I had dinner with a bunch of friends who has also played the beta and we got to talking about the game.
A long-standing complaint we all had with modern TF2 is that the glut of items fucks up the simple recognition of classes and their capabilities. In games with such vastly different weapons and defensive values between units, you need to be able to look at someone and immediately recognize who they are and what they can do.
Classic TF2 had that. Modern TF2 has lost that. With the sheer variety of loadouts and heaping amounts of superfluous cosmetic items dangling off of people, we've lost that ability to look at someone and recognize exactly what class and loadout they have through the giant purple flames and pile of hats.
Overwatch brings that back. It basically takes that idea of having a ton of different angles on the same class-based fight and distills them back down into a bunch of singular characters who are each highly recognizable.
In modern TF2 you see a heavy. What configuration of his
THIRTY FUCKING THREE DIFFERENT WEAPONS does he have? Does he have a spool-up time or not? Can I seize that initiative or do I lose if I stand and fight? Should I hug him or get the fuck away from him? Is this the same heavy loadout I saw earlier in the round or a different one?
In Overwatch you see Roadhog. He has a grappling hook and a shotgun so don't get near him, but if you keep him at a medium range you can style all over him.
Less evaluating, more playing. More action, less reaction.