Skinsational- Overwatch Halloween 2020
By: Tom Ryan
Tags: Halloween, Overwatch, Blizzard Entertainment, Microtransactions, Spooky

It’s the horrors for Hollywood, it’s the eek of Eichenwald, the Spooky Skinsational Skin Review is back for Overwatch Halloween 2020! So this is the first Overwatch skin review I’m doing but that doesn’t mean I haven’t been playing this game since 2016 when it came out! There are high expectations to meet. Halloween is my favourite time of the year and judging by the standard of skins from this event in the past, Blizzard’s too. We’ve seen legendary skins from Symmetra’s Dragon to Mercy’s Witch; from Zenyetta’s Cultist to Widowmaker’s Scorpion. I feel like at first this event was somewhat costumey and that over time it’s gone more referential. Are we in for a treat this year?

8. Sombra Fantasma 1/5

Week 1 reward skin. A weaker skin for the first reward skin but this must be working up to the stronger skins later in the event to stop people from dropping off. Honestly in this day and age, what’s scarier than a virus? With everything being online now, cyberspace is where we’re most vulnerable. Having all your information and identity stolen is pretty much like losing everything. Realistic and terrifying. Dubbed Fanstasma meaning ghost in Spanish, Sombra is literally a ghost in the machine if you like. The idea is there with the virus symbols and pleasing monochromatic cyan colour scheme that’s usually paired with the idea of cyberspace but the skin doesn’t take this any further beyond a basic recolour. At this stage in the game, she’s had so much better. It is free though so why not pick it up?

7. Brigitte Stone 2/5

Week 2 reward skin. Much stronger than the last but not quite there yet. This skin gives the effect of a statue that’s about to come to life, similar to a gargoyle. The complete greyness make the orange cracks stand out but the orange is very sparsely used with almost none near the bottom of the skin. Maybe a centre piece where the orange is exposed looking like molten lava could’ve taken this idea further. Maybe a neon effect for the hair to make it resemble molten lava. It’s definitely a step up from the last skin but not quite on par with the high quality we’re used to seeing from this event. Still free though and still worth picking up.

6. Genji Karatsu-Tengu and Hanzo Dai-Tengu 3/5

Now these skins gives me mythology. Reviewing these as a pair because how they are so closesly thematically related. Genji and Hanzo’s skins are based off of the Tengus. Tengus are Yokai (supernatural beings) from Japanese legend traditionally depicted as half human, half bird. The earliest Tengus were seen as disruptive demons pictured as more bird like with features like big beaks being more prominent. However over time they are seen more as protective spirits of secluded areas like mountains and forests and are seen as more human-like with long phallic noses being a discerning feature. There are so many parallels between the Tengus and the Shimada brothers that it’s almost as if Blizzard based the characters of these Yokai. There’s the obvious Japanese tie-in but there’s obviously the rivalry between the two with the idea of Genji returning with disruption to normalicy vs. Hanzo protecting his secluded area.

Genji is based off of the Karasu Tengu. This Yokai is more bird-like as in a raven or crow and acts as a goblin. They live in deep forests and are excellent masters of martial arts. The skin definitely has a dark theme to it with the colour scheme and sharp edges in the feathers and spiked hair. The avian idea is furthered through the addition of claws and that harsh beak in place of the helmet. There’s even a talisman in the form of a belt which is a nice small detail and ties into the spiritual nature of these creatures.

Hanzo is based off of the Dai-Tengu. These Yokai usually appear in a more human-like form, often as a monk with a red face and that signature nose. The longer the nose, the more powerful the Tengu. These creatures also lived solitary lives but on remote mountaintops in meditation and reflection. Hanzo’s skin embodies this well. There is special detail in the face certainly with the unusually styled white facial hair. The small and specific style of hat connotes wisdom while the red skin connotes a sense of power. Of course, you can’t miss the nose and the yellow eyes that match Genji’s are mysterious. This skin is definetly more human like with only the odd plumes of feathers on the chest that still relate to a bird-like idea. I’m not sure about the metal legs. Maybe they are to just relate back to Hanzo the character but they take me out of the skin. I would’ve preferred a claw or just sandals to relate to the time of Japanese myth.

The comparison between the Shimada brothers and the Tengus is incredible. It’s just such a great match! The only reason these don’t get higher is because there could have been more done to make them more visually striking. The colour schemes although thought out are a little dark and monochromatic so they don’t stand out as much as others. The yellow piercing eyes look great on the menu but the rest of the skin will vanish on a dark map. Maybe if there was a little more armour on each torso that could’ve really pushed them over the edge.

4. Winston Werewolf 3/5

Fans have been requesting a Halloween Winston skin for the longest time. After the Gargoyle skin from the anniversary event expectations were high for a creepy skin. To me, this takes it the other way. This is a great balance between a classic reference and a genuinely comedic skin. The Werewolf hasn’t been done yet in this game and it’s a great fit here. The red tartan shirt alluding to a human form covered by a wooden chest plate and a pair of broken shackles give me a full storyline. The two tree trunks as boosters are hilarious touches. The style of the armour gives me a little medieval and very foresty. These features take me back to the traditional tale of Beowulf. The little glasses and tail take it another way and the skins takes on a more fun campy twist. I think they knew they couldn’t touch the gargoyle skin for him so by going this slightly different route and it works well. I think some people will be disappointed though that may have wanted genuinely another creepy skin. This could be seen as a little obvious as he’s an animal to another animal, from monkey to wolf, while it can also be seen as a little costumey. However, I like it. It’s not scary but it still fits the theme.

3. D.Va Shin-Ryeong- 3/5

Another hero getting a Halloween skin after a long time requested. Carrying on the mythology theme, this skin is giving me ghostly shrine maiden and the entire temple with it! This seems to be inspired by a Kumiho; a malevolent spirit that takes the form of a fox. Korean mythology describes a Kumiho as as an ninetailed fox that can live for over a thousand years. It’s an evil spirit that can shapeshift in the guise of a woman.

Starting with the mech, this is literally an uprooted shrine, candles and all. There is so much detail. The tiles on the top to resemble a roof, the smoothness on the arms and symbols on the joints, the dangly charm on the arms, the candles on the arms, the lanterns as boosters, there’s so much and certainly nothing left out! The purple visor still pops amongst all this and matches the pilot. On D.Va herself, the ghostly lilac tails certainly give the impression of a fox while her white dress gives the idea of a ghost. There are little details on the dress that are nice but small and hard to notice. I enjoy the references adn the mech is going to be great to throw into battle, but the lack of detail on D.Va really lets this down for. Nevertheless, moving house has never been easier!

2. Echo Ragdoll 4/5

Week 3 event skin. This is the best reward skin by far and one of the best of this year’s additions altogether. I can’t believe Echo’s getting another skin already! To tell the truth I thought that Echo would be added and then just forgotten about. I guess there’s Echo on my face…

I feel that this is a specific reference but I can’t work out which one exactly. It gives me very Oogy Boogy’s long lost sister with this cream colour scheme and stiches along the skin. It gives me some sort of voodoo doll with the exes over the eyes, cartoonish heart and the texture they’ve created to resemble coarse fabric. It even gives me religion in a way with the red heart and crown. Honestly it’s incredible that a skin so simple can give me so many different references. This design is an achievement and I’m glad to see Echo getting just as many skins as everyone else.

Sigma 4/5

The Flying Dutchman came out of retirement after Spongebob stopped airing and came into this game to see what he could sea sea sea. This is another great match and my favourite from the new additions to this event.

It’s really well executed. Changing his skin colour to neon green already pushes through the Flying Dutchman idea. It reminds me of seaweed and glows enough to give that ghostly impression. The hat is just the right size and the few barnacles are one of the many small touches that push this over the edge. The armour is similar to Winston’s with the wood texture but it has that extra detail that pushes it further. Every piece is lined with gold and the other armour elements in the spikes or chain, resembling an anchor, create an idea of strong protection without him actually being in a full covered head to toe bodysuit. The skull centrepiece is small but draws your eye. The red corset takes me to a certain time period. The globe in the back is almost campy it’s so obvious. Even the orbs looking like sea urchins. All of these features work well together giving the Flying Dutchman done at it’s best. This skin should make it’s way out of Davy Jones’ Locker and straight into your collection.

Overall, it’s hard to judge these skins without being super critical. There have been so many great designs in this game now especially for the Halloween event that our expectations are right up. These skins are not the best of this event but there’s definitely some great additions in there, especially for the newer heroes in the game.

This take on myth and legend is one I haven’t seen in Halloween before and works well in create an idea of mystery and creepiness. It’s sophisticated and every relation works well for the hero it corresponds to. Otherwise, there’s a strong monochromatic theme going on this year that works for some, not for others. Having said that, Blizzard never forget those little touches that push these skins that bit further. I think in every skin the sense of original character is still there. The character wears the skin, the skin doesn’t wear the character. This is important for this kind of game. So log in, play the new Junkenstein modes and let me know if you’ve been tricked by this review or which treats you’ve picked up.