On October 6, Activision Blizzard released the long awaited sequel to one of their most popular and beloved titles, “Overwatch,” originally released May 3, 2016. Blizzard is most well known for titles such as “World of Warcraft,” “Diablo,” “Hearthstone,” and, of course, “Overwatch.” Fans of this spunky first-person shooter have been waiting years for a sequel, and have finally received it.

However, “Overwatch 2” is free to play, and “Overwatch 1” no longer exists, as the games have merged. This is a controversial choice, especially since players who paid anywhere from $35 to $60 (depending on what edition they have and any regional differences) now have no use for their discs, and because of the battlepass feature replacing “Overwatch’s” iconic and loveable lootboxes. The battlepass tiers have some free content for those who haven’t bought that season’s full battlepass, however most content is locked behind a paywall and is unlocked by those who reach a certain tier and have paid.

This wouldn’t be an issue for a new free to play game, but since lootboxes made up most of “Overwatch’s” most memorable and iconic events, it’s a questionable, and definitely greedy, choice for an already rich, internationally famous, and stable company.

Since the sequel is so new, as of publication, the game has minor flaws such as bugs and glitches, but most aren’t detrimental to players nor ruin the player experience too much. In “Overwatch 2,” you can play quick play games, AKA the default attack or defend/push the objective and work together to win gamemode, or other gamemodes such as competitive (ranked), capture the flag, special seasonal modes such as “Junkenstein’s Revenge,” mystery heroes, deathmatches, and much much more.

As well as the first game, you can collect and buy cosmetics such as skins for different heroes, and play new (or old!) heroes to find what suits you and whatever makes playing the game worthwhile for you. Players can shape their experiences and have complete control over the customization of their weapons and characters, as “Overwatch 2“ has added cute souvenirs for your favorite hero to show off, awesome charms for your weapons, and many more skins, highlight introductions, and victory poses.

The game’s iconic ‘Play of the Game’ feature has been worked on more, and now all heroes have equal chances to achieve one, even healers such as the angelic and selfless Mercy or the energetic and youthful Lucio!

New touchups have been added, and all older heroes have received new looks to their classic skins (but you can still use the originals from the first game, if you prefer!) Older heroes have also been changed, most of which being buffed and much smoother to play. Some heroes have also had role changes, such as Doomfist, originally an extremely powerful DPS, now being a tank instead.

New heroes added to the roster thus far are Kiriko, an adorable and powerful ninja support-DPS hybrid hero who’s aided by her Kitsune spirit sidekick, Sojourn, an extremely mobile and aggressively strong DPS hero who also happens to be a former “Overwatch” captain in the game’s official lore, and Junker Queen, an extremely fun, rugged, and diverse berserker tank hero who rules over the dangerous, grungy, and lore-packed Junkertown, located in “Overwatch’s” Australian wasteland.

As far as how players feel about the second title in the “Overwatch” series, many are extremely satisfied with most changes, besides the new “pay to win” type of system.

Norco High junior Barney Jameson says, “The second one is better than the first honestly. It’s a bit harder, but I think it’s because of the amount of new players that still suck at the game.”

Santiago High freshman Charlie O’Donnel exclaims, “I loved the first “Overwatch,” and I’m so sad they got rid of it completely, but the second one is good. I mean, it’s basically the same game, the battlepass sucks though. This isn’t “Fortnite.” Blizzard, please bring back lootboxes, I can’t deal with this any longer.”

Personally, I love both titles and played “Overwatch” since 2018, it will always hold a special place in my heart regardless of if it’s the sequel or the original game, and so far I’ve been enjoying the sequel much more than the original, and Blizzard did an amazing job at keeping the uniqueness, and adding more, of “Overwatch’s” iconic, endearing, personality.

As “Overwatch 2“ receives more players and reviews, it’s increasingly clear how enjoyable and accessible the sequel is, and even regardless of criticism and backlash, “Overwatch 2” is an extremely popular title, and has been discussed and referred to as ‘Game of the Year’ ever since it’s release. Will you be playing it, and if you have already, do you enjoy it? And never forget, ‘The world needs heroes’.