So People Are Noticing That Overwatch And Team Fortress 2 Are Quite Similar

[Steven Bogos]

So People Are Noticing That Overwatch And Team Fortress 2 Are Quite Similar

Video and fan-art mash-ups of Team Fortress 2 and Overwatch are starting to appear online.

When Blizzard revealed Overwatch [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/138476-Blizzard-Reveals-Overwatch-at-BlizzCon-2014] as its brand-new IP at Blizzcon this year, I figured I wasn't the only person who noticed the game's distinct similarity to a certain war-themed hat simulator. The internet has been quick to react, and has already produced a variety of video, and fan-art Team Fortress 2/Overwatch mash-ups.

First up, check out the YouTube video to the right from user RizkitsunΣki [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qvFxGoQ3ME], which substitute's the sound from Overwatch's reveal trailer for voice-overs and sound effects from Team Fortress 2. It's almost too much of a coincidence how well the TF2 classes slot into Overwatch's efforts.

Next, for an even more striking comparison, artist Silsol [http://silsol.tumblr.com/] has made these stunning fan-art mash-ups, showing the Medic in Mercy's outfit, and the Scout and Tracer wearing each other's clothes. Check them out below:

[gallery=3508]

While it does have a bit more of a sci-fi twist, these fan comparisons make it quite obvious where Overwatch draws its inspiration from. Blizzard are no strangers to taking a popular game and putting its on unique spin on it, and so far at least (see: World of Warcraft) it seems to have worked out for them.

Let's hope that Overwatch has enough to keep it distinct from Team Fortress 2, otherwise my money is just going to keep being funneled into crate keys.

Sources: Tumblr [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qvFxGoQ3ME]

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[Zontar]

Little late on this one, I heard people mentioning this before the first reveal video was done playing.

 

[Dying_Jester]

Are noticing or have noticed since day one? If anything I think it is one of the reasons Blizzard pointed out that they aren't making all their female characters in the game wear barely anything, to keep people's thoughts off how much like TF2 the game is(did I not see a dwarf hitting a turret with a wrench to set it up?).

 

[deth2munkies]

It's a lot closer to Firefall IMO.

 

[JayRPG]

Blizzard haven't done anything original in a long, long time.

Project Titan looked like it was going to be the first genuine new, original idea that Blizzard came up with, and they scrapped it; it's almost as if Blizzard devs have no imagination of their own and the only way they can produce good games is by using existing tried and true formulas.

 

[Trishbot]

Let's be honest here... We're all just a tad disappointed they didn't announce a new installment of The Lost Vikings. That was truly "a new concept in video gaming". It even says so on the box!

Sorely missed opportunity.

 

[synobal]

Its just revenge for Valve stealing Dota 2.

 

[Nimzabaat]

And... Battlecry from Bethesda? Battleborn from Gearbox? Yeah three big game companies are making very similar games. Those who like competitive multi-player arena games will be spoiled for choice. Sadly, i'm not one of them.

 

[mjharper]

Surely the problem with Blizzard taking an existing formula and putting their own spin on it, a la WOW, is that TF2 is massively popular.

It's one thing to take a genre which isn't exactly mainstream and tweak it into a mainstream behemoth. It's quite another to take a mainstream behemoth and try to pretend you're not just playing catch up.

I mean, TF2 is already the WOW of the genre. What exactly is Blizzard hoping to achieve?

 

[Dragonlayer]

I was half-expecting this article to go: "People are noticing that Overwatch and Team Fortress 2 are quite similar - so here's artwork of Disney Princesses as the classes!"

 

[Ticklefist]

Of course the two games are similar. I don't think Blizzard was happy about their characters running around in what's become Valve's most popular game.

Its just revenge for Valve stealing Dota 2.

He gets it.

 

[LordMonty]

To be honest if both compinies agree to let a limeted ed mirror skin set for each game for maybe charity or something it would be amazing to see all the characters in parody outfits but I love these sort of games and actually both these componies so its hard for me not to laugh and hope for colaboration.

 

[dangoball]

Are we calling games TF2 clones now? Because UT2004 and HL were totally DOOM clones!

Anyway, Scout has a hot piece of ass in the Tracer's outfit!

 

[synobal]

Of course the two games are similar. I don't think Blizzard was happy about their characters running around in what's become Valve's most popular game.

Its just revenge for Valve stealing Dota 2.

He gets it.

It is so obvious to everyone or it should be.

I bet someone was really pissed off and was like "we should totally make our own TF2, with blackjack and hookers.." and that is how you got Window and a gorilla in a mech suit.

 

[Ticklefist]

Of course the two games are similar. I don't think Blizzard was happy about their characters running around in what's become Valve's most popular game.

Its just revenge for Valve stealing Dota 2.

He gets it.

It is so obvious to everyone or it should be.

I bet someone was really pissed off and was like "we should totally make our own TF2, with blackjack and hookers.." and that is how you got Window and a gorilla in a mech suit.

Hookers? Save it for your tumblr.

 

[synobal]

Of course the two games are similar. I don't think Blizzard was happy about their characters running around in what's become Valve's most popular game.

Its just revenge for Valve stealing Dota 2.

He gets it.

It is so obvious to everyone or it should be.

I bet someone was really pissed off and was like "we should totally make our own TF2, with blackjack and hookers.." and that is how you got Window and a gorilla in a mech suit.

Hookers? Save it for your tumblr.

Like I'd be caught dead on tumblr. With out going into the whole "Sexualized" issue which is totally only in the head of feminist critics all I'm saying is its obvious blizzard set out to make their own take on the small scale class based co op shooter. Which is how we got overwatch.

 

[CelestDaer]

Like I'd be caught dead on tumblr. With out going into the whole "Sexualized" issue which is totally only in the head of feminist critics all I'm saying is its obvious blizzard set out to make their own take on the small scale class based co op shooter. Which is how we got overwatch.

Except the head of Blizzard made a statement about "Not all the women in Overwatch are going to be glorified sex objects"... and yet, all I've seen in the trailer is glorified sex objects.

 

[AstaresPanda]

Like I'd be caught dead on tumblr. With out going into the whole "Sexualized" issue which is totally only in the head of feminist critics all I'm saying is its obvious blizzard set out to make their own take on the small scale class based co op shooter. Which is how we got overwatch.

Except the head of Blizzard made a statement about "Not all the women in Overwatch are going to be glorified sex objects"... and yet, all I've seen in the trailer is glorified sex objects.

I know right not a single real man in sight either they are all perfectly built and have great muscle definition

 

[Aeshi]

Yeah, funny how nobody was crying "rip-off!" back when Valve was copy-pasting WCIII models and adjusting their colour a bit for DOTA2. I'm sure the fact that bashing Blizzard is cool/in and bashing Valve isn't is just pure coincidence.