ThoughOverwatch 2fans have been experiencing a content drought recently, and have had a mixed response to the announcement of Symmetra and Torbjorn changes, the future is still looking bright for the hero shooter. Season 5 is set to pick up the pace soon with Summer Games, which offers the classic Lucio Ball alongside the newWinston Volleyballmode. Magic and Mischief,Overwatch 2’s take on Prop Hunt, will follow shortly after. Season 6 is where things will get truly exciting, even if one feature might feel old despite being brand-new.
The main attraction ofOverwatch 2Season 6 is undoubtedly the co-op missions, with the Invasion content set to move the story forward for the first time in years. It is not the only new content on offer, though, as PvP fans will be able to enjoy the brand-new Flashpoint mode as well as a hero progression system. Hero Challenge Missions will come in the midseason update, too. However, for lore lovers, the codex is the most promising feature of all - even if it is likely to pale in comparison toFinal Fantasy 16’s lore system.
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Final Fantasy 16 Has Taken Lore Systems to New Heights
There is a lot to love about the latest entry intheFinal Fantasyfranchise, ranging from the kind-hearted protagonist Clive to the spectacular Eikon battles to the exciting action combat system. One of the most impressive things about Square Enix’s latest release is the amount of effort that goes into getting players immersed in Valisthea. Thanks to its three standout features, the lore system manages to set a new standard for video games as a whole, with many hoping that it will go on to influence the rest of the industry.
The most talked about aspect of the lore system in the game isFinal Fantasy 16’s Active Lore, which allows players to pause in the middle of gameplay or cutscenes to read a handful of lore entries on significant areas or characters. With so much depth to the game’s world and so many important figures being involved in the overarching story, having a curated batch of lore can help players keep up without getting overwhelmed. However, this is not the only thing that makes the system special.
Final Fantasy 16also features a Main Cast character tree, which shows players all the significant characters and how they are connected to the other people in the story. This is a great visual that can help gamers get a grasp of the politics at play within the story, and the Situation Map is the icing on the cake. This final feature shows players the journey Clive has been on as well as a breakdown of how the wider wars between the game’s major nations have been progressing. Considering how everything from lore-heavy RPGs likeThe Elder ScrollstoCall of DutyZombies can benefit fromFF16’s lore system, it is hard to imagine a scenario whereOverwatch 2’s codex is not overshadowed.
Overwatch 2’s Lore Codex Can Be More Than Just Some Basic Descriptions
To be clear,Overwatch 2having more in-game lore is a good thing no matter what. Still, with a 2023 game raising the standard for what a lore system can be, players may end up feeling let down if the codex lacks depth. Theoretically, everything fromFinal Fantasy 16’s lore system could work inOverwatch 2, with the Situation Map showing how widespread the Omnic uprising is and the character tree highlighting established relationships betweenOverwatch 2heroes. Still, it is unlikely that the codex will have these features, and the same goes for Active Lore - even if it would be nice to have something to read between PvE objectives.
However, the good thing aboutOverwatch 2’s codexis that it exists within a live service game. This means that Blizzard can expand upon it as new missions are added, introducing features like the ones seen in the latest PlayStation exclusive or some entirely original ideas. With time, the codex could be as interesting to explore asFinal Fantasy 16’s deep library of lore, even if it starts off relatively simple. For now, all fans can do is wait and see how deepOverwatch 2’s codex will actually be, though the bar has been raised very high thanks toFinal Fantasy 16.
Overwatch 2is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
