Over many years, I had little interest of multiplayer games. I played plenty of them with companions, but none kept my attention. My aim was poor, and felt like more of a hindrance than aid to my squad. Then, the release of Overwatch in 2016 arrived and presented me with a hero and an skill that's been stuck in my mind ever since.
At first glance, D.Va, a gamer girl turned child-soldier who pilots a mech, wasn’t the sort of character that would attract to me. The sniper Widowmaker was closer to my preference, with her gothic look and measured speech. But D.Va possessed the advantage of being the role I prefer: a tank. The character that absorbs all that damage while shielding attackers and healers. Better yet, D.Va has two forms: her out-of-mech state, in which she runs around with a gun, and her mech form, in which she’s strapped into her MEKA. These two forms make her pretty unique, but there’s something else that makes her stand out among her fellow tanks, and is why I ultimately adored her: her melee and movement ability, Thrusters.
Boosters is an ability that enables the MEKA pilot (in her MEKA form) launch into the air, providing a velocity increase and allowing her to fly forward for 24 meters. Additionally, players may change directions mid-flight, choosing to ascend onto a elevated position or veer entirely and navigate past barriers like corners or the objective. It gives D.Va a agility and unrestricted motion that none of the other tanks can really replicate — not even Reinhardt with his charge ability. D.Va’s Boosters is brilliant for my playstyle: I prefer to absorb attacks and defend allies, while also being able to get out if it gets gnarly so I can regroup – it creates a sense of invincibility, even though this isn't entirely true.
The Thrusters ability isn't solely for movility; it additionally deals damage to foes in its path.
An offensive component exists to D.Va’s Boosters ability. When opponents obstruct the path as you’re using Boosters, they are knocked back for a set amount of harm. Let me tell you, few things are as gratifying than eliminating a troublesome Ashe by striking her directly with the mech. That’ll teach her to try and snipe you from afar.
The hero might not rank as the “best” tank in Overwatch 2 nowadays, especially when you’ve got heroes like Orisa and Ramattra whose raw defensive abilities make them a better pick for present strategies. Yet she remains among the most original heroes I have experienced in a multiplayer game. It seems unlikely that any a D.Va equivalent, and trust me, following experiences like Marvel Rivals after falling off Overwatch 2, I’ve been looking for my next D.Va, and a similar mobility skill, for a long time. In reality, after playing her for years, it seems no future tank character as enjoyable and groundbreaking to play as D.Va. For all the faults Overwatch 2 might have, hero creation and skills are certainly not among them.
A seasoned casino enthusiast and gaming analyst with over a decade of experience in slot machine mechanics and strategies.
