One of the most challenging aspects of Overwatch is collaborating with five teammates to construct a balanced and effective team . There are over twenty characters in Overwatch , and each fills an attack , tank , defense , or support role on a team . There is no perfect team composition , but it ’ s rarely if ever a sound decision to leave support units off of your squad . Despite the importance of having a healer to keep the team alive , filling the support role is anathema to many players .
If you ’ re playing a first person shooter with the goal of blowing lots of stuff up , it makes sense to choose a character with a big gun and heavy armor . From what I ’ ve gathered , the mechanics of play and the “ squishiness ” of support heroes turn players off of the role . Support units are harder to maneuver and take damage quickly . The cast of characters in Overwatch is diverse , though , and there are some support characters with even better toys than big guns .
If I ’ m playing as Mercy on a team that doesn ’ t protect their healer , I switch to a character with a little more survivability and damage dealing potential : Zenyatta . This robot monk ’ s thoroughly harmonious disposition and entertaining voice lines make him a joy to play as , and it is oh-so-satisfying to float around the map in a full lotus pose throwing deadly glowing orbs at
enemies . If you get on a hot streak for damage or kills , he announces to your team : “ I am on fire … but an extinguisher is not required .”
While many players find support mechanics frustrating , I think of them as evidence that Overwatch is built around more nuanced gameplay than one-dimensional , guns-blazing , bomb-happy first person shooters . It is challenging to play as Zenyatta , who , unlike other characters in the game , cannot teleport or leap across great distances , making it all the more satisfying when I earn MVP . Navigating the map as Mercy is a puzzle game with life-or-death consequences . Sometimes it ’ s fun to play as the character with the giant rocket launcher , but I get more of a rush from strategically keeping myself and my team alive than I do from blowing up our enemies . It ’ s also beyond thrilling to get kills as Mercy - nothing frustrates an opponent more than losing to an angel .
My advice for anyone who wants to try playing support is to follow Zenyatta ’ s example and embrace tranquility . Games that involve working alongside strangers ( or even friends ) can be exasperating , and trying to keep a fragmented team of buffoons alive is its own special challenge . Overwatch is an exciting , fast-paced game no matter what character you choose , and you can always switch heroes - especially if you ’ re the third sniper on your team .