It’s been a while since I talked about Overwatch here, which is largely down to not having a PC for 6 months to play it on. Having a large gap like that in a game like Overwatch is quite challenging, as it’s the type of game where your reflex, reaction, and map awareness skills can drop off quite quickly. And it’s especially hard to come back and adjust to the new heroes, changed loadouts, nerfs, buffs, and the ever present meta.

This POTG was back in the good old 5 rez days. Hard to earn one now as Mercy

While I was gone Mercy, one of my favourites to play, was further nerfed so that her rez and ultimates were far less effective. Having to stand stock still while you rez someone is no fun in a shooter that’s for certain - anything that makes you stop changes the flow and feel considerably.

And this was from the ‘carwash’ days. Good times

And Symmetra, another fave, was completely reworked so that she’s barely recognisable. Her ult has been replaced by a massive zone blocking wall, which may be tactically useful but isn’t as strategic and fun as the old choice between a defensive shield generator and a teleporter. Plus, no carwash! I can kind of fumble my around with her, but it really is like learning a brand new hero.

Then there’s the new heroes like Brigitte - a kind of tank/heal hybrid by the looks - who I’m very interested in, and Wrecking Ball who seems a bit too chaotic for my style of play. With both it’s hard to start playing them once everyone else has already got to grips with how they are most effective - though in Quick Play it’s not that important if you struggle a little for a while.

Activating self destruct sequence - best ult or best ult?

If all that sounds a bit negative, the good news is there’s still D.va to have a riot with. She’s still great, fully mobile, fully over-the-top, and fully fun. And as of about 30 minutes ago, she’s also the star of her very own animated short.

It’s a funny game because you can go on horrendous losing and triumphant winning streaks, often based very much on how in the zone you get - and how lucky you get with random teammates. It can also leave you feeling furious when you’re not playing well - my trusted tactic with that is to always quit playing after a win. Game on!