Overwatch

These days, it’s not enough for a new IP to simply innovate with slight tweaks and changes to a tired, albeit safe formula. With Overwatch, not only has Blizzard made a game that is fun at its core, they look poised to lead a new wave of other similar first person shooters to come. This, to me, is the mark of a true game-changer.

Blizzard’s first foray into the first person shooter genre was a bold move for the studio best known for its strategy titles and its MMO, World of Warcraft. Blizzard is first to market with Overwatch, its entry into the nascent, but rapidly growing hero shooter and unfortunately for everyone else, Blizzard’s managed to hit the ball out of the park on its first swing.

Overwatch may yet cool off and fall by the wayside at some point in the near future, but it sure seems like it's here for the long haul. Pretty much everything about this game feels fresh and exciting: the class-based combat, the art style, the roster, the modes. It's equal parts strategic and twitchy, encouraging you to think while also rewarding skill, and its roster is a delight. Overwatch may well be the best new multiplayer shooter to come along since Modern Warfare and Team Fortress 2 took 2007 by storm. I can't wait to play more.