Remember whenOverwatchwas great? It was a multiplayer game made for everyone, brimming with unique heroes, and promising an inclusive, relaxing multiplayer FPS that wasn’t complicated to get into, regardless of your skill level.
Blizzard has seemingly forgotten these key facets, as Overwatch 2 proceeds to continually chase after the dream of being a major eSport for the most competitive-minded players. Heroes that were once distinct for rewarding skills like planning, stealth, or pure support have been all sanded down into a DPS-heavy mold regardless of the role they should arguably fill.
And then over in the other corner isPaladins, still partying like it’s 2015! Hi-Rez’s hero shooter was one of the very first on the market, and has outlasted virtually all of its competition.
The core premise is an elegant merging ofTeam Fortress 2andLeague of Legends. Two teams of five go head-to-head in first-person shooter battles, but with unique characters and customizable loadouts of per-match perks you purchase between respawns. It’s simple on paper, yet deviously deep once you’ve come to grips with it.
I’ll admit, when a friend encouraged me to dive back in after several years of not playing Paladins, I expected much the same as what’s befallen Overwatch. Surely my old mains would be massively redesigned beyond recognition, right? Wrong. Other than a handful of swapped abilities across Paladins' immense number of champions, all the old favorites are still here in fine form.
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Evie’s still the most upbeat twist on Quake-style rocket-blasting you’ll ever meet as she flies overhead on her BFG broomstick. Skye ambushes from the shadows, preying on distracted players with ease. Makoa charges across the field as the most adorable battle turtle in existence. Fernando’s romance novel bravado is matched only by his persistent energy shield.
This isn’t to say Paladins hasn’t improved. Androxus is actually balanced now! The modes on offer are varied to what you’re looking for, with Siege merging Onslaught and Payload for those who want something meatier. Bot matches finally present a real challenge while easing players into things, and several of the upgrades you can purchase mid-match have been reworked to reward experimentation rather than relying on a single optimal loadout.
Yet perhaps the greatest refinement to Paladins is its insistence on not reinventing the wheel. There’s no drastic redesign that leaves you out in the cold, classic maps still hold up well, as do old champions against even the buffest newcomers. Does that mean a player in it for the easy kill mains Maeve while ambushing the support players? Yep. It also means that later additions to the roster are natural counters built with her in mind.
That roster is also vastly more inclusive. Though Paladins doesn’t have mid-match hero swapping, the sheer glut of champions means there’s pretty much someone for everyone. Seris' primary attack is a glorious bullet hell barrage that you spray and pray, Vora relies on sweeping attacks with her blade, swinging like Spider-Man with her tendrils as she deals attacks straight out of a fighting game, and Yagorath doesn’t even move except between attacks, letting you focus on area control like a sentient Tower Defense turret.
This willingness to justtrythings is why Paladins has time travel, magic coins that deflect bullets, a woman who can turn into a flying dragon, and a walking, talking bomb robot. Whole characters are homages not only in visuals but playstyle, like Pip (Ratchet & Clank), Raum (Doom), VII (Dishonored), and Kasumi (Dead By Daylight). While there is the Soldier 76-like Victor for those who want the absolute basic multiplayer FPS playstyle, there’s enough familiar and fresh characters to warrant passing him by.
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Sweetening the deal further, the sheer breadth of representation is astonishing. From ethnicity to gender and orientation to a spread of body types - the inclusivity on display is incredible. You can have an entire team of characters who aren’t white or a fantasy race. Queer characters are actually flirty with characters that suit their orientation. It took Overwatch over half a decade to come even close to this point.
Really, the only thing holding Paladins back from surpassing Overwatch is the same thing now plaguing Overwatch 2 - the free-to-play grind to unlock characters. Granted, you don’t have to go over a hundred matches just to have access to the rotating beginner set, let alone to participate in all modes, not to mention heroes are purchasable at any time with free gold given out regularly. While there’s still a grind, earning enough gold is reasonably paced, especially thanks to daily challenges that are as simple as playing two rounds of a particular mode. While there are more esoteric trials for those who really want to grind, they aren’t mandatory to stay current; having fun in Paladins isn’t a job.
It’s strange to see such a distinct reversal of fortunes. For years, Paladins was regarded as “Free-to-Play Overwatch”, and similar denigrating descriptions. As Overwatch turns itself inside out to go free to retain relevance, Paladins just keeps on churning.
Paladins isn’t a flawless game by any measure. Just off the top of my head: the microtransaction lootboxes that require premium currency are needless tedium obfuscating bonus cosmetics, and not all characters receive the same level of love once they’ve launched. Yet I can’t help but keep drifting back for another match or two to clear my head. The comfort food multiplayer that Blizzard sold Overwatch as still exists, it’s just in a different realm. Each game has room for improvement, but nobody should have to be fixated on grinding battle passes just to enjoy simple fun.
