The 21 characters are grouped together in 1 of 4 classes: Offense, Defense, Tank and Support. Though characters may share a class, each plays completely different from one another. For example, Soldier 76 and Tracer are both part of the Offense class, but each has its own unique strengths and weaknesses. Soldier 76 players like a traditional Assault character from a Battlefield game. He deals good damage at mid-range and can even drop a healing beacon, but he doesn’t have a lot of health. Tracer, on the other hand, has small clip-sizes and low health but is fast and able to rewind time to pull herself to safety. There aren’t two characters that are similar, and there isn’t a single character that is a perfect "all-around" character. Everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses, and learning how to play to those strengths and exploit enemy weaknesses is all part of the game’s meta.

Everyone's favorite peanut butter-loving scientist gorilla also might be the greatest distraction in all of Overwatch. Winston is a great character for those looking to play objectives, but not due to high damage output from his main weapon or his abilities; simply put, the best Winston players will utilize his abilities to pull opponents off of the objective, freeing teammates to either attack or defend in peace. Despite his weapon, the Tesla Cannon, boasting fairly weak damage, it automatically and continuously connects with any foes who are in Winston's immediate area. For this reason, it's the single-greatest way to defeat Tracer, as her abilities can't get her out of the way of this weapon (unless she leaves battle). This is also a fantastic weapon for capturing objectives, as you'll be able to do damage to multiple enemies at one time.

Leading up to the game’s release, both Blizzard and critics drew attention to the game’s diverse cast of characters and it’s easily one of the game’s most defining traits. As a minority myself (and one who is on the heavier side), it’s rare that I find a character in any form of media that I can relate to, from movies and TV to games as well. To be honest, even the ones that are included often encroach on traditional stereotypes; the doctor, the convenience store owner, or the timid Indian fellow complete with accent.

Imagine my surprise when I was looking through the cast of characters and stumbled upon Symmetra, a support character who has the ability to bend and reshape light into mechanical constructs. While there are a growing number of characters of Indian descent in video games ( The Order: 1886 and Assassin’s Creed Syndicate feature a few), it’s very rare that they are featured as playable characters. I immediately took her for a spin, Haunted Masquerade and after I decided to check out the complete roster of playable characters.

If you’ve been on the internet this past week, you’ve probably been inundated with story after story about Overwatch , a team-based shooter from Activision-Blizzard that’s blowing away fans and critics. Based on the overwhelming acclaim and massive sales numbers (it actually sold out on Amazon ), the game is well on its way to becoming a fixture in the multiplayer FPS scene. With that in mind, here are **12 Things You Need To Know About Overwatch

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.

Winston's first ability, his Jump Pack, functions both as a way deal massive damage and a method for increasing mobility. This ability allows him to launch a large distance based on whichever direction the reticle is facing. Not only does this allow Winston to escape battle or get to an objective quickly, but it also gives him the power to harm any enemies in the immediate vicinity of his landing spot. While new players will often just launch forward, more experienced players know that vertical boosts will allow for localized damage.

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.