Each of Overwatch 2’s three story missions have a different feel to them. The opening Rio level is relatively simple, feeling like a tutorial that teaches players the ropes of PvE gameplay. The third mission, Gothenburg, stands out due to the gimmick of Torbjorn’s turrets as well as some good character development for Reinhardt. However, it is the second mission that many players have dubbed the best of the bunch, and a lot of that comes down to the uniqueness of its objectives.

While Overwatch 2 PvE has been understandably criticized for its repetitive objectives, as Rio in particular boils down to stand still and shoot on many occasions, Toronto feels different. While it opens with a section where players need to defend civilians as they board a ferry, a majority of the level is essentially an escort mission. This works very well due to the presence of unique foes that target the NPCs, as well as the personalities of the NPCs themselves.

RELATED: Overwatch 2's Next Story Missions Should Fix One Missed Opportunity From Invasion

How Reggie and Claire Elevate Their Section of Overwatch 2: Invasion

The first thing to note about Reggie and Claire is their personalities. Claire is a do-gooding Omnic civilian who is shocked as the Overwatch team when she sees Ramattra’s subjucators in action. Hearing from a regular person about the attack on Toronto is interesting, as up until this point players only hear from superpowered individuals who have no issue surviving the invasion. Then there is Reggie, a fast-talking, moderately famous lawyer only worried about self-preservation. His dialogue is hilarious, adding a bit of extra comedy to the level.

While these NPCs improve Overwatch 2’s storytelling, they also add to the gameplay of Toronto. This is because players need to protect them from Subjucators, special Omnics that will paralyze them if they get too close. Needing to defend the characters from one Subjucator at a time is simple enough, but it can be very stressful to deal with a few at the same time. These intense sections are a terrific change of pace from just eliminating waves of enemies, as players need to prioritize certain targets and coordinate to take them down.

With some entries in Overwatch 2’s lore codex making Reggie and Claire even more memorable characters, Blizzard should definitely try to recreate this success in future missions. One option would be working with these two characters again, though since they seem to be native to Toronto, that is unlikely. Instead, players could meet other civilians - potentially lore-significant ones like Tracer’s girlfriend Emily - and work with them throughout a mission.

NPC allies do not have to be powerless, either. For example, players know they will be rescuing Zenytta in the next set of Overwatch 2 missions, and he will likely be playable during this level. However, Blizzard could also have gamers control four other heroes and make Zenyatta an ally they escort, with the bot tossing orbs onto friendlies and foes while occasionally activating his ultimate. He could then be used in the next missions, with different AI-controlled heroes cropping up from time to time.

While there is no guarantee that more AI-controlled characters will appear, it would be a shame if they did not. Blizzard would be missing out on the untapped potential of adding extra heroes to missions via AI, as one area could feature a computer-controlled Winston fighting omnics while another could let Soldier: 76 help out the four-player squad. Beyond that, protecting regular civilians from Subjucators is a fun mechanic that should return, with Overwatch 2’s event missions being a perfect place for it to come back.

Overwatch 2 is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.

MORE: How Overwatch 2 Brings an End to One Long-Running Zenyatta Mystery