On September 7, Overwatch 2 launched a new permanent game mode called Hero Mastery. This exciting mode offers players a chance to test their skills with specific heroes and earn rewards. As a casual player who enjoys the game for fun, I decided to try out this new mode and share my thoughts.
What is Hero Mastery?
Hero Mastery is a straightforward event that focuses on three heroes: Reinhardt, Tracer, and Mercy. Each hero has their own set of maps designed to challenge players in using their abilities effectively. The event offers three difficulty levels: Recruit, Agent, and Veteran. By eliminating bots, collecting Mastery tokens, and completing the course quickly, players can earn up to a five-star rating and unlock various rewards.
While it’s disappointing that only three heroes are currently available, Blizzard has promised to add more heroes, such as Winston and Sojourn, later in the season.
The Way of the Hammer (Reinhardt)
As someone who rarely plays Reinhardt, I found the Reinhardt course to be initially challenging. However, it was also engaging and enjoyable to learn the basics of a hero outside of my comfort zone. The course focused heavily on mastering Reinhardt’s Charge skill, requiring players to choose the right angle and time their charges accurately to avoid flying off themselves.
One aspect that confused me was the payload mechanic. Unlike the payload in the actual game, the friendly bot in the course can be eliminated and moves independently, making it challenging to maintain a high score.
Faster than the Speed of Light (Tracer)
Tracer was the first hero I tried in the Hero Mastery event. Although I’m not a skilled Tracer player, I’ve always enjoyed her fast-paced gameplay. The Tracer course primarily focuses on mastering her Blink ability, using it to reach distant platforms or outmaneuver the Tank bot.
The Agent and Veteran difficulties provided the most enjoyable experience, with numerous bots to engage, obstacles to overcome, and the opportunity to use Rewind to cover more ground and save myself from falling off the map.
A Literal Guardian Angel (Mercy)
Mercy’s course proved to be the most intricate and movement-oriented. The Guardian Angel ability played a central role, allowing players to reach otherwise inaccessible areas. Additionally, I discovered that damage-buffing the revived bots significantly increased their effectiveness in eliminating enemies.
Is Overwatch 2’s Hero Mastery Worth It?
Hero Mastery doesn’t provide explicit instructions for completing each course, requiring players to figure out the optimal path on their own. This encourages creative thinking and helps new or casual players like myself explore different ways to utilize a hero’s abilities.
While the rewards, including souvenirs, charms, sprays, name cards, and player icons, may not appeal to everyone, the true value of Hero Mastery lies in its fun and engaging gameplay. With the addition of various new bots, from pesky snipers to mindless bombers, the mode offers an enjoyable experience when you have spare time to kill.
Although there is currently limited content with only three heroes available, Blizzard has promised to add more over time. As a beginner-friendly introduction to the mode, Hero Mastery strikes a balance between being challenging and overwhelming. I highly recommend giving it a try.
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Source: DOTESPORTS
