In the months and weeks leading up to its release, Blizzard Entertainment teased Overwatch as a multiplayer shooter that, while lacking a traditional campaign mode, still featured a cohesive story. A number of fantastic computer-animated short films and digital comics helped bolster that expectation. They offered insight into popular characters such as Tracer and Winston, and gave prospective players a taste of what to expect from the universe of the game itself.
But somehow, that story didn’t actually make into the game. WhileOverwatch succeeds as an energetic shooter with a cast of great characters, it seems to have forgotten much of its own story in the process.
Can’t we all just be enemies?
“The conflict between Omnics and humans has now claimed over 15,000 lives,” a news anchor says in Overwatch’s first short film, “Recall.” Gorilla scientist Winston watches in anger before eventually initiating an Overwatch recall: His allies are going back into action to put a stop to the war. An attack by the merciless Reaper further validates his decision.
Elsewhere, Talon-assassin Widowmaker sends the world back into all-out war by shooting an Omnic official dead, with Overwatch agent Tracer powerless to stop her. The stage is set for an intense multiplayer shooter where the Overwatch team is called back into action to fight Widowmaker, Reaper, and anyone else who might threaten the peace of planet Earth.
Which is why it’s so weird that Blizzard just has them all fighting each other.
Winston fighting Tracer. Overwatch founder Soldier: 76 fighting the noble Genji. Widowmaker fighting Reaper. Winston fighting another Winston. None of it makes any sense, and while the characterization is definitely welcome in a genre that can boil down to “gruff guy versus gruff guy,” Blizzard has invalidated most of its storytelling by not offering a real explanation for why supposed allies are shooting each other — other than it, of course, being a ridiculous amount of fun.
But somehow, that story didn’t actually make into the game. WhileOverwatch succeeds as an energetic shooter with a cast of great characters, it seems to have forgotten much of its own story in the process.
Can’t we all just be enemies?
“The conflict between Omnics and humans has now claimed over 15,000 lives,” a news anchor says in Overwatch’s first short film, “Recall.” Gorilla scientist Winston watches in anger before eventually initiating an Overwatch recall: His allies are going back into action to put a stop to the war. An attack by the merciless Reaper further validates his decision.
Elsewhere, Talon-assassin Widowmaker sends the world back into all-out war by shooting an Omnic official dead, with Overwatch agent Tracer powerless to stop her. The stage is set for an intense multiplayer shooter where the Overwatch team is called back into action to fight Widowmaker, Reaper, and anyone else who might threaten the peace of planet Earth.
Which is why it’s so weird that Blizzard just has them all fighting each other.
Winston fighting Tracer. Overwatch founder Soldier: 76 fighting the noble Genji. Widowmaker fighting Reaper. Winston fighting another Winston. None of it makes any sense, and while the characterization is definitely welcome in a genre that can boil down to “gruff guy versus gruff guy,” Blizzard has invalidated most of its storytelling by not offering a real explanation for why supposed allies are shooting each other — other than it, of course, being a ridiculous amount of fun.
