Put a screenshot of Overwatch 2 next to a screenshot of Overwatch 1, and you’d be hard-pressed to spot any difference. Both display a vast chaotic ballet, in which two teams composed of some of the most well-realised characters in hero shooters wage war until one team emerges triumphant. Just like its predecessor, Overwatch 2 is one of the most delicately crafted sensory onslaughts I’ve experienced in a game.
Guiding my old favourite heroes through venerable maps like King’s Row and Route 66, it’s like I never left. In many ways, it feels like I’ve simply been given a reason to play Overwatch 1 again. Is that enough for a sequel? Is it enough to justify the incredibly confusing, lengthy, and oft-botched process of trying to make Overwatch feel relevant again? I’m not certain it is. But perhaps it should be.