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Bastion [[Overwatch (video game)|Overwatch]] (2016)

From EverybodyWiki Bios & Wiki

Bastion
Overwatch character
First appearanceOverwatch (2016)
GameOverwatch (2016)
Created byBlizzard Entertainment
Voiced byChris Metzen

Warning: Display title "Bastion <i>[[Overwatch (video game)|Overwatch]]</i> (2016)" overrides earlier display title "Bastion (<i>Overwatch</i>)". Search Bastion (Overwatch) on Amazon.

Bastion is a fictional player character who appears in Overwatch, a franchise centered around first-person hero shooter video games developed by Blizzard Entertainment.

Blizzard has given the character various gameplay reworks throughout the original Overwatch game and its sequel. The character has garnered mixed reception from media writers and Overwatch players, who have been critical of the character's perceived "overpowered" nature in-game.

Development and design[edit]

Character and lore[edit]

Bastion was one of the first Overwatch characters to be unveiled when Blizzard announced the franchise's first entry at BlizzCon 2014.[1] Chris Metzen provides the voice for Bastion.[2] Blizzard developed Bastion as agender and originally used "it" pronouns when referencing the character throughout Overwatch's release.[3] However, video game media outlets routinely used he/him pronouns when referencing Bastion,[4] and Blizzard would switch to using such pronouns for the character with the launch of Overwatch 2.[5][n 1]

Blizzard designed Bastion as an wandering character indulging in nature, unaffiliated with the in-universe Overwatch organization. The Overwatch narrative begins with the "Omnic Crisis". In-universe, omniums are factories that produced "omnics", or artificial intelligence robots designed to assist humanity with manufacturing and global economic quality efforts.[6] However, omniums began producing violent "Bastion units", robots specifically designed for combat.[6] Each Bastion unit was destroyed, except for the one "Bastion" that is included as a playable character.[6]

Gameplay and art[edit]

Initially, Overwatch characters were divided into four classes: offense, defense, support, and tank.[7] Bastion was classified as a defense character.[8] Blizzard eventually merged the offense and defense classes into a single "Damage" class in a June 2018 patch for the game.[9]

Bastion was included in the 2015 beta for Overwatch.[10] His initial design included two configurations: Recon and Sentry.[11][12] The Recon mode featured Bastion in a mobile form that was equipped with a lower-damage automatic weapon.[12] The Sentry form rendered Bastion as an immobile turret.[12] While in this form, Bastion was equipped with a shield.[12] With these abilities, it was possible for Bastion players to shield themselves while in turret form.[13] However, this left Bastion vulnerable to attacks from the side or behind.[13][14] Bastion was also able to self-heal with a "welding torch-style arm" via his "Self-Repair" ability.[15][13] While self-healing, Bastion was rendered immobile and unable to fire his weapons.[15] Bastion was also equipped with an ultimate ability: a tank configuration.[11] Though only active for eight seconds, this tank form combined heavy firepower with mobility and allowed Bastion to deal area of effect blast damage.[11] Jeff Kaplan, game director of Overwatch, noted that new players often encountered Bastion as an "incredibly overpowered" character, but stated that there were counters in place and that more experienced players did not find Bastion competitive.[16] Nevertheless, the character was weakened ahead of the game's May 2016 release.[17]

As the game's meta changed, VG247 noted that the character became "a bit of a wallflower".[18] As a result, Bastion received a buff in February 2017, among other changes with the goal of moving some of Bastion's sentry configuration power to his recon configuration, "while keeping [his] sentry mode a strong option, especially versus tanks and barriers."[19] Blizzard continued to work on Bastion's gameplay elements through Overwatch's post-release, with efforts to make him more "viable" put forth in 2020.[20]

In September 2021, Blizzard announced Bastion would undergo a "big rework" for his inclusion in Overwatch 2, with considerable changes being made to his playstyle.[21] Overwatch 2 launched in early access on October 4, 2022.[22][23] His self-repairing ability was removed in the sequel and replaced with a tactical sticky grenades.[24][25] The projectiles are able to bounce off walls, but will stick to enemies and the floor prior to detonating.[25] For the sequel, Bastion was also given the ability to move while in turret form, albeit at a slower rate.[24] As with other Overwatch characters, Bastion also received a visual redesign.[24][25] Notably wearing a hat, Bastion's appearance was remade, featuring "sleeker, more modern materials".[24][25] Ganymede, a cardinal that accompanies Bastion in his design was retained in the sequel.[21]

Shortly after the launch of Overwatch 2, Bastion was temporarily removed from the game's playable roster.[23] This was due to a glitch involving his ultimate ability, which placed Bastion in his artillery configuration.[26] Players discovered that the ultimate was bugged, allowing for the ability to be indefinitely used and stacked.[27][28] Bastion was added back into the game on October 25.[28]

Like with other Overwatch characters, Bastion has various skins that players can equip; for example, during a winter holiday update for Overwatch 2, Bastion received a gingerbread-themed skin.[29]

Appearances[edit]

Video games[edit]

Bastion debuted as a playable character in the 2016 video game Overwatch,[11] and was again included in Overwatch 2.[30] Overwatch lacked a story mode and its narrative elements were mainly fleshed out of the game, though Blizzard did implement story and characterization elements through its map design and character voice lines.[31] Bastion's fictional character biography on the Overwatch 2 website states that Bastion was developed in-universe as a Bastion-E54 unit, a peacekeeping robot that was able to rapidly reconfigure "into an assault-cannon mode."[5] After being forgotten about following the final battles of the Omnic Crisis, Bastion was awakened by a bird named Ganymede and the two later found themselves in the care of Torbjörn. As such, Bastion's base of operations is also listed as Gothenburg, Sweden.[5]

Animations[edit]

Bastion was featured in Blizzard's The Last Bastion, an animated short film which premiered at Gamescom 2016 and released online on August 18, 2016.[32][4] The first in a second season and fifth overall release in Blizzard's series of Overwatch animated shorts, the short was released ahead of a new map release for Overwatch.[33] The map, called "Eichenwalde" is located in the outskirts of Stuttgart, Germany and served as the setting for The Last Bastion.[4][34]

Set after the Omnic Crisis, the short follows Bastion as he is reactivated from a dormant state.[33] Curious, Bastion explores nature, but struggles as his combat programming is set off when he senses danger.[32] Battle events of the Omnic Crisis are seen through brief flashbacks when Bastion analyzes the memory bank of destroyed Bastion units.[35] The short also features a bird, Ganymede, which is the catalyst for Bastion's reactivation.[34][35] As he overcomes his previous programming, Bastion ultimately befriends Ganymede.[34]

The short was the Webby Awards' People's Voice Winner for Best Writing in the film and video category in 2017.[36]

Comics[edit]

In March 2017, Bastion appeared in Binary, an issue of the Overwatch digital comic series.[37][38] The comic is set in rural Sweden, shortly after The Last Bastion and details Bastion's first encounter with Torbjörn.[10][38]

Reception[edit]

Initial reception to Bastion's gameplay was mixed, with many players and video game writers noting Bastion as "overpowered". Luke Plunkett of Kotaku wrote positively on Bastion's gameplay during Overwatch's beta, complimenting the "strategic element to his character design". Plunkett wrote that while playing as Bastion he felt "more like a surveyor, a calculated killer, someone who can find a battle, pick the optimal spot and rain death down on my terms." However, Plunkett also noted some players as having complained that Bastion was "overpowered".[13] Indeed, many players criticized Bastion as such during the game's open beta period.[39]

Similar sentiments continued once Overwatch was released. While reviewing the game for PC Gamer, Phil Savage wrote that "Bastion is already infamous among the Overwatch community, reviled for being cheap, powerful and a little bit boring." Savage further opined that Bastion is "rarely fun to play and almost never fun to fight," calling the character "an annoyance – either trivial or devastating depending on your experience and ability to work as a team."[40] Writing for Eurogamer, Chris Bratt noted Bastion as "incredibly powerful against opposing characters as they rush to capture a control point," but that the character had legitimate counters as part of the game's balancing.[41]

Writing for Kotaku, Nathan Grayson noted that players were more positive about Bastion following the release of The Last Bastion. Grayson wrote that "some fans even ended up having serious discussions about PTSD, something strongly alluded to in Bastion's wartime past and panicked reaction upon hearing a woodpecker in a forest, something that, to him, sounded like gunfire. He was transported back to a traumatic time in a way that, for many, felt painfully accurate."[42] In ranking every Overwatch character, Joseph Knoop of The Daily Dot wrote that while Bastion is a "bit of a one-note character," he "still stands as a goofy, curious creature", positively receiving the character's depiction in The Last Bastion.[43]

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ↑ This article uses he/him pronouns for consistency and clarity.

References[edit]

  1. ↑ McWhertor, Michael (November 7, 2014). "Overwatch is Blizzard's new team-based multiplayer shooter". Polygon. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
  2. ↑ Gerblick, Jordan (April 24, 2020). "Let Blizzard's Chris Metzen read you a Warcraft story". GamesRadar+. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
  3. ↑ Chu, Michael [@westofhouse] (October 29, 2017). "Bastion does not have a gender. We use "it."" (Tweet). Retrieved April 3, 2023 – via Twitter.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 McWhertor, Michael (August 18, 2016). "Watch Overwatch's new animated short, 'The Last Bastion'". Polygon. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 "Overwatch 2 - Heroes - Bastion". overwatch.blizzard.com. Blizzard Entertainment. Retrieved April 3, 2023.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Ramos, Jeff (May 24, 2016). "The definitive Overwatch timeline". Polygon. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
  7. ↑ Minotti, Mike (September 21, 2018). "Overwatch retools Torbjörn to make him a better damage-dealer". VentureBeat. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
  8. ↑ Rosenberg, Adam (August 29, 2016). "'Overwatch' counters: How to shut down every Defense hero". Mashable. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
  9. ↑ Saed, Sherif (June 27, 2018). "Overwatch's Endorsement system, Looking for Group, Symmetra rework now live for all". VG247. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Hillier, Brenna (June 25, 2015). "Meet Bastion, Overwatch's curious peacekeeping robot". VG247. Retrieved March 20, 2023.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 "Overwatch hero guide: Bastion". VG247. September 16, 2016. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 Newman, Heather (October 29, 2015). "Overwatch first impressions, Part 2: all the defense heroes, all the tanks". VentureBeat. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 Plunkett, Luke (November 26, 2015). "An Overwatch Character Is Helping Me Enjoy A Multiplayer Shooter". Kotaku. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
  14. ↑ Stanton, Rich (June 6, 2016). "Overwatch: 20 essential tips and dirty secrets". The Guardian. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 Rosenberg, Adam (July 14, 2016). "'Overwatch' hero spotlight: How to suck less with Bastion". Mashable. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
  16. ↑ Walker, Alex (November 19, 2015). "Overwatch's Turret Heroes Need A Fix, But One Won't Come Until 2016". Kotaku. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
  17. ↑ Barrett (February 18, 2016). "Overwatch balance changes: Bastion and Torbjörn to be nerfed, too early for other fixes". PCGamesN. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
  18. ↑ Arif, Shabana (February 8, 2017). "Overwatch: Bastion's road to badassery has begun as a new patch rolls out in the PTR". VG247. Retrieved April 3, 2023.
  19. ↑ Barrett, Ben (February 28, 2017). "Overwatch patch 1.8 notes – Bastion rework, the server browser and more out now". PCGamesN. Retrieved April 3, 2023.
  20. ↑ Beckhelling, Imogen (May 13, 2020). "Overwatch's latest Experimental changes are looking to make Bastion "more viable"". Rock Paper Shotgun. Retrieved April 3, 2023.
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 Brown, Andy (September 26, 2021). "'Overwatch 2' will see Bastion trade in his tank mode for artillery". NME. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
  22. ↑ McWhertor, Michael (June 12, 2022). "Overwatch 2 launches in October, will be free to play". Polygon. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 Wheeler, CJ (October 18, 2022). "Overwatch 2 players are eulogising out-of-action hero Bastion as if he'd died". Rock Paper Shotgun. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
  24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 24.2 24.3 McWhertor, Michael (September 27, 2021). "Overwatch 2 will radically change Bastion, who has a hat now". Polygon. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
  25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 25.2 25.3 Macgregor, Jody (September 25, 2021). "In Overwatch 2 Bastion loses self-repair and tank mode, gains a hat". PC Gamer. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
  26. ↑ Parrish, Ash (October 11, 2022). "Bastion and Torbjörn have been temporarily removed from Overwatch 2". The Verge. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
  27. ↑ Park, Morgan (October 19, 2022). "We finally know when Bastion will return to Overwatch 2". PC Gamer. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
  28. ↑ 28.0 28.1 Zwiezen, Zack (October 20, 2022). "Remember Bastion, Overwatch 2's MIA Hero? He's Back Next Week". Kotaku. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
  29. ↑ Wheeler, CJ (December 21, 2022). "Nab yourself a Gingerbread Bastion skin for just one Overwatch coin". Rock Paper Shotgun. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
  30. ↑ Carr, James (October 24, 2022). "Overwatch 2 - Bastion Hero Guide". GameSpot. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
  31. ↑ Frank, Allegra (April 30, 2017). "How Overwatch still stuffs story into a campaign-less game". Polygon. Retrieved April 3, 2023.
  32. ↑ 32.0 32.1 Bashore (August 18, 2016). "The New 'Overwatch' Short Film Is an Emotional Joyride". Inverse. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
  33. ↑ 33.0 33.1 McKeand, Kirk (August 18, 2016). "The Last Bastion Overwatch animated short is out now". PCGamesN. Retrieved March 30, 2023. Unknown parameter |orig-date= ignored (help)
  34. ↑ 34.0 34.1 34.2 Purchese, Robert (August 19, 2016). "Unpacking Overwatch's charming new Bastion animated short". Eurogamer. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
  35. ↑ 35.0 35.1 Statt, Nick (August 18, 2016). "New Overwatch short is a tear-jerking tribute to The Iron Giant". The Verge. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
  36. ↑ Scott-Jones, Richard (April 28, 2017). "Bastion's silent movie wins 'the Internet's highest honour'". PCGamesN. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
  37. ↑ Hillier, Brenna (March 9, 2017). "Overwatch comic shows Bastion and Torbjorn's first meeting, yet clearly set after latest patch". VG247. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
  38. ↑ 38.0 38.1 Moore, Bo (March 8, 2017). "New Overwatch comic shows how Bastion and Torbjörn met". PC Gamer. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
  39. ↑ Hernandez, Patricia (May 25, 2016). "It's Time To Stop Being Salty About Bastion In Overwatch". Kotaku. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
  40. ↑ Savage, Phil (May 27, 2016). "Overwatch review". PC Gamer. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
  41. ↑ Bratt, Chris (June 1, 2016). "Overwatch Review". Eurogamer. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
  42. ↑ Grayson, Nathan (August 19, 2016). "After Yesterday's Overwatch Video, People Hate Bastion A Little Less". Kotaku. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
  43. ↑ Knoop, Joseph (May 21, 2021). "Every Overwatch character, ranked". The Daily Dot. Retrieved April 3, 2023. Unknown parameter |orig-date= ignored (help)

Further reading[edit]


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