2. Overwatch
Collin MacGregor
If there’s any title that has made itself known in a hurry this year, it’s Blizzard’s hit FPS game Overwatch.
Matches are fast and furious, with players making liberal use of the game’s recognizable abilities and ultimates. All of the chaos centers around a central objective that helps reinforce the concept of working together. Gameplay is incredibly refined, with every character serving a unique role and overall embracing an “easy to play, hard to master” design philosophy. Overwatch is both highly accessible and challenging at the same time.
Yet, one of the most important parts of Overwatch’s success lies in its community. Since its announcement and release, the massive amount of fan-made content is staggering, ranging the gambit from cosplays, to art, to animated shorts. In addition, Overwatch’s competitive scene has gotten real big, real fast. In less than a year, Blizzard’s title not only cultivated its own competitive scene, but also managed to get a televised championship on TBS. Its growth among professional teams and spectators is a testament to the game’s intelligent balance and competitive nature.
While the cultural significance of a title doesn’t always reflect the actual quality of the game, Overwatch’s clean design and inflow of content will live on well past this year. Overwatch has rapidly become a milestone for the multiplayer genre and a staple of the industry.
You can read Collin MacGregor’s full thoughts on Overwatch here.
