Blizzard has always had a bit of a knack for the cinematic. Many of their trailers for World of Warcraft, Starcraft, and Diablo have a great cinematic edge to them, rivaling that of animation powerhouse Pixar. They continue to prove their prowess with this cinematic short for their latest title, Overwatch.
You’ll remember that the very first Overwatch trailer hinted at a much, much greater plot behind the fighting. There were some hints towards character motivations, a strong “good vs evil” theme, plus some implications suggesting that these fully-fleshed out characters all lived in a much larger world. This cinematic short sheds even more light on the background of the so-called Overwatch Agents, and their seemingly shadowy clandestine war against the Talon organization.
You can read about much of the story on the Blizzard official website. You can also dig around on the Overwatch Gamepedia.
The short itself is so incredibly well done, and reminiscent of Steam’s Team Fortress 2 shorts, albeit with a bit more of a “serious” edge to them. It’s full of heart, and it’s already got me invested in the featured character, Winston. I found myself getting a bit misty-eyed at his flashbacks, as well. Thanks, emotionally epic, dramatic score.
Stretching the short a bit further, it’s suggested that the Overwatch organization is in hiding because they’ve all been disavowed or banned. That point alone reminds me of Watchmen or The Incredibles–heroes operating in secret, against the government’s wishes… it definitely hammers home the Overwatch slogan: “The World Needs Heroes.”
Oh, and can we talk about all the little easter eggs in there? Of course Winston would be watching a Hearthstone stream in the background. That game was made for someone like him, wasn’t it?
Anyway. Tell us what you think. Did this short get you all stoked about Overwatch‘s upcoming release? Or nah?
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