When I started Fandom Correspondents as an actual site, my hope was that I could pull together writers that would be a fresh voice on the varying subjects of fandom. I have recently found another one of these voices and I am proud to present his first article for you here.
Like Megan King before him, Carter McDaniel is joining us as a guest writer. Having previously written for PlayStation Insider, Carter’s primary fandom is Video Games and he chose to write about one of the best games out right now.
With its anniversary just around the corner, Overwatch surprised fans with an event not at all tied to a real world event, but rather a significant occurrence within its own world. Following the success of Overwatch’s first PvE event, Junkenstein’s Revenge, it’s no surprise that Blizzard would eventually retread that path. What is surprising is the sheer amount of lore that the new update adds to the game. Any Overwatch fan will tell you that it is a game built on an expertly crafted world consisting of complex characters, significant history, and fascinating events. Overwatch’s Insurrection update brings an unprecedented amount of that history from the comics and animated shorts into the game itself. The crux of the insurrection update is the new arcade mode, Uprising, which relives Tracer’s first mission as an Overwatch cadet. She, along with Mercy, Reinhardt, and Torbjorn are sent by Commander Morrison (aka Soldier 76) to quell a rogue omnic uprising in King’s Row. The uprising mission is a more well-rounded version of Junkenstein’s PvE experience, as it features more elements from the Overwatch’s core game such as capturing a point as well as escorting a payload. Along with this game mode, Blizzard also released a variant mode where you can play as any hero on this mission, as well as a plethora of new skins, sprays, and other unlockable items. The skins released within the event, while not necessarily the most visually stunning we’ve seen, are exciting in their own right, as each of them are steeped in the history of Overwatch’s fantastic world. We get to see a somehow even more bushy-tailed and bright eyed Tracer, as well as a younger, although just as proud Torbjorn. The Blackwatch skins for Genji and McCree give us a glimpse at what life looked like on the grittier, and far less glamourized side of Overwatch (Also, Genji had foot blades during that time, and I’m going to choose to believe it was because he misunderstood McCree’s explanation of spurs.) Of course, I would be remiss not to mention some of the changes to the existing game within the Insurrection update. A capture tracking system has been added to competitive play with the intention of breaking ties and having fewer draws, but only time will tell if this is a fair or even effective measure. A new route has been added on Eichenwalde to make pushing through the first choke point a bit easier for attackers. This change should certainly improve balance and quality of play on the map leading to more fun and interesting strategies. The most exciting permanent change would be Lucio 2.0. Now armed with faster wall riding, more healing, increased damage, and a faster shot speed; this Lucio is an incredibly survivable frontline support powerhouse to be reckoned with. With all these changes, however, there is a catch as Jeff giveth and he taketh away. Lucio’s healing and speed aura are a third of wat they once were, having been reduced from 30 meters to 10 meters. All these changes come together to create a much more active and fun Lucio, while still keeping him viable.
Overall the Insurrection update is a fantastic change for Overwatch. The unlockables are amazing, the story is rich, and the Uprising mode itself is unbelievably fun. My only qualm comes from knowing that as of right now, this is a limited time event, meaning that soon this wonderful PvE mode will be gone. Even if it does leave, I trust that Jeff (praise be) and the rest of the Overwatch team can see how much the community loves this game mode, and will give us a permanent PvE replacement soon
