Overwatch is the game that took the world by storm and led people who weren't even interested in Pop! figures to splurge on giant-headed Widowmakers or other merchandise. The game was so well received, it actually dethroned League of Legends as South Korea's most popular eSports title for a good while. With its colorful set of characters and addictive objective-based gameplay, Overwatch has become one of the arching behemoths in online gaming today. Chances are, you've forgotten the many similar games you've played before it, as you defend payload after payload while hunting down that Genji who needs so much healing. The just game brims with personality, with its ever expanding lore and lineup of seasonal extra game modes expected from a Blizzard game.
This game is indeed one for the history books, but just as it drew a vast crowd with its brilliantly laid out multiplayer experience, so too did a couple of lesser-known titles. Enclosed is a list of games that may have some resemblance to Blizzard's successful shooter, but not without injecting its own spin to make the experience a bit more varied and worth checking out. Whether you're a gamer on a budget or an avid Overwatch player looking to take your skills to another world with familiar mechanics, we've got you covered.
Here's our short list of games like Overwatch.
Paladins: Champions of the Realm
Were you even surprised that this would make it here? Much like Overwatch, Paladins is a team-based shooter centered on securing objectives and pushing payloads; in fact, Paladins initially garnered negativity from gamers the moment it came out, mainly due to its many similarities with Overwatch.
To date, Paladins is the closest you can ever get to Overwatch in terms of mechanics and gameplay. It features a unique set of characters, each belonging to one of four roles: Frontliner, Damage, Support, and Flanker (a more mobile damage dealer). Sound familiar? Any Overwatch player would probably notice the similarities right off the bat, with some champions functioning eerily identical to Overwatch's cast. Drogoz, for example, wields a rocket launcher while flying around using a jetpack, while Makoa, one of the tanks in the game, uses a hook to pull enemies closer to shoot them at close range.
Despite this though, Paladins still offers enough to differentiate itself from the rest of the pack. Other than relying on its diverse set of characters, the game adds two forms of extra customization via its card and item system, allowing players to change each champion's skill properties, as well as adjust their playstyle depending on the enemy team's composition.
Paladins is also free-to-play, so if you're looking for a cheaper alternative to Overwatch, look no further. Everything outside special skins can be unlocked by currency you earn inside the game.
Why you should try it:
An ever expanding line-up of champions
Protecting the payload will make any Overwatch player feel right at home
Free-to-play, but not pay-to-win
Offers a good amount of champion customization, making two of the same character feel different, depending on their augmentations
Battleborn
Gearbox's Battleborn is a 'one-part Shooter, one-part MOBA' game that focuses on team dynamics and objective-based gameplay. Despite functioning mostly as a FPS, the game injects itself with a more MOBA-esque feel via its progression system, which hands out various methods of customization that enriches the outcome of each match. Battleborn's extra spice lies in its leveling system, which lets players augment their existing skills as well as passive traits. This gives you more freedom in terms of implementing your own style and enhances team synergy through various skill effects for a chunky team combo.
One of the game modes even involves MOBA creeps, resulting in a miniature first-person DoTA experience, where teams must exercise proper laning and a certain degree of creep management. The game also features a lengthy story campaign, which can be quite enjoyable when tackled as a group and adds more variety to what you can do outside its already rich multiplayer mode. The game carries a familiar feel akin to Gearbox's famed Borderlands series, often delivering the same amount of humor, as well as the cartoony comic book visuals we've all grown to love. Battleborn is available for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
Why you should try it:
A more MOBA-centered FPS experience
The story mode is enjoyable when playing with friends (please don't play it alone)
It shares the same humorous charm found in Borderlands
The leveling system gives a good sense of progression during each match, allowing you to adjust on the fly depending on your team composition
Gigantic
Gigantic is a Strategic Hero Shooter where players are split into teams and are pitted against one another in a (forgive me for this) GIGANTIC 6 vs 6 MOBA-ish battle of territory. The game sports a very appealing storybook look, with a vibrant set of characters and maps highly reminiscent of The Legend of Zelda: the Wind Waker with their cel-shaded style. The game has 18 wildly diverse heroes to choose from, each representing various classic roles found in today's MOBA games. Gameplay wise, Gigantic functions more like a MOBA, sporting a third-person perspective, along with a variety of skill shots that are upgraded as you level up across the match.
The goal of each game is to destroy the enemy's Guardian while completing a series of objectives to strengthen your own Guardian in between clashes. In terms of match progression, Gigantic feels a lot like a third-person-shooter version of Heroes of the Storm. Players are also able to summon a series of turret-like monsters to the field, each with their own set of unique attacks that make it harder for the enemy team to push the lane and build map presence.
Slaying enemies also fuels your Guardian's power meter, allowing them to eventually summon the urge to pin the enemy Guardian. This gives your team the opportunity to wound it with your skills and attacks. The game does its title justice with its over the top colossal-scaled battles, and while I did present this as an alternative to Overwatch, it still offers more than enough to be a go-to game whether or not you're into Overwatch. There's just something about seeing two giants fight one another that feels utterly satisfying. Kaiju Battle!
Why you should try it:
Amazing cel-shaded visuals
Perhaps the most unique game mode you'll see in a shooter, let alone a MOBA game
Diverse set of heroes
Fast-paced combat
Easy to pick up for newbies
Seeing the enemy Guardian pinned down brings a certain level of satisfaction
Dirty Bomb
At a glance, Splash Damage's free-to-play competitive shooter may strike you as nothing more than a Call of Duty clone. The game uses a very familiar and realistic approach when its comes to its overall design, but it's hard to know how different it is from the rest just by looking at it. If you try to go past the looking glass, however, you will find that Dirty Bomb offers lots of variety and embraces teamwork more than you'd expect.
Much like the other games on the list, Dirty Bomb introduces a set of character classes, each with their own way of contributing to a fight. It really banks a lot on teamwork, and squads who exercise proper composition are well-rewarded during long bouts, especially with the sincere lack of ammunition and healing in the game. You can also get extra loadouts via its card system, which is currently unlocked through loot chests and gives your classes a couple of small yet influencing changes in terms of firepower.
Maps also showcase a chunk of objectives that can be done on the side to up your advantage over the other team with long-lasting effects such as blocking the routes they can take. The language is strong, and the game glows with attitude and crude humor, so if you're looking for a less cartoony and more mature feel, this game is for you--- just be sure to not mistake it as a kids' game. Overall, Dirty Bomb is like Overwatch but with a more modern-shooter feel.
Why you should try it:
A mixture of modern FPS and squad-based mechanics
Fast-paced and relies a lot on teamwork and composition
Class contributions are more distinct than other shooters
Strong profanity, if you're into that sort of thing
Lots of crude humor
LawBreakers
Currently in Beta, LawBreakers is said to share a lot of similarities with Overwatch. The game is set in a futuristic America, years after a global seismic event known as “The Shattering.” It includes an array of roles found in our current criteria, each with their own skills and abilities, as well as the objective-based format currently made famous by the few titles mentioned above.
So far, the game flaunts a couple of familiar game modes, such as capturing an objective and securing territories, and while it does not sound as innovative as promised, what makes this game truly stand out among its peers is its over-the-top gravity-defying combat. Introducing gravity anomalies on each map really changes the pace and direction of the game, emphasizing its maps' vertical layout a lot more than most of the team shooters available today. This game is probably what you'll get if you put Overwatch, Titanfall, and Quake III inside a jar and wait for them to make sweet-sweet love. Overall, LawBreakers is looking to be quite the competitor, and I suggest giving it a try after reading this article.
Why you should try it:
Gravity-induced chaos not found in most shooters
Squad-based roles that solidify each team
Stunning visuals
