Unlocking the Ultimate Replayability: How Call of Duty Outshines Overwatch 2's PvE Experience

Highlights

Overwatch 2's story missions lack replayability and are criticized for their limited objectives, such as standing still and shooting.

An innovative co-op mode inspired by Call of Duty could provide a solution to this issue. It would offer a thrilling survival experience based on waves, incorporating diverse maps and enemies.

Enhancements to the horde mode could involve unique character dialogue, rewards, and the inclusion of a leaderboard system to foster friendly competition.

Despite the advantages of Overwatch 2's story missions, it is undeniable that they have flaws. One criticism is the absence of proper boss fights against named characters, as well as the limited number of missions. Most significantly, players have highlighted the lack of replayability in these missions. After experiencing the story once, there is little incentive to replay them as the objectives often involve stationary shooting. However, the introduction of a co-op mode inspired by Call of Duty could potentially resolve this issue in Overwatch 2.

While offering better rewards and more event missions in co-op could be a step in the right direction, Blizzard's ability to address this problem is limited. For instance, missions restricted to four characters, such as Gothenburg, can optimize each hero's abilities. Conversely, missions like Toronto, which offer a wider selection of heroes, need to be more open-ended to accommodate the larger cast. Considering this, the most effective solution might involve keeping the story missions linear and introducing a separate PvE mode dedicated to replayability. Call of Duty Zombies, renowned for its replayability, could serve as inspiration for an Overwatch 2 horde mode.

Overwatch 2 Now Has All The Pieces For a Proper Horde Mode

When Call of Duty Zombies first launched, it started as a small-scale project undertaken by a dedicated team at Treyarch. However, as it gained popularity, the mode underwent significant transformations, expanding from simple survival maps with only undead enemies to expansive, intricately designed maps filled with secrets. Alongside the captivating storyline and memorable characters, an array of enemy types were introduced, giving each Call of Duty Zombies map its own unique feel. This is something that Blizzard should take note of if they ever decide to create their own horde mode for Overwatch 2.

The closest Overwatch 2 has gotten to a horde mode is Junkenstein's Revenge, a cooperative level where players defend the castle door in the Eichenwalde map. While this mode is enjoyable and the experience of battling waves of Zomnics echoes the surface level similarities of CoD Zombies, it ultimately falls short of replicating the classic co-op offering by Treyarch. The focus on defending the door provides an objective, but the lack of varied tasks limits the gameplay. Additionally, players are confined to a small section of a single map, leaving no room for exploration. Consequently, after players have defeated Junkenstein's forces a few times, the mode loses its replay value.

In Overwatch 2's horde mode, the developers should take note from Call of Duty Zombies and prioritize map variety. Players should be immersed in expansive maps with numerous areas to battle through, potentially utilizing Flashpoint locations. They can gradually uncover new sections of the map, similar to Call of Duty Zombies, which would allow for more gameplay space and the discovery of strategic positions to fend off enemy hordes. Along their progression, players could come across upgrades for their heroes, such as permanent health and damage boosts, as well as the ability to deploy turrets and self-revive.

Another aspect to learn from recent versions of Call of Duty Zombies is enemy variety. For instance, players could face occasional waves of Splicers, reminiscent of Hellhound rounds in Zombies. Upon successfully completing these special waves, all players in the group would receive maximum Ultimate charge. Each map in the horde mode could also present unique enemy lineups. One map could reintroduce the Halloween-themed Zomnics, while another could focus on Talon forces. A third map could prominently feature the Null Sector forces from the Invasion story missions. As time progresses, more powerful elite variants of these enemies, boasting greater health and damage output, would start to emerge, ensuring an escalating difficulty level as players endure.

Similar to Call of Duty Zombies, Overwatch 2 also relies on captivating character dialogue. The horde mode in the game offers the opportunity for unique conversations between characters that are not found in other gameplay modes. Players can unlock rewards by surviving for a specific amount of time or eliminating a set number of enemies. Unlike the limited options in Junkenstein's Revenge, players can utilize every hero in the horde mode, which opens up a wide range of interesting strategies. Additionally, a leaderboard system allows players to compete against their friends. To enhance the game, a PvE mode is necessary, providing players with the ability to continually engage without cutscenes and predictable enemy spawns. A wave-based survival experience, inspired by the popular CoD Zombies, seems like the perfect option.

Overwatch 2 is currently available on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.