One of the surprise announcements from the latest Nintendo Direct was Star Wars: Hunters, an online multiplayer game that seemingly looks a whole lot like Overwatch in a Star Wars skin. While a lot of details regarding Star Wars: Hunters remains scarce after the Direct, the idea of an Overwatch-style Star Wars game seems pretty exciting. But just how similar will the two games be?
When Overwatch was first announced, it was branded as a "hero shooter," meaning players take control of pre-generated characters and participate in online, multiplayer combat. It's a format used in similar arena-style PvP games, and it looks like Star Wars: Hunters is following the same kind of format. The reveal trailer for Star Wars: Hunters didn't show much in terms of gameplay, but subsequent details on the game's official page on Nintendo's website and the official Star Wars site have given fans more of an idea of what to expect.
Much like Overwatch, Star Wars: Hunters will feature a number of heroes for players to control. So far, these characters are only listed as Rebellion heroes, Bounty Hunters, and an Imperial stormtrooper - but getting to play as iconic Star Wars characters definitely seems enticing. This has led to some speculation on which characters might appear in Star Wars: Hunters, but it's the gameplay details that should have Overwatch fans the most excited.
How Overwatch & Star Wars: Hunters Are Alike (& Different)
According to the game's official listing on StarWars.com, Star Wars: Hunters will focus on competitive arena combat. These PvP battles will be team-based and appear to be online-only. The arenas will be based on iconic Star Wars locations, and the game is promising new characters, too. From the details that have been released so far, it seems like Star Wars: Hunters really will be the galaxy far, far away's own take on Overwatch.
Of course, this isn't necessarily a bad thing. An online PvP Star Wars game with arena-style combat seems like it's made for success. Star Wars skins already exist in similar games like Fortnite, so from a business standpoint, it makes sense for Lucasfilm and Disney to create their own game. If it's handled properly, Star Wars: Hunters could be a rousing success - assuming, of course, that it doesn't get mired in microtransactions and pay-to-win mechanics the way some online multiplayer Star Wars games have.
Overall, Star Wars: Hunters looks like a great game for both Star Wars and Overwatch fans. For now, the two games seem very similar, but until more gameplay footage is shown, there's no way to know for sure.
Source: StarWars.com