Overwatch 2’s Lifeweaver Brings Life & Growth to a World Overrun By Omnic-Fueled Doom (Hands-On Impressions)
Overwatch 2 has efficiently run three differently-themed Seasons of content material for the reason that sport’s launch, with Season 4 quick approaching early April 2023. Whereas there are but to be any official particulars revealed from Blizzard relating to the seasonal themes, adjustments, and cosmetics that might be included within the upcoming Season 4, one very vital issue has already caught the eyes of gamers throughout the globe.
In fact, I’m speaking about none aside from the most recent addition to the Assist roster, Lifeweaver. The Overwatch group dropped a sneak peek reveal for this new Hero on April 3, 2023, and followers instantly confirmed their love and admiration in direction of the floral-inspired particular person.
I used to be lately given the chance to discover an Early Entry construct for Overwatch 2‘s Season 4 and playtest Lifeweaver’s hero package and talents for myself. And boy, oh, boy, once I say there’s a lot to debate, nicely, there’s no higher method than to dive into the main points.
Let’s begin with the apparent — his look. If it wasn’t obvious by the overly-enthusiastic response from followers of the sport, Lifeweaver has a superb character design, and to place it bluntly, nicely, he’s completely stunning. Honestly, he places a number of the most notoriously ‘handsome’ Heroes to disgrace, even inside the restricted materials launched up to now.
Lifeweaver additionally steps into the world of Overwatch as the primary Hero originating from Thailand. This can be a welcome addition to the sport that has sparked emotions of inclusion and illustration among the many fan base, and it’s nice to see Blizzard head in new instructions by way of Hero origins, all whereas nonetheless tying them into the primary lore of the sport.
Lifeweaver, for probably the most half, sounds and performs like a usually constructive and upbeat particular person. His heal-savvy Support stance is supported with relaxed, calming voice performing and a nurturing presence. Nonetheless, Lifeweaver additionally has a reasonably sassy, easy streak that pops up within the occasional voice line, equivalent to when efficiently eliminating an enemy with melee. That is reasonably amusing and pleasant to witness, and I discovered myself giving the plant fanatic a slight chuckle right here and there in response on a couple of event.
Whereas it’s clear that by way of traits, Lifeweaver might be reasonably endearing, it’s in his utility and talent package that he actually shines as one thing fully new and noteworthy. All 4 earlier hero additions — Junker Queen, Ramattra, Sojourn, and Kiriko — can every profit from fairly an aggressive playstyle and have the potential to utterly flip a combat on their very own when utilized in the appropriate scenario/fingers. Honestly, I anticipated Lifeweaver to additionally fall into this class, however this isn’t so. As a substitute, he takes a completely new and distinctive strategy.
Lifeweaver’s talents are certainly one of a form and completely different from some other present Hero within the sport. Whereas his talents sound spectacular on paper, getting an opportunity to expertise how they work within the sport gave me much more readability on the strengths, weaknesses, and total potential of Lifeweaver.
First, he has two completely different tempos that he can heal at. The primary is a brief click on of his main fireplace, which can activate his Thorn Volley, sending a speedy unfold of projectiles to heal your allies. Whereas some sources have mistaken this potential additionally to trigger injury to enemies when aimed toward them, this isn’t the case. Which means that Thorn Volley’s one essential use is to prioritize small, fast top-ups of heals to your group.
The second tempo of Lifeweaver’s main fireplace is his Therapeutic Blossom, which can generate between 10 and 65 heals per burst relying on how lengthy you click on and maintain his fireplace. This potential is a good burst heal that may present fast HP regeneration to your group. This may very well be efficient when used alongside one other huge burst healer like Baptiste, Moira, or Ana. Nonetheless, that presumes that your teammates know when to drag again and use pure cowl, as there’s a slight delay between Therapeutic Blossom’s burst prices.
Subsequent is Lifeweaver’s secondary fireplace, Petal Platform, which creates a flower-shaped elevator activated upon an ally or enemy stepping onto it. Instantly I may see the worth in a talent equivalent to this. It may enhance Lifeweaver to excessive floor for escape throughout a misplaced group combat or be utilized in concord with an ally to raise them for a greater line of sight throughout their Final. I’m positive we’ll all see loads of Cassidy Excessive Noons, Soldier Tactical Visors, and even Ashe’s B.o.B being lifted to wreak havoc from above.
Alternatively, Petal Platform may probably even be used to disrupt an enemy. With exact timing, I imagine it may very well be doable to damage an enormous Loss of life Blossom from an enemy Reaper or raise a Baptiste up and away from his Amplification Matrix. In fact, there’s an excellent likelihood of threat and reward when utilizing this potential. You may additionally unintentionally grant your opponent entry to excessive floor or a extra punishing line of sight for the ally ultimates talked about above.
One other game-changing potential takes kind in Lifeweaver’s E key. Have you ever ever been enjoying a Assist and witnessed your tank cost into oblivion to die, or felt helpless as you watched your squishy DPS get cornered by the enemy? Now you may pull them again into line with Lifeweaver’s Life Grip. This potential will pull an ally again in direction of you from hazard and works when pulling somebody from low floor to excessive floor and vice versa. It’s basically a get-out-of-jail-free card.
Sadly, whereas the potential for this potential to clutch a save is simple, there’s additionally the large risk for it to be reasonably crippling to your teammates if used unnecessarily, as it may possibly very a lot disrupt huge performs if it have been for use as Rein Earthshatters, Hammond grapples, Pharah boosts into the sky, and so forth.
Parting Present is Lifeweaver’s distinctive passive potential, which causes him to drop a flower on dying that grants a small burst of therapeutic to the primary ally or enemy that picks it up. Greater than something, this potential fits the botanist’s traits, creating a pleasant little contact of character relating to how he operates on the sphere.
Rounding out his package is a straightforward motion potential titled Rejuvenating Sprint. When activating this potential, Lifeweaver will carry out a short sprint of motion within the path he’s touring and concurrently regenerate a small portion of his well being.
Final not definitely not least is Lifeweaver’s Final potential, Tree of Life. Upon activating the Ult, he can place and construct a 1,000 HP tree able of selection that performs an preliminary burst of therapeutic to all allies inside AoE and several other extra waves of therapeutic for about one other eight seconds. This potential is usually a monster in turning a group combat in your favor with further therapeutic boosts and serving to your allies survive pesky Ults equivalent to Rammatra’s Annihilation or Genji’s Dragon Blade.
When these talents come collectively, there’s little doubt that Lifeweaver has the potential to be a particularly viable choose. Nonetheless, he’ll rely closely on two issues: sport sense and communication together with your group. Sport sense speaks for itself in that his talents have the potential to each save or damage your allies. You may use them to clutch out a group combat and safe victory, however one incorrect transfer may additionally give your opponent the benefit and advantages meant to your allies.
Communication is essential in making up for Lifeweaver’s largest vulnerability, maybe probably the most vital weak spot for anybody Hero within the sport. Regardless of his utility, Lifeweaver can’t do injury other than his fast melee, which is subsequent to nothing. This leaves him extraordinarily susceptible to dive heroes, equivalent to Winston, D.Va, Genji, and Doomfist, and flankers, equivalent to Cassidy, Sombra, Tracer, and Reaper.
Due to this, you’ll have to depend on your group to assist peel for you if you get separated from them and guarantee you’ve good positioning always to reduce deaths. Voice comms are essential when enjoying a hero equivalent to Lifeweaver. You’ll have to rapidly let your allies know you’re in bother earlier than it’s too late and talk your talents to allow your group together with his sturdy arsenal of tips.
My preliminary ideas are that Lifeweaver will instantly do exceptionally nicely in excessive ranges of play, equivalent to Grand Grasp, Prime 500, and Overwatch League, however show a problem for gamers in decrease ranks to make the most of to his full potential as a result of technicality of his package. There’s so much to maintain your eye on, and your mind considering of if you’re enjoying Lifeweaver, and studying the ropes could also be a steep climb for some.
There’s additionally part of me that’s considerably nervous he’ll change into a ‘throw choose’ to destroy probabilities of successful on function when a salty participant doesn’t get their method in Aggressive, as a number of of his talents have the potential to do extra hurt than good to his group when used with ill-will. I’ve but to see a Lifeweaver leap off the map and pull a teammate with him to dying, however sadly, I’m positive it is going to occur finally. Sadly, not a lot will be accomplished towards these gamers other than saying GG and shifting on to the following match.
All hesitations apart, I’m fully thrilled for Lifeweaver to debut in Overwatch 2’s upcoming Season 4 and to see how gamers throughout all talent ranges use him. There’s a variety of room for big-brain performs, intelligent combos, and jaw-dropping saves together with his package in-game, whereas within the lore facet of issues, he brings a contemporary face to a well-known world, that means that something is feasible.
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