Dueling Works: Overwatch and Battleborn

It isn't too uncommon to find some movies, tv shows or even video games being compared to one another thanks to similarities. At times, some people may call out how one is copying the other, which is not often true (there might be a few cases, but I wouldn't know them off the top of my head).

For the rest of this month, I'll be looking at different video games that have often been compared to one another. First up is a pair of games that haven't even been released yet (just a little over a month for both), but are still being saddled up as being copies of each other to many people: "Overwatch" and "Battleborn".

The newest IP created by Blizzard Entertainment, 'Overwatch' is the online game where you play has former members of the organization Overwatch (as well as a few villains) and compete in different modes to capture points and protect cargo and the like.

"Battleborn" is developed by Gearbox Software, where you take part as a team of fighters to take on an evil empire to stop the heat death of the universe, while also fighting against each other in different modes as well.

Where is the rivalry?

This has mostly been brought up by the fans moreso than the creators, just be observations of released information like videos and news reports. Both games are first person shooters taking place in a rather cartoonish science fiction world set in the future. All the characters have a few select abilities as well as an 'ultimate', which they can use to help turn the tide in fights at the right time. You pair up with other players as characters competing for different objects, such as capturing points, attacking or defending escort items, or playing a 'king of the hill' match.  

It is a bit funny to compare the two like this, as both companies have been working hard to stand out amongst the scene. So, what exactly makes them different from each other?

Setting

'Overwatch' is a bit of a look into the future, decades after a violent war called the 'Omnic Crisis'. Thanks to the efforts of the organization 'Overwatch', peace was restored and the relationships between man and robots were holding. However, the organization grew corrupt from within and soon disbanded under heap of public outcry and sabotage. Now, those remaining try to protect the world as best they can against evil boths new and old.

'Battleborn' is set more into the far future, where a dangerous galactic army has been snuffing the light out in the universe. Survivors of several factions are banding together to stop the last start from being wiped out. While many of these characters have different ideologies and attitudes with one another, they do agree that they are the last hope to stop this evil. Live together, or die alone.

Art Design

'Overwatch's design has often been compared to the likes of Disney's Pixar animation and it isn't hard to see why. While the characters are very cartoony in design, many behavior wouldn't be too out of place out in real life. The heroes especially have 'feet of clay', having a more developed grounding in attitude that can be seen in their gameplay as well as released shorts by Blizzard.

'Battleborn' is easily comparable to a Saturday morning cartoon, something that Gearbox seems to revel in when it came to designing their story and characters. Their personalities are almost borderline exaggerations, but have enough pop in their look and feel to easily stand out from each other. It revels in the fact that it is a cartoony game, so it plays with it the best it can.

Gameplay

'Overwatch' focuses on six versus six team matches with different maps and objectives. Characters are seperated into groups depending on their main talent: Attack, Defense, Tank, and Support. The game helps players point what which they might be lacking in a team, as well as enable them to switch characters in the middle of fights to change up strategies. Each character as their own weapon and abilities to use, including an 'ultimate' that charges depending on the character's main stat (attack characters charge with dealing damage, while tank characters charge while taking damage).

'Battleborn' has characters that represent different factions, each with their own style of abilities fitting to their own factions: the nature-preserving Eldrid, the highly imperialist Jennerit, the military-focused Peacekeepers, the mechanically focused Last Light Consortium, and the rebellious Rogues. Players can form teams of fight to compete in story 'episodes' or player versus player combat. Majority of these characters are heavy damage based, with few being better tanks and even fewer being better support.

Final Thoughts

It certainly comes down to personal choice more than anything else. Are you more of a fan of cooperative play with fellow gamers in an environment looking straight out of a Pixar film? Then 'Overwatch' would be the game for you. Are you more into the Saturday-morning cartoon variety of action that allows you to solo a campaign mode as well as multiplayer? Then you'll look forward to 'Battleborn'.

Neither game will be out yet until next month, so it is hard to say who will be the true winner of this duel.

Next time, we'll be looking into a pair of video game series where one would almost be considered a copy of the other...if it didn't go off the deep end of 'dense' and 'wacky'.

Until next time...