The Overwatch open beta took place this past weekend, and after spending time with every hero on the roster, I’m convinced that Battleborn may have met its match. Gearbox was lucky to release its MOBA / hero-shooter hybrid when it did, otherwise I don’t think that too may people would have chosen it over Blizzard’s expertly-tuned offering. I have to say right off the bat that my main issue with Battleborn is its perpetual identity crisis. Outside of its story mode it’s basically a first-person MOBA, but it still tries to be an action-packed arena shooter. That may be music to the ears of some, but to me that just means the Gearbox style and flash are going to waste on what turns out to be a slower-paced game.
Pacing is where Overwatch excels, and I don’t think I could ever load up another match in Battleborn after experiencing the explosive spectacle that Blizzard showcased during its open beta. Even during story missions, the MOBA-style leveling up system in place in Battleborn makes it feel like you don’t really get to use your character to his or her fullest capacity until late in the mission. I understand that this is a defining characteristic for most MOBAs, but to me – in the setting of what you expect to be faster, typical, Gearbox experience – it feels like wasted time. In PvP modes especially, when I know exactly how I want to use Orendi (or any given hero) and what my strategy is with her, I don’t want to have to wait 15 minutes into the match to unlock all of the skills down the helix that I’ve grown accustomed to. Early on I’m sure that the helix variations will make for all kinds of fun exploration and interesting experimentation, but after you’ve invested dozens of hours into the game and know exactly how you like to play I have a feeling that this will be more of an annoyance. It’s just not something I’m sure belongs in a first-person, action-oriented game, but that’s solely my opinion.
Overwatch was better suited to my tastes because once you know a hero really well, you become immediately useful; immediately deadly. Each hero has his or her abilities available from the very beginning, they all feel vastly different from each other, and the cooldown times are minimal on all of them – with the exception of ultimates (for obvious reasons). This just works. Every engagement becomes a frantic firefight with immediate consequences or advantages. Every time you enter the fray you feel prepared and able to make a big play for your team, even if that means hanging back and providing key heals to your tank or buffs to a sniper.
Death also comes (much) quicker in Overwatch , but that’s totally okay. Like I mentioned, the fact that you can kill and be killed more quickly means that every shot and every cast feels much more significant than they do in Battleborn . Battleborn takes another page out of the MOBA book by making its heroes slow to kill, and respawn times get longer as the match drags on. I understand how this would add a layer of strategy to how you approach battles late into the game, but that doesn’t make it more exciting to me; it’s a buzzkill, actually. When things really heat up and the action reaches a fever pitch, dying in Battleborn puts an immediate stop to the almost-adrenal thrills for 45 seconds or longer. You may die 10 times in a single, short match in Overwatch , but at least you only wait 5 seconds to respawn and then you’re back in the action.
I will give a nod to Battleborn for its hero balance – something Blizzard will still have to tweak before Overwatch launches (and likely tweak post-launch). During my time playing Battleborn I never experienced moments where I felt too powerful or otherwise victimized by a specific skill or character that needed to be nerfed. There are a few specials in Overwatch that need to be tuned down, and the whole community knows it. It’s not uncommon to face off against a team using 3 or 4 of the same character because they know their ultimate is overpowered and can turn the tide of battle. Once this evens out, though, Overwatch will be the hottest multiplayer game of the summer.
Are there dissenters among you? Has anyone out there spent ample time with both games and prefer Battleborn to Overwatch? If so chime in and let me hear your justifications, or if you’re just a salty Gearbox fan, come at me and we’ll arena-battle IRL.