The last couple of weeks I've shown off the characters belonging to the Eldrid, Jennerit Imperium and Last Light Consortium (LLC) factions of "Battleborn." The Eldrid are environmentalists, looking to save the last star in the universe; The Jennerit Imperium is a strong military force in the universe whose once noble goals have drifted off course; the Last Light Consortium is made up of greedy robots, concerned with saving the last star and making a profit along the way.
This week I'll introduce the United Peacekeeping Republics (UPR), an amalgamation of civilizations that once included the LLC. The UPR fights for the ideas of mutual protection, freedom and equality. What all this means in a universe that is on the brink of destruction, though, is unclear.
Like the other factions, the UPR has five heroes to choose from.
Benedict: What's cooler than a raccoon with rockets? How about a rocket launcher wielding hawk? In the "Battleborn" universe, we call him Benedict. Benedict has a much shallower list of abilities to choose from; all of his special abilities either grant him faster flight or augment his rocket launcher in some way. Offensively, Benedict can fly high into the air and shoot rockets down into the battle. One of his special abilities upgrades his rockets into homing missiles, while another special allows the player to guide an extremely powerful rocket around the battle as they try to hit an enemy before running out of fuel. Defensively, Benedict has the ability to fly away from a fight that isn't going his way.
Galilea: One of the few characters foolish enough to bring a knife to a gunfight, Galilea brings a shield with her to absorb the fusillade that will inevitably be sent in her direction. Borrowing from Captain America's playbook, Galilea can throw her shield at foes to damage them and leave them stunned for two seconds, allowing her to get in close and use her greatsword to finish them off. Galilea can also use her "Desecrate" ability to increase the damage taken by enemies within a certain radius of her.
Montana: Your typical, beefy super-soldier. Montana heaves an over-sized Gatling Gun with him. This gun handles like typical Gatling Guns in Games. The left trigger will spin the barrels before shooting with the right trigger. As expected, this gun has a tendency to overheat. However, one of Montana's special abilities increases the damage given by the gun depending on how hot it gets. Montana can also load his gun with special ammo that slows enemies down after being shot, making them easier targets for his "Lumberjack Dash," a shoulder plow that knocks enemies back and has the potential to stun them for a second.
Oscar Mike: Serving as a trope of first-person shooter games, it's no coincidence that Oscar Mike is said to be a clone, created to fight in another fictitious war that has long been over. Oscar Mike uses an assault rifle, grenades and air strikes in battle. He is also fitted with a cloaking devices to disappear when the battle get overwhelming. With Oscar Mike, reloading is everything, as the first 15 rounds of every clip deal extra damage.
Trevor Ghalt: The powerhouse shooter of the Peacekeepers, Ghalt wields a shotgun and his special ability allows him to equip a second one. His passive ability gives the last four shells in his shotguns 25 percent more damage. If enemies are out of range of his shotguns, Ghalt can throw out a grappling hook to bring them closer. Or, if he's running away from a fight, he can throw traps down that will stun any enemy for two seconds that steps too close, then explodes.
My advice: Gamers that are used to games like "Call of Duty," "Battlefield" or even "Spaltoon" should try Oscar Mike and Trevor Ghalt as they will be the most inviting when making the transition to "Battleborn." Players that want to be in the middle of the action should consider not only Trevor Ghalt and his shotguns, but also Galilea and Montana. Players that like to hang back and pick up assists should try using Benedict and his variety of explosives.
Check back next week for the final faction, the Rogues, and for a look at the various game modes that will be available with the release of "Battleborn" on May 3.
