14 DAY TRIAL // Blizzard Entertainment's upcoming multiplayer shooter Overwatch looks like a pretty interesting deal, pushing the shooter genre in the general direction of a multiplayer online battle arena game.
One of the most intriguing things about Overwatch is the way its characters work, breaking the ground rules through movement, gameplay mechanics, and other such quirks.
One such example is Bastion, a robot that is actually a gatling turret with a directional shield, which translates into some very exciting in-game dynamics, both while playing as him and against him.
Characters who can teleport across the battlefield, turn back time, buff team mates, project huge shields to shelter allies, they all work toward bending the usual roles found in multiplayer shooters, assault, support, sniper, scout.
An interview with Overwatch designer Jeffrey Kaplan explains Blizzard's approach when creating and balancing characters and maps, and offers a behind-the-scenes look at the creation process behind the upcoming shooter.
Creating a fresh and exciting multiplayer shooter is a daunting task
"Our inspiration comes from all over, and that's one of the things I love about the Overwatch team, is that the diverse backgrounds of the team. We have hardcore fighting games enthusiasts, we've got MOBA fans, and shooter fans, MMO fans. We try to draw from all different genres - even the shooter itself," he tells PCGamesN.
The radically different roles and superpowers of the characters come from the many ways the creative team approaches design, with some being character ideas that have been dreamed up for years, while others being mechanics-oriented prototypes that get fleshed out later on.
Another source of excitement is the fact that the team is taking an uninhibited approach to designing the characters. While other more serious shooters have to constantly worry about how realistic vehicles and weapons actually feel, the team at Blizzard is keen to explore brand new gameplay avenues and create heroes that might end up breaking the balance of certain maps, instead of being constrained by them.
Overwatch is currently scheduled to go into closed beta sometime this fall.
