Overwatch: Top 5 Maps According to Me

Overwatch is four years old this year. At this point, the game has over 30 characters and officially it has over 20 maps. From all over the world and even to the moon, players can explore the Overwatch universe, but which maps are the best? Well that depends on what your criteria is. Best maps for snipers, best map for tanks, or an assortment of criteria? Here are my top five maps and why. With so many to choose from, I decided to go with some different criteria. Which map has the best lore, which map has the most stuff to play with? You'll find your answers here.

Best Lore

Lore spoiler warning ahead. While Horizon Lunar Colony is so full of information regarding Hammond (Wrecking Ball) and Winston, and Route 66 is covered in Deadlock Gang activity, the best lore map according to me is Hanamura. There are still so many unanswered questions about what happened in Hanamura, but we can all see the aftermath. It may be subtle, but the map has Genji's blood on it, and it's been there for a decade. We can visit where Hanzo used to train, where Genji used to play games and eat ramen, and where they had their final showdown. We know that something happened between the brothers, but the details of how everything went down are still largely unknown. To see where Hanzo and Genji grew up, once apparently close before their clan pushed them apart, forcingthem to battle, is a bittersweet thing.

While we can see where Jesse and Ashe used to hang out with Deadlock or where Hammond and Winston used to live before things went bad, there's something about the battle between the two brothers that just draws my attention most. Perhaps it's the fact that whatever happened resulted in one becoming a cyborg in order to survive, now more machine than man. The journey Genji had to go through after the showdown in Hanamura, or more specifically at Shimada Castle, is incredibly human. To lose everything and almost lose yourself as well, only to come out on the other side with a sense of peace and understanding; it's something I can relate to. I want to know more about Hanzo's side of things, and I hope we get some of that in Overwatch 2.

Most Fun

All of the maps have things to play with, break, or throw around, but nothing beats the actual amusement park. Blizzard World is a park that I really wish existed, but for now I'll deal with having it virtually. This map pays homage to several of Blizzard's well-loved games: World of Warcraft, Diablo, Heroes of the Storm, Hearthstone, and StarCraft. The Diablo-themed area is probably my favourite, the gothic castle that holds the throne of the Skeleton King is just beautiful. It's fun to explore, punch sharks, and find new little places to either hide and flank enemies or just hang around and be a dork, depending on if you're in a game or not of course. Though the best part of this map has to be the Flight to Duskwood ride where you can actually ride the ride. Sure, it's no full-on rollercoaster, but it's a great way to pass the time!

Best Map to Piss Other Players Off

Not only are Illios' maps full of stunning views and beautiful things to take in, but it's also a great map to boop people off of. Playing as Roadhog, Lucio, D.Va, or other characters who have the ability to push or pull another player around is so much maniacal fun. Be it the Well with a giant hole in the center of the Lighthouse which is a raised city-scape surrounded by water, there are just so many evil opportunities in Ilios. It's a lovely place to relax, to sit back, and to die, in the lovely Aegean Sea.

Map with the Funnest Feature

Because of the several issues players have with Horizon Lunar Colony, I couldn't exactly call it a best map, but it does have the only place where players can experience zero gravity. Be it during a scrimmage where you're just bouncing around trying to see how high you get, or you actually get into a fire-fight while on the moon, you'll find some fun here. In Space, no one can hear you scream, but everyone can watch your body float off in the most awkward ragdoll way possible.

Best Map According to Players

According to players of Overwatch, the most highly-voted map is Kings Row. I personally would have to agree. Plenty of places to hide, to attack, so many windows to hide in, buildings to use to flank, and it even has a booping section. Snipers have perches, Tanks have plenty of places to dive, it really is a map that has something for everyone. Whether you're playing it in its normal iteration as a payload map or playing it in Uprising event form, there's a lot to do and a lot to look at.

A Map I Would Like to See

Of all the watchpoints that we've seen, there's one that I think all of us would like to explore. Watchpoint: Zurich. If you know the lore of the game, you know Zurich is where everything officially went to shit. This was where Strike Commander John "Jack" Morrison, aka Soldier:76, and Commander Gabriel Reyes, aka Reaper, faced off as Overwatch fell around them. The exact details of what happened are still not revealed, but from what we know, Reyes set off an explosion with the intent of destroying Overwatch and his commander and former friend. Morrison should have died, and Reyes did. We know so little about what brought the leaders of the international peace organisation to this point. We know Reyes was angry at being passed over for Strike Commander after the end of the Omnic Crisis, and apparently that anger ate him alive. Being able to see this aftermath, to get a better idea of what may have happened, would be incredibly enlightening.

And those are the Top 5 Maps in Overwatch According to Me, and one I would like to see. Do you agree, disagree, let me know! I'm always open to hearing thoughts and opinions. What are your favourite maps? Let's discuss!