Steam freebie: Major 2022 release was finally freed up for free download, only to immediately become review bombed upon its arrival on Steam.
Review bombing is the ultimate sign that fans have had it with any product. Overwatch 2 was finally made available for download through Steam this past Tuesday, yet has already received “overwhelmingly negative” reviews.
Just since 10 August, Blizzard 2022’s Steam Store debut has seen an immense influx of players who warn potential ones not to play it. Their primary issue with it lies with how certain heroes were locked behind paywalls requiring payment of a Platinum Battle Pass in order to access them.
One disgruntled player noted, as many others do, “this is an essential feature in a competitive game that comes behind a paywall”. Furthermore, many were outraged at how PvE missions had to be cancelled prior to being sold as individual missions.
“Overwatch 2 has no competitive integrity whatsoever and collecting cosmetics costs too much money if that is your focus. However, playing it was still fun; just marred by intrusive greed”. This reviewer concluded their review with harsh, honest remarks:
Ouch. Unfortunately for Blizzard, over 10,000 Steam users found this review helpful – whether that equates to them actually opting out of downloading this freebie we cannot say; but certainly doesn’t bode well for what was considered one of 2022’s major releases.
Like in previous instances such as when RE4 remake was review bombed, Steam users who voice their grievances do not seem to be upset simply for being negative; most seem to be veteran players familiar with the game who know exactly why their reviews are negative – they’re annoyed so they vent by posting negative reviews in whatever manner possible.
Overwatch was widely-acclaimed at its release and when its sequel began to unravel and more issues surfaced it was a confusingly challenging transition for players. Monetisation appears to be at the root of these difficulties and while fans’ voices may be being heard by other players it likely won’t change how players experience Overwatch in meaningful ways.
Should you decide to experience Overwatch 2 regardless of its reputation, the game can be found for free on Steam.
