Overwatch is a couple of years old but stands atop a strong dedicated fanbase that keeps growing. That growth is getting a push with the release of Overwatch on Nintendo Switch. So how does it play?First of all before you buy the game you should know that it is a download only game even if you go to a store and pick up the physical copy. The case only contains a download code. The file itself is about 12.1GB which on the Nintendo eShop took me about 1 hour 40 minutes to haul onto my SD card. Next I was prompted to a launch update which takes up another hour and 30 minutes. This was painfully long and kind of broke my hype upon finishing downloading the file. It all amounts to 23.7GB total space on your SD card.
Next we’re finally ready to play! I got straight into Junkenstein’s Revenge! This is a classic for fans and it’s great to try out a co-op horde mode survival to get accustomed to the gyro controls. after that I went into some Quick Play matches to get my Overwatch fix going.
Visually the game has made some compromises but for the better! A lot of backlash came from fans that 30fps was just unacceptable. And we can’t blame the fans, 30fps is low compared to what we’re used to on our computers. In the competitive PC, Xbox and PS4 meta you need 60fps otherwise you’ll be at a disadvantage compared to other players maxing out their fps. But on Switch… There is a whole new meta where everyone online is locked at 30fps. And I must say that the 30fps is on the higher spectrum! I’ve had no frame rate issues whatsoever over the course of my first matches in “Quick Play”. The game looks great and movement and target acquisition is fluid.
You can’t really compare it to the specs of a gaming pc anyway. The attacker’s side in Eichenwalde for example has less objects you can play around with while waiting in the pub area compared to the PS4 version. Furthermore the textures and particle effects are numbed down or completely absent but especially in handheld mode it doesn’t feel like anything is missing from a gameplay perspective. While experiencing the Switch version on my 55 inch television (where I do play the game on PS4) I did notice the difference a lot more. A minor compromise is that sometimes character models don’t load quickly enough in a selection screen or when viewing a “Play of the Game”. But I must say I am impressed by the graphical fidelity to the other consoles! We are in the end, holding Overwatch in the palms of our hands!
The controls and the customizable settings are BRILLIANT! Aside from the heavily marketed aiming gyro controls you should note that every single character can be tuned to your liking by adding or removing the gyro controls to specific actions. You can choose to use the gyro controls only while aiming down the sights when your sniping with Widowmaker. Or use the controls to control WreckingBall in ball form. Or again only when activating your ultimate attack. Every character has a few options you can tune to your liking to create the ultimate “gyro enabled” hero!
Overwatch on Switch offers the most intuitive controls on a console ever!
The controls are “Splatoonesque” and that is a great thing! Popping headshots or carefully placing your crosshair on Baptiste’s immortality field generator is very easy on Switch and it adds a whole new meta to this system that will create a new way to play competitively. It’s weird to go back to my other console version and not being able to use the gyro controls the Switch offers. Overwatch on Switch offers the most intuitive controls on a console ever! It’s fast paced and allows for a quick use of reflexes in the heat of the moment.
The social aspect is different too! Playing the game with a friend next to you on his own Switch is a blast. It felt like we were having our own little LAN-party but with a Nintendo Console. You can actually show something from your screen and share cool moments instantly. I used my headset in handheld mode with built-in mic and to my surprise the voice chat is working. And it works well! I had a decent conversation with a team mate and we carried our team to victory! This was a fear for most fans but it seems like Overwatch will be social online too on Nintendo Switch!
For seasoned players the lack of account linking/migration is a bummer. It was also quite weird to play the game without seeing different skins at first. Blizzard already told us that they are looking into account migration but it won’t happen quickly. So let’s all just try to enjoy the Switch version as a separate opus and race to top 500!
Overall the Switch version of Overwatch is looking to be a strong 3rd party for Nintendo and it’s a new and fresh way to play a legendary hero with custom gyro controls too. Even if you’re a long time fan of the series. If you own a Switch and you’ve played the game before, give it a try! It’s a completely different experience and heroes can play differently on Switch compared to PC or the other consoles. It’s like a brand new start for the franchise!
8/10
Tested on Nintendo Switch
