Genesis (miniseries) explained

Genre:Science fiction
Country:United States
Language:English
Num Episodes:3
Runtime:5–7 miunutes
Company:Blizzard Entertainment
Network:YouTube

Genesis is an American animated mini-series of shorts created and produced by Blizzard Entertainment. Released on YouTube, the series is based on the Overwatch video game franchise and its characters. A three-part miniseries, Genesis premiered on July 6, 2023.

Premise

A company, Omnica Corporation, creates sentient robots called omnics, as a result of global research on artificial intelligence (AI).[1] Technological advances over time lead to these omnics taking over many tasks, making life easier for the human population.[1] Omnica later hires robotic prodigy Dr. Mina Liao to develop omnics further. These developments lead to the onset of the Omnic Crisis, a war between omnics and humans.[1] [2]

In response to the Omnic Crisis, a global task force called Overwatch is formed.[3]

Characters and cast

Development and release

Prior to Genesis, Blizzard had released animated "cinematic" short films that often centered on the lore of a specific character. These shorts have been positively received from the game's fanbase and general viewers, with outlets comparing the production value of the shorts to that of Pixar's.[4] Story elements are often noted by media outlets as being largely absent from the video games, with Blizzard having stated they intentionally sought to incorporate a transmedia storytelling method to the franchise, with such story elements previously disseminated through the aforementioned animated shorts, but also through comics and other literary media.

Blizzard announced Genesis on June 30, 2023.[5] The series employed an anime art style,[6] with the series being one of the studio's first 2D animation projects to go "beyond" individual character backstories and instead focusing on the overarching narrative of the Overwatch franchise.[7] Genesis is also presented as a documentary primarily from the human perspective.[8] [9]

The series premiered on July 6, 2023, with the release of the first episode, "Dawn".[10] It was released ahead of Overwatch 2s "Invasion" update, which is set to introduce player versus player (PvP) modes and release in August 2023.[6] [11] The Genesis series also released shortly after Blizzard scrapped a long-time plan to implement a co-op player versus environment (PvE) mode that was intended to include many narrative elements; this PvE mode was often cited as a reason for Blizzard to release a sequel to Overwatch.[4] [12] The second episode, "Innocence" was released on July 13. The third and final episode, "Rebirth", released on July 20.

Reception

Scott Duwe of The Daily Dot commented on the trailer for Genesis, calling it "freakishly timely" due to the presence of "helpful AI that turned on humanity".[13] Kenneth Shepard of Kotaku wrote that he was "honestly surprised it took Blizzard this long to invest in an animated series," referencing how previous Overwatch animated projects told "disparate stories".[14] Following the end of the series, Shepard additionally wrote that the series felt like a "glorified trailer", with its documentary formatting providing information on, but not exploration of the series' themes.[9] Shepard opined that some parts of Genesis had a "gravitas" to them and also praised the "gorgeous animation and cinematography".[9]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Galiz-Rowe. Ty. The first Overwatch 2 anime short is now live. Gayming Magazine. July 6, 2023. July 7, 2023.
  2. Web site: Koselke. Anna. Overwatch 2 anime brings us back to the multiplayer game's beginnings. PCGamesN. July 7, 2023. July 7, 2023.
  3. Web site: Green. Steven. Overwatch 2 Animated Mini-Series' First Episode Available Now. CGMagazine. July 6, 2023. July 7, 2023.
  4. Web site: Onder. Cade. Overwatch 2 Animated Mini-Series Announced. ComicBook.com. June 30, 2023. July 7, 2023.
  5. Web site: Marshall. Cass. An Overwatch animated miniseries is streaming this July. Polygon. June 30, 2023. July 7, 2023.
  6. LeBlanc. Wesley. Blizzard Releases Episode 1 Of Genesis, A New Overwatch 2 Anime Series. https://web.archive.org/web/20230706191609/https://www.gameinformer.com/news/2023/07/06/blizzard-releases-episode-1-of-genesis-a-new-overwatch-2-anime-series. dead. July 6, 2023. Game Informer. July 6, 2023. July 7, 2023.
  7. Web site: Blake. Vikki. This new Overwatch animated mini-series, Genesis, debuts later this week . Eurogamer. July 2, 2023. July 7, 2023.
  8. Web site: McWhertor. Michael. Blizzard's Overwatch anime series takes the story back to the beginning. Polygon. July 6, 2023. July 7, 2023.
  9. Web site: Shepard. Kenneth. Overwatchs Anime Is Good, But Feels Like It's Years Late. Kotaku. July 20, 2023. July 20, 2023.
  10. Web site: Milligan. Mercedes. Watch: 'Genesis' Mini-Series Animates the Tech Disaster of 'Overwatch'. Animation Magazine. July 6, 2023. July 7, 2023.
  11. Web site: Overwatch 2 - Official 'Genesis' Part One: Dawn Anime Short. IGN. July 6, 2023. July 7, 2023.
  12. Web site: Serin. Kaan. Overwatch 2 players are getting story content soon with a new animated mini-series. GamesRadar+. July 2, 2023. July 7, 2023.
  13. Web site: Duwe. Scott. Overwatch is finally getting the anime treatment this July. Dot Esports. June 30, 2023. July 7, 2023.
  14. Web site: Shepard. Kenneth. Upcoming Overwatch 2 Animated Mini-Series Looks Like A Prequel. Kotaku. June 30, 2023. July 7, 2023.