Meet Lúcio, my new surrogate, Overwatch main, and your new best friend.
Blizzard’s newest title Overwatch, a first person, team-based shooter set in the not-so different future, is host to a pretty striking roster of characters. I say striking, because when compared with the usual nondescript grunt characters, faceless space marines, or interchangeable cannon fodder that litter every other FPS on market, this game has personality to burn.
Men, women, robots, the undead, and even a sly combination of the two all make the cut for the game’s 21-character roster, and they are all brimming with personality. Lucio holds a special place in my heart however, being a rebellious, rollerblading DJ. With locks. Who powers his heroism with EDM as a primary form of attack. From his official bio:
Lúcio Correia dos Santos grew up in Rio de Janeiro, in a poor and crowded favela that was hit hard by the financial upheaval following the Omnic Crisis. As Brazil began the long process of recovery, he wanted to find a way to lift the spirits of those around him. He found his answer in music and its power to bring people together and even help them forget their troubles, if only for a short time. He performed on street corners, in block parties, and as he got older, at a string of legendary underground shows.[…]
But Lúcio’s close-knit community was thrown into chaos when the multinational Vishkar Corporation secured a contract to redevelop large tracts of the city. Lúcio and his neighbors had been told that the development would improve their lives. However, that promise never became a reality. Vishkar imposed controls on the residents in the name of building a more orderly society: enforcing curfews, cracking down on what the company perceived as lawless behavior, and exploiting the populace as a cheap labor force.
Lúcio wouldn’t stand for it. He stole Vishkar sonic technology that had been used to suppress the people, and he converted it into a tool to rally them to action. In a popular uprising, they drove Vishkar out of their neighborhoods. Lúcio’s leadership made him a star overnight and a symbol for positive social change.
With a bio swimming in early 90’s freedom fighter cheese, it falls to the game to define his character otherwise. True to form, his powers revolve around “uplifting” his teammates with character buffs, and comically blasting people off cliffs with his shockwave ability. As a support character, he isn’t the guy you want to go toe-to-toe with Bastion, but when you’re delivering happiness and DEATH through what looks like a smaller version of the Dubstep Gun borne from Saints Row IV, is that really a complaint?
Overwatch is due out May 24th, for Xbox One, Playstation 4, and PC.
