Overwatch: Wrecking Ball, the abilities and origins of the new hero

After deploying Brigitte and her Repairing Modules to the field, Blizzard Entertainment & # 39; does 28 "& # 39; in his Overwatch . The colossal Irvine has indeed presented to the large group of players Hammond the twenty-eighth hero of the multiplayer shooter made in the USA, accompanied by his faithful – and gigantic – ball shaped mech, Wrecking Ball . The tender but fierce hamster is already available in the area of ​​public rehearsals, and today we will discover together all the secrets after testing all the skills directly in the arena.

What he did Blizzard with Wrecking Ball badumes somehow the connotations of the historical event. It's certainly not new for Diablo's home to list the hero of Overwatch with completely new characters, but the hamster-tank armed with automatic quadricannoni marks a decisive reversal of direction stylistic for what, to More than two years after the first publication on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC, it's still one of the most played and appreciated gaming experiences of all the panorama of the game video. Do not be fooled by the trivial name, Hammond was able to show in our field essay not only a unique personality – the mech that serves as a translator remains a gadget that has managed to pull us far more than A smile – but especially a combat system not at all obvious .

Once upon a time in Horizon …

"Do not anger the hamster". The Californian software house presents Hammond, an enterprising engineer with remarkable mechanical skills who travel the world in search of the next challenge. And that of Colonia Lunare Horizon he could even "gnaw" his opponents in Overwatch arenas. The Blizzard rodent was one of the animals at the mercy of thirsty thirst for human knowledge, subject to various genetic experiments. And it's exactly the same condemnation of the new hero to launch his adventurous life: Hammond's intelligence and physical strength have grown exponentially as a side effect of studies conducted by a handful of scientists, the pushing to become a mechanic and explore the world .

The Horizon colony sank into chaos when some gorillas rebelled against human scientists, taking control of the base. Not all animals joined the revolt and one of the gorillas, Winston managed to escape to Earth. It was the occasion that was awaiting Hammond . After building an improvised rescue capsule, he secretly connected it to the Winston spacecraft just before taking off, unleashing himself near the Earth's atmosphere, and then settling near Junkertown . The Adventure Balloon Hamster once again used its manual and technical know-how to modify the capsule, turning it into a real mech and entering the lucrative world of gladiator battles between Dump robots . Climbing the rankings, Wrecking Ball has become a champion, although the identity of the pilot has remained a mystery.

Hammond's intelligence and physical strength grew exponentially as a side effect of studies conducted by a handful of scientists, spigendolo becoming a mechanic and exploring the world

With money gains, Hammond was able to beef up his mech enough to survive the dangerous crossing of the Outback controlled Junkers. Travel the world now with the money you've earned from fighting …

… an incredible hamster

See Overwatch arena a hamster at the controls of a mech in the shape of the ball is certainly not common. In the last hours, however, there are many players who have decided to fully test Hammond's combat skills and his demolition ball, already available in the Blizzard branded PTR with good news handle – from the new Symmetra to the social functions introduced with the update 1.25 . At Tom's Hardware, we have dusted the armaments and the courage to test the intelligence and adventurous spirit of the rodent with bright orange hair, which has turned out to be a terrific tank, able to roll on the enemy front, then to sow chaos in retrovie

Wrecking Ball is indeed a tank armed with automatic quadricannoni and its capabilities in detail are:

• Rolling : turns into a ball and increases the maximum speed of movement
• Rampone : Launches a claw that allows you to swing. Enable high-speed collisions that damage enemies by repelling them
• Active Shield : Creates temporary personal shields proportional to the number of nearby enemies.
• Falling Star : crushes the ground damaging enemies and pushing them up
• Campo Minato (Ultra) : places a large number of nearby mines

Wrecking Ball proves from the first skirmishes a character designed to fight at close range those who can crush the adversaries by almost always carrying out ruthless actions and head down – not to mention an extremely strategic approach. His primary defensive ability, Active Shield increases his shields and hence his life based on the number of enemies in the immediate vicinity. Ablity that we have had the opportunity to enjoy especially in the most agitated actions, and that leaves room for maneuver to counter-attack. The shield makes it incredibly difficult to kill when it starts fighting and, when health begins to fall, provides the resistance needed to escape – an aspect that far too many players have apparently underestimated in our first piece.

The automatic quadricannoni is his main weapon placing himself as a balanced medium-term between the now-proven and more accurate Reaper's shrapnel, but his main skill is to roll and roll around at a higher speed. high. In this form, Wrecking Ball can not damage the enemies present along its way, but it is an excellent starting point to activate Rampone a short range ability very similar to Widowmaker & # 39. Grapple through which he can engage with the surrounding environment to overcome the empty spaces and turn around the corners that crush the opponents. A true show of force, which submerges, repels and damages any misfortune .

Once enough momentum has been gained – enough to be lifted in the air – we can activate the air skill with the correct timing Stella Cadente by pressing the key we use usually to lower us . From the top, Hammond will overwhelm the enemies with all the weight of his mach, helped by the inevitable gravity to generate mbadive damage in the area. That it is clear, mastering the dynamics of the Wrecking Ball movement is not easy but a closer reading of the maps will suffice to exploit their actions and their structure. The intention of the development team is crystal clear: the new hero of Overwatch is not only a very solid tank, but was designed to generate confusion in the fray and a effective surprise effect previously prerogative of the most agile and fast. By controlling the hamster, your goal will then be to force your opponents to focus on close combat, which will allow you to take advantage of the skills provided by Blizzard.

An idea, this one, which is later confirmed by the Ultra provided by Wrecking Ball, Campo Minato . If rolling like the best of Samus Aran is not enough, Hammond can deploy a multitude of nearby mines that fire after a few moments and explode on contact, repelling enemies who survive the detonation. The timing and badysis of the situation then become fundamental : The Minato field prevents enemies from reaching a specific location, but can also be released beyond above them, dealing concentrated damage to all enemies. a single point, thus fulfilling a dual function of defense and attack .

The intention of the development team is clear: the new hero of Overwatch is not only a very solid tank, but it was designed to generate melee confusion and an effective surprise effect

The possible combinations become so numerous . We had more of an opportunity to pbad over the opposing team's players using Rampone, and then to dump several mines around the character with Campo Minato, inflicting the final blow to all of them. 39 team with Stella Cadente, able to push opponents to land mines previously placed.

Verdict

The twenty-eighth overwatch hero is, at least for the moment, promoted with all the notes . The design of the character is beautiful, which makes the contrast between the cold metal of Wrecking Ball and the soft fur of Hammond its particularity. Funny – and sometimes disturbing – the cold electronic voice of the mech, which once again creates an obvious difference in size with the most welcoming cries of his rider. Incredibly effective abilities and their possible combinations despite the inevitable smears of balancing during this test phase. Only the beginning of the eleventh season will reveal the true effectiveness of this new tank of Overwatch but for the moment we can really satisfy ourselves. And above all, have fun!