hardcore enough that I can consider myself as an FPS player. Well, I did play Counterstrike seriously on a daily basis but that was just like for a year. I have spent almost a decade of playing MMORPGs. Comparing the one year of FPS, it’s nothing. With that, I can say that I am more of an MMORPG player first before I can say that I am an FPS player.
Then Came Overwatch
I love playing games with a holy trinity mechanic. I really do love the concept that players have specific and different roles. There has to be at least a tank, a healer or support, and the role that everybody loves to play except me, dps. Over the years, I learned to always prefer playing the healer / support role. The underappreciated guy who is the sole reason the team is still alive and able to fight.
With my preference of playing games that have a holy trinity concept, I did not feel any excitement when Blizzard announced that they will be releasing this first person shooter. I was like “Meh. Shooter.” Shooters don’t normally have the holy trinity so I was skeptical. Reluctance quickly overtook the hype for me. The hype was intense everywhere I go though. Everyone was going crazy about Overwatch. Everywhere I look in the internet – there’s Overwatch. Every person I talk to – Overwatch. There was no escape.
Curiosity got the best of me. it made me look and watch the trailer. Read game previews after. If they weren’t enough, constant peer pressure from my closest friends flooded my ears on a daily basis. Okay, I thought to myself, “I like how tanks and healers are significant every match. Graphics are amazing. Unique characters are cool. ” The only thing that’s keeping the skepticism was Overwatch is still an FPS which I don’t fancy.
The Conversion
Having an open mind, I finally decided to buy Overwatch to try it out and give it a chance. IT WAS THE BEST DECISION OF MY LIFE. To be honest, I was reluctant to buy the Origins Edition of the game but I realized it was really worth it.
I was wrong. The hype is real. The game is legitimately fun and everything that revolves around it. You know what they say about shooters being repetitive? I don’t feel that in Overwatch. Yes, there only a handful of maps to play on and characters to use right now but they are enough considering it just came out officially three months ago.
Another reason is that teams are encouraged to follow the holy trinity concept in MMORPG. As a support main in almost any game I play, I am happy that I have four choices of healers to choose from. Not to mention that tanks are needed every match. I have this sense of fulfillment every time I keep my tank alive even though the enemy team is hitting him like crazy. It is just like an MMORPG feel as a healer.
The biggest clincher for me why I am aboard in the VIP section of the hype train is the characters. Every character has his (or her) unique capabilities and personality. I am definitely attracted more on the latter. They have their own back stories (which is why I always look forward to the animated shorts like a fan boy), unique look and skills, how these characters interact with another character, etc. Blizzard just made them so good. Not to mention the amazing graphics, the personalities in Overwatch are just so pleasing. My incessant need for a create-your-own character feature of a game doesn’t apply in Overwatch because of how magnificently Blizzard is creating them.