I’ll admit, when I first heard of Overwatch, I didn’t pay much attention, probably because Blizzard games have never really caught my attention in the past (I’m not the biggest fan of RPGs or RTS games). I did, however, take the plunge and tried out the game’s open beta a few weeks ago and walked away pleasantly surprised. Oddly enough, though, it wasn’t the core mechanics or technical polish that caught my immediate attention. Rather, it was Blizzard’s attention to inclusivity that impressed me the most.

Overwatch was released earlier this week to critical acclaim and it’s not hard to see why. Blizzard’s newest title is a slick online shooter that manages to be both incredibly deep on the strategic side, but widely accessible for newcomers who don’t have a lot of experience when playing shooters or MOBA-style games. Like most games from Blizzard, it’s also incredibly polished and runs well on both consoles and low-end PC systems.

Overwatch doesn’t have a plot, but it does have a ton of character. Overwatch’s cast of quirky characters are interesting and diverse with unique personalities. Junkrat is a limping psychopath who wants to blow things up. Winston is a scholarly gorilla who, when provoked, dips into his rage-filled primal instincts. Tracer, the spunky Brit who serves as the game’s mascot, is full of little quips as she zips around the battlefield. Players who take the extra time to stop and admire the different map’s scenery will learn even more about the different character’s backstories. Cues, like a D.Va poster, provide clues into a character's history prior to the game. It’s an interesting way to convey lore, but it’s never quite enough. Blizzard clearly wants Overwatch to be a big franchise with an interesting lore and they do provide that outside of the game. Much like Destiny’s Grimoire Cards, players will need to turn to sources outside the main game to learn about the lore. For example, without the animated shorts, I never would have known Hanzo and Genji were brothers. Blizzard also plans to release digital comics and graphic novels to further flesh out the lore. Now, Overwatch may not need a campaign, but it would have been nice to have some access to story content in the main game.

This level of inclusion might not mean that much to gamers, but after showcasing the game to a few close friends, including female and minority gamers, we were all in agreeance that Blizzard’s design decisions made the game resonate with us more so than other games have, even if they aren’t an integral part of the experience. Still, as much as I am a fan of the diverse characters of Overwatch 2 Stadium builds, the diversity within the game’s playable heroes is only one facet of the game’s dedication to inclusivity. While there are plenty of diverse characters, there are a few traditional, archetypal ones as well, though these are used to great effect.

The support class is also carefully designed for players of all skill levels. While it doesn’t ring true in every situation, there are a few support characters that focus more on aiding the team rather than outright combat, allowing for less skilled players to contribute to the overall success of the team, while more skilled players can pick from certain support characters that demand more strategic use, like Zenyatta.

The lack of strong story elements doesn’t overshadow what the game does do well: gameplay and map design. The 21 characters aren’t just diverse in their personalities, but also in their different abilities. Each character has two unique abilities that are assigned to the bumpers on Xbox One, R1 and L1 on PS4, and Shift and E on PC. A few characters, like Widowmaker and Soldier 76, have a third special ability assigned to LT/L2/RMB. Widowmaker can ADS her sniper, and Soldier 76 can use his assault rifle’s grenade launcher. Overwatch looks deceptively simple from the outside, but mechanically has a large amount of depth.

To that end, there’s only so far community/consumer-made satire can go and as hilarious or as insightful or indeed unsettling some of these "creations" might be, we’re not the ones in charge. Or better put, the ones who lie on the other side of that seemingly impervious wall that separates "the industry" from the rest of us. If there’s ever to be a time when that barricade at least feels like it’s been breached, it’s when a developer or creator does the [hard] work for us. So when the likes of Hideo Kojima proves (yet again) he’s more than happy to poke fun at what should be his pride-and-joy …that’s great. Admittedly funny too, while I’m at it. It’s great because, as mentioned, it helps de-myth this alleged disconnect…and proves that those working hard behind the scenes, are not (as much as you might think) all in it for the green. That some of them actually care about the reaction and presentation of certain themes, characters, whatever as they as much the critically-analysed presentation of the end product.