We took a closer look at Mei, a specialist character from Overwatch. Read here about how the little “Ice Princess” plays.
Mei – The Little Ice Princess
After thoroughly engaging with Roadhog, a tank from Overwatch, in the last few days, we are dedicating today to a more fragile character. We have completed several extensive games with the frosty specialist Mei. The young (and damn cute) girl doesn’t actually have much to do with war; after all, she only peacefully researches the effects of the different climate zones of the Earth. But first, let’s take a brief look at her abilities.
- The endothermic blaster shoots snow at short range, causing only minimal damage. With sustained hits, the opponent becomes slower and is completely stunned for a brief moment after a few seconds. Alternatively, Mei can fire a strong projectile at long range that deals significantly more damage.
- Cryostasis is the typical “ice block” of a mage from almost every game. Mei becomes invulnerable for 5 seconds and regenerates a large part of her health points. The ability can be cancelled early with a right-click.
- Ice Wall creates a solid wall of ice that blocks vision. The wall lasts for a few seconds but can be destroyed early by damage. If the wall is placed under other players (or herself), they are lifted and can reach places that would otherwise be inaccessible.
- The ultimate ability Blizzard creates a snowstorm in the targeted area that first slows down and damages all enemies, then stuns them for several seconds if they remain in the effect.
Cuteness and Cruelty in One
In gameplay, Mei is a specialist, meaning she is a more defensive character. Her “snow beam” is excellent for slowing down enemies, and with a well-placed ice wall, you can easily halt the advance of an entire team. However, this cute little thing also has her rather cruel moments. If you shoot enemies long enough, they freeze and become defenseless. That’s the perfect moment to stand right in front of the enemy, smile cheerfully in their face, and then shoot a big chunk of ice between their eyes.
Mei’s real utility varies greatly depending on the map being played. In attack, she is rarely useful (or I am just too incompetent with her), but she is fantastic in defense. In case of doubt, she can delay escorting a payload solo for several seconds by simply charging into the enemies and activating the ice block. Those are often the valuable 5 seconds in which your own team can regroup. The Blizzard is even one of those ultimates that can be an absolute “game changer.” Many times you see the opposing team already typing “gg” before the Blizzard appears and stuns all enemies, whom Mei then takes down one by one with her ice projectiles.
And the best part? She has a voice line where she says “Let it go…” Disney’s “Frozen” gives a shout-out.
However, unlike many other heroes from Overwatch, it is also easy to misplay with Mei. A poorly placed ice wall often hinders your own team and allows the control point to be captured by the opponents. Unfortunately, many toxic players have also noticed this and are already trolling through the games joyfully walling in their own team or blocking important sightlines.
But those who can befriend Mei and enjoy being the tipping point can expect mainly one thing: a damn “cool” time.
For more articles and news about the game and the current beta, you can find it on our Overwatch themed page.
