Overwatch: Ranking Every Cinematic Short (So Far)

This was the short that showed audiences that Overwatch was NOT messing around, presenting unflinching murder and uncomfortable real world parallels with surprising nuance for a colourful, cartoonish game.

Opening with a monologue about Widowmaker's childhood fear of spiders, the short quickly descends into an uncomfortable yet surprisingly effective allegory about racial and anti-immigrant tensions in Western countries, building up the complex world of a post-Omnic Crisis Overwatch. The omnic religious figure Mondatta, Zenyatta's brother as a monk, makes a speech preaching equality in light of extreme anti-Omnic sentiment in London, with Tracer just so happening to listen in when she realises Widowmaker's setting up to assassinate him.

An action-packed, heart-stopping, and ultimately tragic short, it unflinchingly shows the failure of its hero and the triumph of its villain, the shadowy politics behind the act subtle but undeniable.

Like other shorts, it also shows Tracer and Widowmaker's in-game abilities effectively, with a rooftop battle that's as graceful as it is full of unexpected turns. The climactic shot Widow takes is fantastically precise and brutal, showing off her almost impossible prowess as a sniper. And just like the short, it's painfully unexpected, and all the more memorable for it.