While other developers like Larian are riding high with Baldur's Gate 3, it seems Blizzard are not doing so well with the recent Steam release of Overwatch 2 becoming the worst user-reviewed game of all time on Steam (via Steam 250). Overwatch 2 is playable on Linux and Steam Deck thanks to Proton.
This hasn't stopped it pulling in plenty of players though, with it hitting an all-time high of 75,608 playing just on Steam 3 days ago according to SteamDB. As I type this it still has 61,702 playing, so even though plenty of people are making themselves heard in Steam reviews - a lot of people are still playing it and likely enjoying their time with it. This puts it currently as the 15th most played game on Steam for peak player counts.
You don't have to look far into why the reaction has been so severe though. Steam gives players a real feeling of power thanks to the user review system, that certain other stores don't have, so it was expected this would happen due to the missteps Blizzard have made with Overwatch 2.
So what's happened?
Well it was supposed to be a sequel, but the reality is far different. Blizzard removed the original paid game, and turned the new version into a free to play version while continuing the live service model. Blizzard also cancelled the PvE content that was one of the bigger (biggest?) selling points of Overwatch 2. There is now a small amount of PvE available in the Invasion update - but you have to pay extra for it.
A lot of the negative reviews are Chinese players too, since Blizzard ended their agreement with NetEase which suspended their ability to play Overwatch and other titles officially. Now being on Steam though, Chinese players can make their voices heard (if they use a VPN to get onto normal Steam).
There's currently around 117,446 reviews on Steam with 106,596 being Negative.
Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
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Linux_Rocks Aug 14, 2023
11 Likes, Who?
ExpandingMan Aug 14, 2023
There's quite a lot wrong with steam's review system, and frankly I spend more of my time bemoaning it than celebrating it. However, this is a great example to show that, whatever may be wrong with it, there are huge advantages to having user feedback built so prominently into a storefront. While the fact that so many people are playing the game suggests there's another side to the story, 9% positive reviews out of 10^5 is a sure sign that something is terribly wrong. When blizzard puts the game in their own isolated ecosystem it's far easier for them to pretend they didn't do anything wrong, but in steam they're, at least somewhat, held accountable for their despicable monetization shenanigans. I can only imagine that this kind of feedback has served as an underappreciated good incentive for other developers over the years in ways that have gone largely unnoticed.
10 Likes, Who?
Kuduzkehpan Aug 14, 2023
i feel posibility to express yourself in steam store, encouraged battle.net players too as well as myself and we yall at steam reviews instead of where we can't(in battle.net). many old games are almost perfect examples in different genres, blizzard doing wrong even in perfect sequels just like diablo immortal especially after merging with activision.
And thanks valve they are being our voice in every aspect of gaming industry.
And thanks valve they are being our voice in every aspect of gaming industry.
1 Likes, Who?
Can't say I blame them. Might have joined in myself if I hand't stopped playing OW before 2 was announced, so who knows what my individual experience would have been like, but a big reason I stopped playing was the monetization options they announced back then and are seeing today.
It's true that some people are leaving negative reviews because they find it fun, but this amount of discontent can't come from nowhere. They've built a reputation coherent with the response they've gotten. I hope more people pay attention and decide to take their money elsewhere.
It's true that some people are leaving negative reviews because they find it fun, but this amount of discontent can't come from nowhere. They've built a reputation coherent with the response they've gotten. I hope more people pay attention and decide to take their money elsewhere.
2 Likes, Who?
I'm torn between positive and negative reviews.
I have played over 2000 hours of OW and OW2 and am still playing.
So I'm enjoying the game. But now I only play the Mystery Hero mode.
With each update, the game regresses or adds nothing.
At best, it's Overwatch 1.2, at worst Overwatch 0.8.
I understand the frustration.
I have played over 2000 hours of OW and OW2 and am still playing.
So I'm enjoying the game. But now I only play the Mystery Hero mode.
With each update, the game regresses or adds nothing.
At best, it's Overwatch 1.2, at worst Overwatch 0.8.
I understand the frustration.
5 Likes, Who?
The WORST thing are butthurt users that can't get over the previous version of a game. You get a lot of that whenever a "2" comes out. A new player might like 2 better, but existing players may prefer the older, even more rudimentary version. The new one won't have the same "feel" or high enough difficulty for pimple wizards, or something.
In this case, they took the old one AWAY, so fair dues.
Free to Play = No recourse for the user at all. Review bombing is all there is.
Last edited by Grogan on 14 August 2023 at 4:20 pm UTC
In this case, they took the old one AWAY, so fair dues.
Free to Play = No recourse for the user at all. Review bombing is all there is.
Last edited by Grogan on 14 August 2023 at 4:20 pm UTC
2 Likes, Who?
Kimyrielle Aug 14, 2023
Blizzard is the only large publisher I don't own a single game they've made. This is a company I'd really love to see go bankrupt, unlikely as this is to happen anytime soon. If Microsoft manages to buy them after all, I guess they might have to rethink their predatory business models, though. You can say a lot of bad things about MS, but so far they've kept their games mostly clean of that stuff.
2 Likes, Who?
iwantlinuxgames Aug 14, 2023
I would like to remind everyone that Blizzard exists in name only. They were bought out by Activision back during the latter part of the Wrath of the Lich King WoW expansion and Bobby Kotick is responsible for these types of shenanigans.
13 Likes, Who?
Linux_Rocks Aug 14, 2023
I would like to remind everyone that Blizzard exists in name only. They were bought out by Activision back during the latter part of the Wrath of the Lich King WoW expansion and Bobby Kotick is responsible for these types of shenanigans.
0 Likes
I'm torn between positive and negative reviews.
I have played over 2000 hours of OW and OW2 and am still playing.
So I'm enjoying the game.
So I don't know *anything* about the first game or this one, from what I understood (which is probably wrong) it was taking the unique hero + abilities from the moba genre and put it into an fps in classic modes like dm, ctf, control etc.
I understand they have some microtransactions, but have no interest in really spending any moneys on this game, would it still be enjoyable, would you recommend it for someone like me who has no nostalgia, and where it has no 'grip' on me?
1 Likes, Who?
There's quite a lot wrong with steam's review system, and frankly I spend more of my time bemoaning it than celebrating it. However, this is a great example to show that, whatever may be wrong with it, there are huge advantages to having user feedback built so prominently into a storefront. While the fact that so many people are playing the game suggests there's another side to the story, 9% positive reviews out of 10^5 is a sure sign that something is terribly wrong. When blizzard puts the game in their own isolated ecosystem it's far easier for them to pretend they didn't do anything wrong, but in steam they're, at least somewhat, held accountable for their despicable monetization shenanigans. I can only imagine that this kind of feedback has served as an underappreciated good incentive for other developers over the years in ways that have gone largely unnoticed.They won't be held accountable. They'll just go complain to Valve and get all of the negative reviews removed.
They can't get articles like this scrubbed though, I'd still take the win ;)
2 Likes, Who?
Well, they may be able to convince Valve to delete the flood of bad reviews this time, but that doesn't mean thousands of new people can't download that free to play game, review it, then remove it in disgust hehe
1 Likes, Who?
I didn't take the time earlier, but I just wasted some reading a bunch of those "overwhelmingly negative" reviews for this on Steam. It is overwhelmingly, review bombing. I actually am disappointed, I was expecting some of that, but I've yet to find one that I would mark as helpful. It's not my kind of game, so I won't be seeing for myself, didn't play the first one etc.
Most of it as about as constructive as drawing an ascii middle finger and far less thoughtful than that, even lol
Some of it just complaining about the change from paid to free-to-play model itself that they were all but forced into. (Fair enough, at least)
If you're going to post a bad review for a game (I have, when thoroughly disgusted with a game but I've also posted praising reviews), at least state what it is you don't like about it. Be snide and sarcastic if you want, even, but at least make a point.
P.S. Here's one that at least has some substance:
https://steamcommunity.com/id/orngecitrus/recommended/2357570/
Last edited by Grogan on 15 August 2023 at 2:43 am UTC
Most of it as about as constructive as drawing an ascii middle finger and far less thoughtful than that, even lol
Some of it just complaining about the change from paid to free-to-play model itself that they were all but forced into. (Fair enough, at least)
If you're going to post a bad review for a game (I have, when thoroughly disgusted with a game but I've also posted praising reviews), at least state what it is you don't like about it. Be snide and sarcastic if you want, even, but at least make a point.
P.S. Here's one that at least has some substance:
https://steamcommunity.com/id/orngecitrus/recommended/2357570/
Last edited by Grogan on 15 August 2023 at 2:43 am UTC
2 Likes, Who?
it really is an interesting situation. while they deserve bad publicity, I think a review on a single game should be about the game only and things relevant to it, otherwise it's as relevant as ascii copypasted art, be it in a negative or positive "review". even then there's a thing with people that keep complaining yet keep playing and paying (wow is a more known case at least for me). I'm certain it would happen with any game they could put on steam, even with diablo 2 (the original one, not the new one)
0 Likes
P.S. Here's one that at least has some substance:
https://steamcommunity.com/id/orngecitrus/recommended/2357570/
The second answer to that review basically tells you all that you need to know about the target audience of the game
not reading all that lil bro, the game is fine and you're just bad at it
So in this case I don't think writing real reviews is worth it – especially as I assume that they will all be removed anyway.
3 Likes, Who?
1 Likes, Who?
I would like to remind everyone that Blizzard exists in name only. They were bought out by Activision back during the latter part of the Wrath of the Lich King WoW expansion and Bobby Kotick is responsible for these types of shenanigans.Change happened way earlier. IIRC a great many devs left close to the release of the original WoW. Being overworked and not getting a share of the revenue as promised beforehand were topics at the time.
4 Likes, Who?
officernice Aug 15, 2023
OW could've been online forever. Just release a map editor and server binaries. What a game it was when it came out...
2 Likes, Who?
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