Blizzard dropped its biggest bombshell of several at Blizzcon 2014 over the weekend - the developer announced its first new IP in an astonishing seventeen years, the team-based multiplayer shooter Overwatch.
Set in a colourful cartoonish world, and starring a cast of international superheroes, Overwatch utilises elements from the now defunt MMO Project Titan.
I’ve added the cinematic trailer above, because it’s Pixar-esque fun, but the meat of the gameplay is shown off in the trailer below. Here’s the plot synopsis:
“The action of Overwatch takes place in a technologically advanced, highly stylized future earth. In a time of global crisis, an international task force of soldiers, scientists, adventurers, and oddities known as Overwatch had come together to restore peace to a war-torn world. After many years, the group’s influence waned, and it was eventually disbanded. Overwatch might be gone now but the world still needs heroes.”
Specifically it needs heroes to battle each other in 6v6 skirmishes set in futuristic Earth locations. Each character has their own unique set of skills and weapons, from archers to melee brutes and flying healers. Blizzard’s aim is to create an “accessible” FPS shooter, while still “delivering the action and depth that shooter fans love.”
Yeah, so at this point you might be looking at this footage and thinking about Battleborn, the FPS/MOBA hybrid announced by Gearbox earlier this year. Pretty similiar, huh? Can’t imagine Blizzard were too happy when that one was revealed.
Beta testing for Overwatch will begin next year, and new characters and maps will be added as development rolls on. You can check the current eclectic roster out here.
