Overwatch: Ranking Every Cinematic Short (So Far)
3. The Last Bastion
A masterclass in animated storytelling, this short provides a dramatic and deeply moving piece with a character who doesn't speak and has no emoting face—an admirable feat of visual storytelling.
It tells the story of a Bastion unit that is activated years after it's dropped into a German forest, making friends with a curious yellow bird and exploring the beauty of nature. With backdrops straight out of the painted, colourful world of Disney's Bambi, the story starts off with Bastion making its way to an unknown location, the only "memory" still active in its programming.
Midway through, the gentle robot experiences symptoms reminiscent of PTSD, accidentally reverting to its more violent past programming (similar to the Iron Giant of 90s fame) and scaring its friend away.
It's soon revealed, when Bastion leaves the forest and crosses a large field, that it's one of thousands dropped in a past war against humanity. Unlike its fallen brethren, however, Bastion is able to choose peace over its programmed destructive objective.
The raw, emotional stakes this story presents over an expressionless machine, as well as its stunning visuals, ranks this as one of Overwatch's best works. It's no wonder it won a writing award.