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, 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.

Now, it is possible to instantly balance the game and remove these annoyances: don't allow duplicate characters on one team in quick play. Were players forced to choose someone else, the balance and counterbalance that all of the characters bring would suddenly become pertinent. The ability of a team sectioning off and controlling the entire map with one character type is removed. Suddenly, players don't have to choose someone for the express purpose of knocking out one type of hero, and can instead work as a team (read: what the game is supposed to be about).

It isn’t just the characters that feel unique, ana healing tips it’s also the maps. Overwatch ships with twelve maps, three dedicated to each of the four game modes. All twelve maps are based on real-world locations and match their settings wonderfully. Route 66 is as much a desert as the real world locale, Hanamura is a beautiful Japanese castle, and the Temple of Anubis takes players to the Giza Plateau and its mighty pyramids. These are not only aesthetically pleasing maps, but also very well designed maps.

How does Overwatch strike a balance between being really colorful, fun and joyous while still maintaining an intense competitive nature. In other words, how do you prevent Overwatch from feeling so upbeat and vibrant in its personality that it gets branded as a "kids game?" After all, it is a really intense, competitive first-person shooter at its core.

Hanzo's weapon, the Storm Bow, has a damage output that increases based on the amount of tension on its string, which can be controlled by holding down the fire button. Quick shots, while weak, are certainly great for short range encounters, though it should be noted that effective Hanzo players are going to want to stay behind allies who shoot a bit more rapidly. Where this sniper becomes absolutely fatal is through his fully charged shots, which can take massive chunks off of the health bars of every enemy they come in contact with. However, this power comes at a price, as Hanzo's shots have an arc to them, so long range shots must be aimed above their targets in order to make contact.

Ignoring a required Day One patch that's larger than the actual game, it seems best to acknowledge a major flaw right at the outset: Bastion. Yes, there are many ways to counteract this character. The most obvious being attacking from the rear. However, one cannot attack from the rear when the enemy converts into a turret, his back to a wall. In turret form, this thing can chew through a shield and tank in seconds, and take down most players before anything can be done. Should the opposing team be controlling every avenue of ingress with multiple Bastions, the situation devolves into hopelessness.

Winston's second ability, Barrier Projector, creates a bubble shield that absorbs a small amount of damage before cracking and breaking. This is best used as a way to temporarily slow down or distract enemies, rather than as a pure defensive ability like, say, Reinhardt's shield. Finally, Winston's ultimate, Primal Rage, not only fills his health bar up to 1000 hitpoints, but it allows him to punch enemies for massive damage and use his jump pack every three seconds. Simply put, Winston should be used as a distraction whenever possible, and then as a tool of destruction once his ultimate meter is totally full.

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.

Not all would be resolved with this one change, though. There still is the fact that the title is woefully light on content. With no customization, outside of cosmetics, there is no true feeling of ownership over a hero and how they play. With no perks to tweak, no loadouts to worry over, and no sense of player investment, the game lives and dies by its modes. Sadly, these are currently lacking.

Sonic Arrow, Hanzo's first core ability, replaces his standard arrow with one that reveals all enemies in the surrounding area, essentially producing a smaller version of Widowmaker's Infra-Sight ultimate. This should be used when you have a sinking feeling that your team is being flanked, or if you're simply looking to get the lay of the land around a given objective. Hanzo's second ability, Scatter Arrow, is fairly self-explanatory. A single arrow that divides into a host of smaller projectiles, Scatter Arrow does a fair amount of damage when in an enclosed area, as each of its smaller arrows will bounce off of any surface they come in contact with. One major point on this: direct contact with an enemy before the split will cause every arrow to hit that foe, causing a massive amount of damage. Finally, Hanzo's ultimate is perhaps the most iconic out of every one of Overwatch's unique special attacks. Dragonstrike allows his next arrow to split into two massive dragons that twist around each other, go through walls and do huge damage to anyone caught inside of its wake. Needless to say, this is an absolutely wonderful attack for clearing out an objective or payload destination, and perfect timing will often net players the coveted Play of the Game.