Apex LegendsandOverwatch 2are two very different games. The former’s main game mode is a battle royale that pits 20 squads against each other in one giant map while the latter only has 2 teams fighting on a relatively smaller map.Apex Legendsplayers also have to scrounge for their weapons and gear as opposed toOverwatch 2players who have all the tools they need at the start of every match.
Yet despite their differences, it is inevitable that people will draw similarities between the two titles. BothApex LegendsandOverwatch 2’s main selling points are their unique characters and abilities that can turn the tide of battle at a moment’s notice. But whileApex Legends' legends have only a couple of abilities each,Overwatch 2’s heroes have varying numbers of skills that need to be learned to properly enjoy the game.
RELATED:Overwatch 2: 8 Easiest Heroes To Play As, Ranked
Apex Legends Is Primarily An FPS Game
Behind its colorful cast of characters and abilities,Apex Legendsis, at its core, a game that rewards good gunplay. Most legend abilities are there to create openings for players. Wraith’s Dimensional Rift, for instance, allows her to quickly reposition herself without fear of taking damage. The same can be said ofValkyrie’s VTOL Jets which lets her access high groundmore easily than other legends. While there are exceptions to the rule (Vantage’s Sniper’s Mark ultimate and Rampart’s Mobile Minigun “Sheila” are direct damage abilities), the primary method of eliminating opponents inApex Legendsis with the variety of weapons the game provides.
Overwatch 2 Focuses More on Abilities
In contrast toApex Legends' gunplay,Overwatch 2is a more ability-dependent game. While all the heroes have their own weapons with infinite ammo, these are more for chipping away at the enemy team’s health so that they can be finished off with an ability or two.A good example of this is Genji, who uses his shuriken to weaken his opponents before finishing them off with his Swift Strike ability. Successful eliminations with Swift Strike immediately reset the skill’s cooldown, allowing it to be used in rapid succession.
SinceOverwatch 2heroes are defined by their abilities, it is imperative that players know which heroes their team is running as well as those used by the enemy team. This makes it easier for players to know their team’s strengths and weaknesses so they can better adapt to multiple situations. It also makes it easy to counter and predict the enemy team’s moves.
While the vast array of abilities inOverwatch 2makes for some incredible battles, it can become difficult to make sense of what is going on. Ten characters with multiple abilities going off at the same time are hard to keep track of for seasoned players; much more for newer players. This only gets harder as more heroes get released and their abilities get added to the game. The sheer amount of ability spam is also a big factor as to whyOverwatch 2reduced the team sizesfrom six players to five.
Fewer Abilities Could Mean More Fun
This dependence on abilities is what makesOverwatch 2feelmore like a Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA) gamethan a traditional First Person Shooter (FPS). The core gameplay loop has players keeping track of enemy team composition and abilities rather than focusing on good gunplay and positioning. The game doesn’t make full use of its first-person perspective, as players are often caught asking their teammates what is going on in the middle of a fight.
If Activision Bizzard wants to reduceOverwatch 2’s barrier to entry, it should considertaking a page out ofApex Legends. Respawn Entertainment’s hero battle royale has characters that each has only 1 passive ability, 1 tactical ability, and 1 ultimate ability. This makes it easier to keep track of and manage each legend whether they be a friend or foe. Considering there can be a maximum of 60 players in a singleApex Legendstrios match (each of whom can pick a different legend), this economy of abilities seems like just the right amount so that players don’t get overwhelmed by the number of abilities they have to watch out for.
ThoughApex Legendsis slowly falling into the same oversaturated hero problemthat the originalOverwatchhad, it is still fairly easy to counter enemy legend abilities with good gunplay and positioning. On the other hand, not knowing aboutOverwatch 2’s multiple heroes and abilities puts players at an extreme disadvantage. Learning all these abilities takes time and dedication - things that not all newOverwatch 2players have. Rather than staying true to the original and adding more heroes with more abilities,Overwatch 2could meet players halfway by reducing the number of abilities its new heroes will have. Doing so will make them easier to learn and keep track of for everyone.
Overwatch 2is free-to-play and available on PC, PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
