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A shooter hater's guide to Overwatch
Hate twitchy, fast games that need elite aiming skills? Overwatch might be the answer. We suggest five heroes to try in Blizzard's new team shooter that skip the need for headshot perfection.


Do you like the idea of fast-paced team shooter video games but hate having to become a master of precision aiming skills? Overwatch is for you.

Blizzard's first new game franchise in almost two decades (since launching Starcraft in 1998) goes live this week, with an open beta giving everyone a chance to taste test the game before its official launch on May 24 for Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and Windows PC.

Overwatch is a team shooter in the vein of Valve's Team Fortress 2. The game pits two teams of six against each other in short five-minute games, where you fight to achieve objectives like capturing control points and escorting vehicles. At launch there's a range of 21 heroes to choose from, each with unique abilities and style.


Blizzard is a master of bringing approachability and easier learning curves to game genres dominated by only the hardcore and Overwatch is another solid example. Gorgeous map designs and fun hero styles offer a great mix of ways you can dive in and be helpful to a team without needing perfect mouse or controller skills.

Make no mistake, highly skilled shooter players will still shine through in Overwatch. But "the rest of us" will still have a lot to offer our teams by playing a range of great characters that don't require you to aim well to be an asset to the team.

Skills you do need


Blizzard
To be good at Overwatch the most important skill you can acquire is map knowledge. This comes by just diving in and playing, but you'll give yourself the best chance to learn this well by practicing against AI opponents. These practice modes let you explore the maps without the pressure of letting a real team down.


As you learn the intricacies of maps and all the best lines of sight and bottlenecks you'll become valuable to your human teammates in any role you choose. Knowing where to go and how to get there can become the deciding factor in this style of game.

With that in mind, everything else is about finding a few characters that suit your play style. Many of the characters in Overwatch are very easy to pick up and have fun with, and with 21 heroes available at launch there's plenty of styles to explore.

But for now, I've picked out five heroes I think will suit players who normally hate these types of games, giving you unique and interesting options to have fun with from day one. Plus a further five characters to avoid because they are exactly the kinds of characters that are perfect for those who can melt faces at a thousand paces.