Overwatch 2’s PvE content feels fresh, but is it enough?
5 years after its initial announcement, Overwatch 2’s long awaited PvE content is finally here, but is it enough to keep its player-base engaged?
The past few months in Overwatch’s history have been marred by controversy regarding cancelled content and poor communication from its development team, however after an immense wait, a portion of its initially promised PvE content has finally been delivered. Three missions, with impressive cutscenes and moving character moments are now available for the price of US$15 within the in-game store, providing permanent access to this content. These missions, each run roughly 30 minutes and will take you through a range of different objectives and enemy encounters, with each feeling meaningfully different from one-and-other, and especially at higher difficulties, requiring a good deal of team coordination in order to complete.
The first mission, “Resistance,” was first shown at BlizzCon back in 2019 as a way to showcase the initially planned skill trees and RPG elements from its now cancelled “hero missions,” and years after its announcement, it doesn’t feel any less exciting than it did back then. The mission follows Lucio, for the first time meeting up with the recently reunited Overwatch in order to stop an attack on Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro, carried out by the terrorist group “Null Sector.” What follows is a fresh introduction into a more narrative focused side of Overwatch, with great character interactions and some fun gameplay, culminating in the team infiltrating and subsequently taking down a massive control ship. This mission isn’t wildly different to what was showcased back in 2019, but finally getting to play it definitely feels worth the wait.
The second mission, “Liberation,” is set on the streets and subway tunnels of Canada’s Toronto, following Sojourn’s valiant effort to help evacuate as many civilians as possible from a Null Sector attack. This mission is considerably more varied than the first, and has some great NPC interactions, including a viscerally disturbing body-horror sequence that I won’t spoil. Some tougher enemies are introduced here, and its presentation is immaculate, showcasing the game’s dynamic weather system and beautifully detailed spaces. Sojourn is a great character as well, with her performance nailing the air of badassery that gives this mission its identity.
The third mission, and by far my favourite, is “Ironclad,” set in the streets of Gothenburg in Sweden. This mission involved Reinhardt and Brigitte visiting the eccentric Torbjӧrn, before being interrupted by yet another Null Sector attack. Whilst this mission is the most straight-forward structurally, this simplicity allows for more character focus, with some great banter between the trio and some spectacle driven combat sequences, culminating in a stressful tower defence-style encounter, which for me was the highlight of the whole package, despite its immense challenge on higher difficulties.
Each mission is bookended by two cinematics that provide not only context for the events taking place, but also rather poignant character moments, especially towards the end. Anyone interested in Overwatch’s lore will find value in these cinematics, as they have fantastic production value, which is hardly a surprise given Blizzard’s track record with animated shorts. These missions certainly deliver on the storytelling front, unlike the somewhat barebones and lacklustre missions of old. When it boils down to it, the narrative is the defining characteristic of these missions, and if that is something you care about, the asking price is definitely worth it.
The problem that arises here is whether or not enough content is supplied here to keep people engaged long term, and, in a live-service mindset, this release is definitely appropriate, but it raises the question as to what the release cadence of this PvE content will actually be, and whether or not Blizzard will be able to keep the ball rolling in that regard. This content is certainly replayable, slightly more-so than the PvE mission from older Overwatch 1 events, but at only 90 minutes in length, whether or not these missions have legs is yet to be seen. If these missions only end up being released every 6 months, I will definitely be concerned, but the current offering definitely leaves me optimistic for the future.
Overwatch 2’s Invasion content is a solid offering that to me at least is well worth the asking price, offering some great character moments, fun, replayable missions and more narrative than it feels like we have gotten in the past 7 years. Hopefully this is a glimpse into the game’s future, and that Blizzard can continue with the content cadence that something like this needs. While the wait was indeed long, the Invasion event feels like a breath of fresh air, and these missions are an entertaining addition to game that will hopefully hint at a strong future for Overwatch.
