We took a close look at Reaper, an assault character from Overwatch. Read here how the deadly shadow plays.
Reaper – the Death from the Shadows
A while ago, we already turned to the Ice Princess Mei and the grunting tank Roadhog, today we take a look at a somewhat rougher guy. Little is known about the terrorist Reaper, who has made a name for himself worldwide with his gruesome attacks. Rumor has it that he is a mercenary, but he doesn’t stay loyal to any organization for long. Some even say he is a failed genetic experiment with only one goal: to eliminate all remaining Overwatch agents.
Let’s first take a look at Reaper’s abilities:
- The Inferno Shotguns can be fired in quick succession. They deal massive damage in close combat, but their effectiveness completely fizzles out at medium range.
- With Wraith Form, Reaper becomes invulnerable for a few seconds and can move through enemies. While he takes no damage, he also cannot use his other abilities or shoot.
- By activating Shadow Step, Reaper can teleport to a targeted position. However, he must remain still for a few seconds, during which he is vulnerable and cannot defend himself.
- The ultimate ability Death Blossom inflicts massive damage around Reaper. All enemies are showered with countless shots from his shotguns. During the ability, the player can only move with drastically reduced speed.
Timing and Positioning is Everything
If you look at the various cinematics of Overwatch, in which Reaper repeatedly plays an important role, you might get the wrong impression of him. He is indeed quite cool, but it is rarely advisable to directly engage enemies with him. Reaper thrives on ambushes and that one golden moment when he can surprise his enemies. With two well-aimed headshots in close combat, almost all heroes with low health points can be taken down, but he struggles against tanks.
Timing Shadow Step correctly is not so easy. Because not only at the starting position do you stand “useless” for a few moments and can easily be sniped away, but at the target position there are also more moments where you are completely exposed. However, the ability is excellent for bridging long distances and simply getting behind enemies or to a significantly elevated position. That’s exactly where you should be when you want to launch Death Blossom. Happily, you jump right into the enemies and then unleash the ultimate to create a true storm of devastation.
Several times I made the mistake of trying to position myself with Wraith Form, but most opponents see through that immediately. Those who give enemies time to aim at Reaper with “Wraith Form” will be executed just a few milliseconds after activating their abilities.
Wraith Form is a double-edged sword anyway, as it doesn’t just make you invulnerable but also defenseless. The few seconds you have to reposition often aren’t enough to really get to safety – and almost always the opponent waits for the moment when you pop out of invulnerability.
In summary, I must confess that I did not have as much fun with Reaper as with Mei or Roadhog, which is simply because I don’t handle the character particularly well. In more skilled hands, Reaper is cruel, deadly, and a true plague. Quite often, a cheerful “DIE! DIE! DIE!” rings in the decisive play move in a match – just usually not from me.
For more news and articles on the hero shooter and the current beta, you can find them on our Overwatch theme page.
