The second Archives event took place in 2018, it started on the 10th April and finished on the 30th of April.
The brand new brawl/mission that was introduced during this event was the Retribution event, which followed the Blackwatch cast (Reaper/Gabriel Reyes, Jesse McCree/Cole Cassidy, Moira and Genji). The aim of their missions was to take the head of Talon, Antonio Bartalotti, in. Instead, Antonio goads Gabriel Reyes and explains that any action they take will be a waste of time since his political connections will have him out of prison by the end of the week. Realising he's right, Gabriel Reyes changes the plan (Drastically) and shoots Antonio instead. The Retribution mission is their hasty escape from Rialto.
Not only was this mission introduced but we were also given a handful of brilliant skins.
Scion Hanzo and Soldier 24 are some of my favourite skins as well, so 2018 achieves skins were ab absolute win.
Here are all the cinematics for the mission as well:
I think, short as it is, that there's some really interesting content in the videos.
To start off with, I find it really funny that the video starts with McCree taking out one guy, then Gabriel takes out one guy as well, then Moira takes out three guys and it's like woah ok. Then Genji says hold my bear and takes out an entire group.
It amuses me.
Also, this interaction between McCree and Gabriel, he addresses him as 'Reyes' respectfully, but you can tell he's toeing the line out of concern because they're not just comrades. They're not just commander and follower. They were friends! They worked together for 20 years and it shows in this interaction here!
He's challenging his commanders decisions because he knows that they're friends and he's concerned for him!
Also, please look at these pictures and say to my face that this is not a man who's reflecting on every choice he made since joining Overwatch, and I dare you to tell me those choices aren't weighing heavily on his shoulders!
This is a man that knows if he keeps doing things the way he was doing them, nothing is ever going to change.
So he does something drastic and he kills a man.
He looks so tired :(
I sort of forgot the purpose of this post because I just got carried away psycho analysing Gabriel Reyes.
It's times like these, when Grian refers to snails as molluscs and gastropods, that I remember he has a degree in marine biology. In retrospect this makes the fishing arc funnier I think.
I've gotta say that there is no better achievement as a neurodivergent person than hyperfixating on a character for so long that you are known as "the 'insert character name here' person"
(sue me but he was one of the only mfs in that damn place who wasn't tryna kill the player and i think we should have been able to save him. so, fix it au where y/n helps the gang escape and they live happily in a secluded house in the woods)
this is entirely petty and personal but i cannot stand the word "whump" it's like unalive to me. just say you enjoy torturing your favourite character so that you can nurse them back to health again like a sickly baby bird they're not real it's okay.