The original Overwatch was a great game despite its shortcomings in terms of how rewards for playing were given out. Overwatch had a loot box system that would give players four random items or in-game currency if an item was a duplicate of one you already had. Loot boxes were given every time you gained a level from playing matches or you could buy loot boxes directly. If there was a specific item that you wanted, you could use the in-game currency to buy it in the shop directly, bypassing the loot box system entirely. 

In Overwatch 2, however, Activision-Blizzard added a battle pass system that replaced the old loot box system. This battle pass system, to put it lightly, is absolute trash. It’s not that there are any bugs or software problems, but it makes players who don’t want to spend $20 on something they would otherwise get from playing the game a normal amount, spend 50 to 60 HOURS of non-stop play to reach the final battle-pass tier. The items aren’t just cosmetic, either, as one of the higher tiers is a brand-new character that changes the gameplay altogether. 

Speaking of gameplay, aside from a new character, the gameplay is pretty much identical to the original Overwatch. The only notable differences are that there’s a new game mode, the balance of characters was changed so that some characters do pretty much nothing and others can destroy every other character within half a second, along with some UI & visual updates. 

As I mentioned earlier, a new character was added that is locked behind the battle pass. This character is Kiriko, a healer with high mobility, decent damage, and an ultimate ability that boosts allies’ movement speed, attack speed, and cool down. Kiriko is an honestly fun character to play and it sucks that new players have to either play for 50 or more hours to unlock her or just spend $20 to get instant access. 

Along with Kiriko, 2 other characters were added to Overwatch 2 which are thankfully unlocked by default. These new characters are Sojourn and Junker Queen, one being a damage dealer and the other a tank, respectfully. 

Sojourn has a powerful railgun that can dish out damage with rapid-fire projectiles or a high-impact charge shot. Along with her damage potential, Sojourn has a sliding ability that allows for high mobility and a disruptor shot that acts as a sort of bear trap that ensnares enemies and deals damage to them simultaneously.

Junker Queen has a pump-action shotgun, a throwable and recallable blade that can damage enemies over time, a shout that grants temporary movement and health increases to you and your allies, and a slash that damages all enemies in front of you, also damaging them over time.

Overwatch 2 was so close to being a great game, but Blizzard did what Blizzard does best and got greedy, ruining the experience for everyone.