The BlizzCon 2015 is now nearly a week in the past. So I had enough opportunity to calm down a bit from the initial hype to look at the announced things a little more soberly. I will not go into all aspects here, as we have already covered many points in our news and columns, but I would like to convey my overall impression of the BlizzCon.
The big hit was missing
Looking back, the really big hit was missing at the BlizzCon, something that blows me away, like Overwatch did last year. Maybe the timing was just bad, because you can’t pull a new game out of your sleeve every year. But as often as I heard and read in advance that this BlizzCon has a “surprise that no one expects,” I missed a little something.
All of these may have just been rumors, and the numerous leaks, such as regarding the console version of Overwatch, were certainly not helpful in meeting these expectations. It would be exaggerated to speak of a real disappointment here; the fair was just too interesting for that. But it was a bit unsatisfying without any “Oh, wow!” effect.
Overwatch: Where the Nether is my beta access?!
Last year, I was still a bit skeptical about whether Blizzard could really create a shooter that satisfies all fans. Over the past year, however, the hype train slowly but surely swept me up until it finally picked up full speed. Now the game has even a cute character in anime style with D.Va, who stomps across the battlefield with her mech or fights on foot around control points if needed.
The news that Overwatch will be a full-price title has not pleased many people, but I personally think it’s fine. I would find it terrible if characters could be bought individually like in Heroes of the Storm, as that would not do the game any good since the ability to constantly switch is tightly interwoven into the gameplay mechanics. Reports also indicate that Overwatch is already so polished and free of bugs that it could be sold without any issues. So the only question remains: Where is my beta access for the game?
Heroes of the Storm: Cho’Gall enriches the game
Of all the announcements made at the fair, Cho’Gall was the silent highlight for me. No other element in all Blizzard games screams as much for “Grab your friends and let them play!” as the two-headed ogre. What was once a silly April Fool’s joke for World of Warcraft has now become a reality. I am convinced that Cho’Gall alone will lead to a significant increase in the player numbers of Heroes of the Storm.
Anyone who regularly hangs out in voice chat with their friends will have a blast with the double-headed ogre and will sometimes scream in despair when the teammate misses the bomb detonator or when Cho’Gall’s body charges directly into the enemy base because they “accidentally clicked on the minimap.”
The other two heroes, Lunara and Greymane, seem interesting but completely fade in comparison to the ogre. Shared fun is double fun; a Worgen and a Dryad just can’t keep up.
World of Warcraft: Legion – Blizzard breeds itself
First of all, everyone who laughed stupidly at the subheading should be ashamed, and secondly, I should probably explain this. Hearthstone has drawn a lot from World of Warcraft, including all the characters, the game world, and various spells. Heroes of the Storm even draws completely from all other Blizzard worlds, as all heroes have already appeared elsewhere. With World of Warcraft: Legion, however, they are now taking the reverse step and allowing themselves to be influenced in reverse.
In order to distinguish the classes more strongly in Legion, the developers are looking to other games for inspiration. Warlocks will get the talent “Imp explosion,” which previously only existed in Hearthstone as a card of the same class. But Heroes of the Storm also provided some templates, as Shamans receive an ability that allows them to tear the earth apart and fling enemies aside – just like Thrall in Blizzard’s MOBA. A third example would be Tyrael, who serves as a source of inspiration for Paladins. Just like the warrior angel, light wielders will soon be able to hurl a sword at a distance and then teleport to it at the push of a button.
Cynics might now say that the WoW team is running out of ideas. Personally, I am excited about these new steps and hope that there will be more overarching concepts and ideas in the future that will find their way into each other’s games.
In summary, I am quite happy with the BlizzCon. I have noticed that the new Hearthstone adventure leaves me colder than I would have previously assumed, but the developers have managed to reignite my enthusiasm for Legion. I am even willing to accept that the game will not be released until late next year. RP fills any content gap.
