Just diving into Overwatch is an effective way to get a feel of what a hero is capable of, but if you've taken an interest in using Genji, one of 21 in the game, here's a guide to help you get started.
His Story
Genji is the son of the master of the Shimada ninja clan. He was mortally hurt during a disagreement with his brother Hanzo over the family's illegal activities and Overwatch swooped in to save his life by turning him into a cyborg. In exchange, Genji helped the organization against the Shimada empire. He was once repulsed by the parts of him that have been turned into machine but he has made peace with being a cyborg, taking advantage of his new form to become a formidable offensive threat.
His Abilities
Shuriken - Three deadly throwing stars are let loose in quick succession or thrown at the same time in a wider spread.
Deflect - Oncoming projectiles are deflected by Genji's sword, rebounding toward the source opponent.
Swift Strike - Darting forward, Genji slashes at enemies along his path with his katana. If a target is eliminated, the ability can be used again instantly.
Dragonblade - Until Genji sheathes his sword, killing strikes will be dealt to all enemies within his reach.
Ultimate - Genji's primary shuriken attack becomes a melee attack with his katana.
All heroes have Ultimate abilities, which are activated once their Ultimate meter is filled.
Watch Genji's abilities in action below!
Heroes He Is Weak Against
Zarya - Genji's Deflect is ineffective against her primary weapon.
Winston - His Tesla Cannon attack arcs to Genji even without being aimed exactly, negating the benefit the ninja cyborg gets from his speed.
Soldier 76 and McCree - The two have Ultimates with assisted aim so evading will be of no help.
Heroes He Is Strong Against
Torbjorn - A well-placed Deflect can render Torbjorn's turrets useless, even if they can track movements.
Bastion - Using Deflect properly also works well against this hero.
Hanzo - Genji can match Hanzo's speed and flood him with shuriken, and it is harder for Hanzo to hit back.
Tips
1. Though an offensive hero, Genji is best at stalking and picking off supports rather than being thrown in the middle of a fight.
2. Experiment with Cyber Agility. It's Genji's passive ability that lets him climb walls and do double jumps and makes it possible for him to reach virtually any part of the map.
3. Use Swift Strike to take out enemies low on health and get out of a tight spot in one go. Genji moves so fast when using the ability that he's hard to hit with standard attacks.
4. At close range, use secondary fire with Genji's shuriken to deal more damage.
5. Stay away from Mei! She can lock Genji in place and he's not a tank for a reason.
It's only been a few weeks since Overwatch was released and already it has more than 10 million players signed up. According to Jeff Kaplan, Overwatch's game director, new heroes and maps are in development.
