gaming Should Overwatch have a story mode?

[Steel Accord 6,660]

Now I haven't played Overwatch, fuck my Mac which I'm getting into the habit of saying, but I do know a thing or two about the game. I know there IS a story being told by Overwatch not only through its excellent animations but also through webcomics and even background details in the stages or voice clips from the characters. It all builds on a trans-media narrative and it's been a great ride so far delving into this world and these characters.

 

Which leads me to something I've seen suggested a few times. Even with all of this excellent setup and alternative methods of conveying narrative, should there not be something resembling a conventional story mode for those of us more interested in the characters and over-arching plot than the strictly multiplayer experience?

 

A large part of me wants to say no from my experience of what is to me, Overwatch's true predecessor, not TF2 but Street Fighter. That game series has a relatively simple over-arching plot but a deep if not complex progression of events when it comes to individual character's lives and how they interact with one another. For years this was told and established to the point that Street Fighter actually has a canon at all that can be debated. Why can't Overwatch follow in it's steps? I mean it already has WAY more story meat and tools than Street Fighter did for the longest time and the game's barely even out.

 

On the other hand, I am a bit disappointed that I won't get to (eventually FM  ) actually play as Reinhardt slaying an omnic dragon, or Zenyatta defending his temple from invaders, or McCree gunning down his old gang when they take a small town hostage, or Hanzo tracking down Genji to finish what he started only to at last accept his brother and ultimately let go of his self-loathing. I mean even if Blizzard wanted to do that, could they even add it at this point?

 

What do you guys think?

Edited June 2, 2016 by Steel Accord

[Mand'alor Dash 2,224]

The world would be a better place if every game had a story mode. That said, Overwatch's arena shooter design kinda makes me wonder how such a thing might work. How would the support or defensive characters be fun to play in PVE? Would there be co-op compatibility to offset this? What about a party of characters like you see in RPGs? Is it even cost effective to develop such a mode?

 

I'm already considering getting Overwatch, even though I'm not normally into multiplayer games. A story mode would cinch it, but I'm not holding out any hope.

[The Mint Pone 2,294]

I think every game should have a story mode so yeah

[Celli 4,338]

I suppose it would be an interesting idea, though I personally wouldn't care if it stuck to Multiplayer-only.

The game just came out, though, and future content is planned, so anything's possible, I guess!

[SoulHarmony 43]

I do not believe the style of game that Overwatch is would have much chance of a Storyline unless you were to play in 1v1 match up or something

[Steel Accord 6,660]

I do not believe the style of game that Overwatch is would have much chance of a Storyline unless you were to play in 1v1 match up or something

 

Well ideally it would be offline against bots and non-"hero" characters.

[Guest]

I actually don't believe it's necessary because the style of the game lends itself to you using your imagination. The characters have their backstories which justify them being in the conflict, and that's all you really need. All I think they should do is periodically release the cinematics and I'd be satisfied with that.

 

I don't really think Overwatch is the kind of game that "needs" it, because it just works so well as it is. Overwatch is more about the gameplay than the story and I'm okay with that!

[Soren Vigil 2]

I don't think they should add a story mode, Overwatch doesn't need one. The stories should come from the cinematics and comics, not from new campaigns or installments as is the case with CoD or Telltale Games. However, they should make it easier to join servers or play with smaller groups. Currently if you want to play on a smaller sized game you have to use custom mode which also requires you to have friended the people you play with. Having a system like in TF2 where players can host servers 24/7 with custom settings would work a wonder, not to mention choosing what maps you join in the first place. That way you can be much more casual about the way you play and have more control.

 

Perhaps something like TF2's Mann vs Machine gamemode would work for a campaign setting: against the evil organization which is attempting to destroy Overwatch and Omnic bots.

[Rainbow Dash 1,472]

Meh, I like it the way it is now(well, not now since they nerfed my favourites); but I could get addicted to it if there was more more behind everything. I mean, in the commercials they made it seem like there was a story, but I played the beta and was kinda disappointed, but that soon wore off because IM A WALKING TURRET TANK BWAAAH!!

[Kyoshi Frost Wolf 41,632]

Overwatch has more story and character than all of the COD games combined, yet COD still gets a terrible campaign, year in year out. If Black Ops 3 can have an atrocious 'story' in its campaign, then I think Overwatch should definitely have a story mode as it has tons of potential. It would only make us appreciate the characters in the game even more. The backstories are already there, so there is the groundwork laid.

[CurMo 17]

It kinda hurts that a game with such marvellous and moving cinematics has no story mode. As said even now the game has better story than most other games, robot people trying to live with humans and stuff

[Willow Blossom 6]

Yeah, in my honest opinion I think the game is perfectly fine with, if not benefits from, there not being a story mode. A story would mean that there would have to be a "start" and "end". Now perhaps the start could make sense as the Overwatch recall, but how can you end something that is continually played throughout the multiplayer? All in all, less is more in this scenario and it provides for a great story.

[Twilight Dirac 721]

Overwatch is basically the sequel to Team Fortress 2 and that never needed a story mode.

[Steel Accord 6,660]

Overwatch is basically the sequel to Team Fortress 2 and that never needed a story mode.

 

You know, I hear that comparison made a lot but I still contend that Overwatch has more in common with Street Fighter than it does TF2. Yes, both are multiplayer focused shooters with different class roles to achieve objectives, but if that's enough to be a "sequel" then Mass Effect is a "sequel" to Alpha Protocol.

 

Besides, TF2 actually does have a story, if not a dedicated mode for it, which might have been your point.