Overwatch – “Dragons” Animated Short
So Blizzard Entertainment’s brand new team shooter Overwatch has been making waves online recently – in the wake of the open beta test that millions played (including myself, and can’t wait to get my hands on the full game in about a week).
A major draw for Overwatch is that rather than loadouts, you use Heroes. Each Hero is a unique character in terms of how the handle in game, aesthetically, and their backstories. After playing the beta, I can safely say there’s a hero for every play style imaginable, and no two are alike.
Complementing the originality of the hero system Blizzard has been releasing comic book pages and animated shorts on different characters and their backstories, adding rich, optional lore, for nerds like us who love it.
The above short, ‘Dragons’, was released on the official Overwatch YouTube page yesterday and tells the story of Hanzo and Genji, which I wont even recap because Blizzard tells the story in a way I simply cannot, with amazing CGI and narration.
My overall feelings towards the video; impressed. Blizzard has access to such amazing graphic technology that they put to use in making these animated shorts (understatement) that it looks almost like watching a modern Pixar movie. The voice acting and narration were excellent, and when Hanzo uttered his “I’m using my dragon strike ultimate” phrase, it gave me a brief PTSD flashback from playing online in the beta.
If this short is any indication of the quality of lore to come from Blizzard’s Overwatch team, things bode well for the title. If you haven’t already checked out some of the comics and other lore on the different heroes, it’s a blast for those who love more than just gameplay and crave deeper meaning out of the little banter heroes exchange while in the spawn lobby.
