Symmetra
Symmetra | |
---|---|
Damage (2018 rework) | |
Nationality | Indian |
Symmetra, full name Satya Vaswani, is a character who first appears in the 2016 video game Overwatch, a Blizzard Entertainment–developed first-person shooter. Voiced by Anjali Bhimani, she makes later appearances in related literary media and the game's sequel, Overwatch 2. Conceived by Jeff Kaplan and designed by Arnold Tsang, the character was conceived due to a desire to include a classic fantasy wizard into the game's science fiction setting, expressed through her ability to create constructs from thin air using hard-light technology. A woman of Indian descent, she works for the Vishkar Corporation, protecting their interests while working to expand their influence despite her concerns about their intentions. Since the game's release she has appeared in various spinoff media related to the franchise, including comics and merchandise.
Symmetra as a fictional character was mostly well received since her debut, albeit with some criticisms on how Blizzard handled her cultural aspects. The developers were heavily praised for their approach to how she is portrayed as a person on the autism spectrum, finding it a breath of fresh air compared to most pop-culture depictions and applauded for their subtle approach to the subject as just one of many character traits she has. Her gameplay in Overwatch however proved far more divisive, resulting in a rift in the player community as some assumed she was chosen by players to either
Conception and development
While working on a
Symmetra was one of the first twelve playable characters introduced upon the reveal of Overwatch at the November 2014
Design
Standing approximately 1.7 m (5 ft 7 in) tall,
Like other Overwatch characters, Symmetra received
Appearances
Satya Vaswani is an Indian woman introduced in the 2016 first-person shooter Overwatch. Trained since youth as an architect at the Vishkar Corporation, an India-based company that developed a "hard light" technology that allows for the construction of physical objects from light, she proved particular gifted with it and helped build a city out of such constructs. The corporation recognized her talent and giving her the codename "Symmetra" tasked her with expanding Vishkar's global reach. While she does so to help the greater good, there are times she doubts if the control and order she desires are best for humanity.[12] Symmetra is voiced by Indian-American actor Anjali Bhimani, who at the time of casting was not aware the character was autistic. She stated "I loved that it was so lightly touched-on [...] Had they told me that earlier on, I think somewhere in the back of my mind, I would have given that more weight than necessarily would have been appropriate."[3]
Her story is further fleshed out in the digital
In 2020, Symmetra was featured in the short story Stone by Stone. In it, Symmetra helps with restoration efforts after development in Roshani, India causes a tremor that damages a religious statue in a nearby temple. She meets with the character Zenyatta, who teaches her about his religion and helps her understand the statue's significance. As a result, rather than replacing it she uses yellow hard-light to repair it, giving it a warm glow and pleasing all involved.[14]
Initial gameplay and redesigns
In Overwatch, Symmetra was originally classified as a "Support" class character, meant to provide aid for her team. Her primary weapon, a Photon Projector, has two firing options. The primary fire will connect to an enemy while the trigger is held, doing continuous damage that increases the longer the beam connects. Enemies hit will remain tethered to the gun as long as they remain in the player's field of view. Meanwhile, the alternate fire option creates an explosive ball of energy. Holding the trigger will charge the shot, with the projectile size increased depending on the charge amount.[15]
Symmetra also has several abilities that required activation, though the first two have a "cooldown" period after use and are unable to be used again during that duration. The first, "Sentry Turret", creates a small turret that on the targeted surface, that fires a low-damage laser at enemies. Up to six turrets can be placed at once, and each lasts until destroyed or replaced with additional placements after the sixth, with the oldest turret replaced first. The second ability, "Photon Shield", creates a shield on the targeted ally that lasts until it absorbs a fixed amount of damage. Lastly, her "Ultimate" ability, called "Teleporter", requires to be charged before use. The ability charges slowly during the course of gameplay, and can be charged faster through damage dealt to the enemy team. Once full the ability can be activated to place down a teleporter that allows for immediate travel between it and the team's spawn point. The teleporter will work six times before it removes itself, and while active, Symmetra's Ultimate will not recharge.[16][17] During early development, the Teleporter ability required players to build a second teleporter for it to work; however, the team found this caused confusion in players and simplified it.[18]
In December 2016, Blizzard made significant changes to Symmetra's gameplay, addressing the limited applicability of the Teleporter ability by providing an alternative Ultimate option: "Shield Generator", which when placed provides a shield to all allies in its area of effect for its duration. Teleporter was also modified, now restoring health and providing a personal shield when used. Lastly, her "Photon Shield" ability was replaced with a "Photon Barrier" ability that when activated propelled forward and shield allies until it either collided with a wall or took enough damage.[19] A second rework came in June 2018, which increased the damage of her weapon's primary fire but removed its ability to auto-lock on targets, turrets would travel to their target area instead of being placed directly allowing them to damage enemies in their path, though the maximum number of turrets at one time was reduced. Lastly, her Teleporter was changed to a standard ability with a cooldown, and would be placed in front of her allowing for more strategic options. Lastly, Shield Generator was removed, while Photon Barrier took its place and was modified into a single, stationary shield wall that stretched across the entire map for fifteen seconds. Lastly, the character was reclassified as "Damage" class,[20] which in Overwatch 2 additionally provides her a short-term boost to her reload and movement speed after killing an enemy.[21]
Promotion and reception
To promote Overwatch and the character, she was one of twelve heroes showcased in a playable build of the game at the 2014
The character has been praised for her cultural representation, in particular by Victoria McNally for being a woman of Indian descent with a darker skintone, something she felt was uncommon in gaming,[25] Andrew Lu of Digit magazine also praised her, stating her design "combines the best of traditional Indian clothing with a hi-tech twist".[26] However, Saniya Ahmed for GameSpot noted that despite her presence in the game very little of her story or background was explored. Ahmed acknowledged that was partly due to the nature of the type of game Overwatch is, though felt in-game voice lines and external cinematics could still explore it further.[27] Shahryar Rizvi in an article for Kill Screen cited her Devi skin of the game utilizing less historical accuracy and more cultural appropriation. The article noted that while depictions of Hindu deities tended to come in multiple depictions, the design was a mishmash of various gods. In particular most of the influence was cited as coming from Kali, with Rizvi expression their belief that a god most commonly associated with being "a vicious slayer seems out of character for Symmetra’s lore as an architect and her in-game role".[28] Ryan Khosravi in an article for Mic noted player criticism of Symmetra's cultural portrayal, and voiced their own stating "Overwatch falls back on lazy stereotypes and Western-imposed nationalities." He further stated that Indian culture was misunderstood, and expressed his desire to see the country's complex culture and history expressed through Symmetra's character and language as Blizzard had done better with other characters in the franchise.[29] Guilherme Pedrosa Carvalho de Araújo and Gleislla Soares Monteiro in the Brazilian journal Revista Sistemas e Mídias Digitais on the other hand praised her cultural depiction, noting that the emphasis on her as a brilliant architect and lack of romantic attachment or focus on such as a departure from how Indian women are often portrayed in media.[30]
Symmeta's autism and Blizzard's handling of it has been more widely praised by fans and the media like.[31] Eurogamer's Laura Francis, herself a person of color on the autism spectrum, stating "Symmetra's inclusion in the game made me internally scream with huge delight." She added it was a refreshing change from portrayals such as The Big Bang Theory's Sheldon Cooper, and was extremely empowering to see a woman like her in a video game.[32] Clinical psychologist Alexander Kriss in an article for Kill Screen praised Blizzard for their subtlety towards it early on, something they felt was rare on the subject of mental health in mainstream media, and avoided making her a "poster child" for portrayals of autism in gaming. He further added that by quietly placing the detail in the comic, "Blizzard makes this aspect of Symmetra’s personality a part of who she is—without it reductionistically defining who she is." Additionally he appreciated that the character was not portrayed in a stereotypical fashion, having some expressed aspects but "'Rain Man' she is not", and it helped illustrate that there are varying degrees of autism and encouraged conversation regarding that instead of relying on one "typical" perception.[33] Andrew McMillen of Wired voiced similar sentiments, noting that as of 2017 Symmetra was one of only ten characters in gaming with the condition. He further expressed that the subtle approach Blizzard had taken to the character prevented her from feeling like "another TV special-style example of spectrum disorder", and that Blizzard helped challenge cultural narrative towards neurodiversity.[3]
As a game character in Overwatch, Symmetra was less warmly received, with USgamer and Kotaku noting her to traditionally be the least selected character.
References
- ^ a b c d Kaplan, Jeff (November 5, 2017). Overwatch Archives BlizzCon 2017. Archived from the original on June 2, 2023. Retrieved June 2, 2023 – via YouTube.
- ^ ISBN 9781506705538.
- ^ from the original on September 24, 2018. Retrieved August 5, 2018.
- ^ Hall, Charlie (November 7, 2014). "A guide to the first 12 characters in Blizzard's Overwatch". Polygon. Archived from the original on May 11, 2019. Retrieved August 6, 2018.
- ^ Marks, Tom (December 10, 2015). "How Blizzard is making up Overwatch's story as it goes". PC Gamer. p. 3. Archived from the original on August 6, 2018. Retrieved August 5, 2018.
- ^ Grubb, Jeff (March 9, 2017). "Overwatch director Jeff Kaplan confirms Symmetra is autistic". VentureBeat. Archived from the original on October 9, 2023. Retrieved October 8, 2023.
- ^ Zhang, Joshi [@ZhangJoshi] (September 30, 2022). "Hey everyone! Now that some of Symmetra's voice lines have FINALLY been made public, I am so excited to talk a bit about how I wanted to represent her autism more in subtle ways!! (Thread) ⬇️" (Tweet). Archived from the original on October 15, 2022 – via Twitter.
- ^ a b "Overwatch Cosplay Guide: Symmetra" (PDF). Blizzard Entertainment. 2015. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 10, 2023. Retrieved October 10, 2023.
- ^ Garcia, Ethan (June 12, 2022). "Overwatch 2 release trailer teases new designs for Ashe, Ana, D.Va, and Symmetra". Dot Esports. Archived from the original on October 9, 2023. Retrieved October 7, 2023.
- ISBN 9781506705538.
- ^ Fahey, Mike (July 16, 2016). "Hindu Leader Wants Blizzard To Drop Symmetra's Devi Skin From Overwatch". Kotaku. Archived from the original on August 13, 2018. Retrieved October 7, 2023.
- ^ "Symmetra - Overwatch". Blizzard Entertainment. Archived from the original on May 6, 2016. Retrieved October 10, 2019.
- ^ Robinson, Andrew (w), Cruz, Jeffery (a). "Symmetra: A Better World" Overwatch, no. 4 (May 13, 2016). Dark Horse Comics. Archived from the original on October 10, 2023. Retrieved on 2023-10-10.
- ^ a b Shepard, Kenneth (July 13, 2023). "Symmetra and Zenyatta Overwatch Finally Got Some Meaningful Lore in 2020". Fanbyte. Archived from the original on October 10, 2023. Retrieved October 10, 2023.
- ^ Martin, Matt (May 23, 2016). "Overwatch hero guide: Symmetra". VG247. Archived from the original on October 13, 2023. Retrieved October 10, 2023.
- Rock, Paper, Shotgun. Archivedfrom the original on July 26, 2018. Retrieved July 1, 2018.
- USgamer. Archived from the originalon June 8, 2017. Retrieved November 4, 2016.
- ^ Kaplan, Jeff (May 20, 2017). 5 Secrets about Overwatch's Support Heroes by Jeff Kaplan (Feat. Unseen Development Footage). IGN. Archived from the original on October 13, 2023. Retrieved October 11, 2023 – via YouTube.
- ^ Nunneley-Jackson, Stephany (November 22, 2016). "Symmetra is getting a redesign in Overwatch, starting with a second Ultimate Ability". VG247. Archived from the original on October 13, 2023. Retrieved October 11, 2023.
- ^ USgamer. Archived from the originalon August 7, 2018. Retrieved August 4, 2018.
- ^ Carr, Joey (October 19, 2022). "Overwatch 2 - Pharah Hero Guide". GameSpot. Archived from the original on October 20, 2022. Retrieved October 20, 2022.
- ^ Hall, Charlie (November 7, 2014). "A guide to the first 12 characters in Blizzard's Overwatch". Polygon. Archived from the original on September 12, 2016. Retrieved May 25, 2016.
- ISBN 9781506705538.
- ^ Copeland, Wesley (June 13, 2022). "All the New Overwatch Funko Pop Figures Revealed". IGN. Archived from the original on October 13, 2023. Retrieved October 11, 2023.
- ^ McNally, Victoria (March 6, 2015). "Overwatch Commits To Body Diversity With New Female Character Who Could Totally Bench Press You". The Mary Sue. Archived from the original on October 9, 2023. Retrieved October 7, 2023.
- ^ Lu, Andrew (March 24, 2023). "8 of the coolest Indian characters in video games". Digit. Archived from the original on October 9, 2023. Retrieved October 7, 2023.
- ^ Ahmed, Saniya (May 6, 2022). "Video Games Are Lagging Behind In South Asian Representation". GameSpot. Archived from the original on October 9, 2023. Retrieved October 7, 2023.
- ^ Rizvi, Shahryar (July 13, 2016). "There's something off about the Overwatch alternate skins". Kill Screen. Archived from the original on May 29, 2023. Retrieved May 28, 2023.
- ^ Ryan, Khosravi (February 27, 2017). "'Overwatch' gets a lot right about diversity, but totally fails with Symmetra". Mic. Archived from the original on October 9, 2023. Retrieved October 8, 2023.
- (PDF) from the original on October 12, 2023. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
- ^ Mulkerin, Tim (March 10, 2017). "'Overwatch' fans explain why Symmetra's autism matters to them". Mic. Archived from the original on October 10, 2023. Retrieved October 9, 2023.
- ^ Francis, Laura (February 13, 2019). "Character before condition - looking at gaming and autism representation". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on February 16, 2019. Retrieved February 15, 2019.
- ^ Kriss, Alexander (2018). "With Symmetra, Blizzard raises the bar on representing autism in games". Kill Screen. Archived from the original on August 13, 2018. Retrieved October 9, 2023.
- ^ a b c Grayson, Nathan (April 24, 2018). "Overwatch's Symmetra Mains Agree: The Problem Is Other Players". Kotaku. Archived from the original on July 5, 2018. Retrieved June 30, 2018.
- ^ D'Anastasio, Cecilia (December 13, 2017). "Top Symmetra Player's Overwatch Bans Won't Stop Him From Picking His Favorite Hero". Kotaku. Archived from the original on July 29, 2018. Retrieved July 1, 2018.
- ^ Grayson, Nathan (August 2, 2018). "Overwatch's Symmetra Mains Are Still Getting Hate, Even After Her Overhaul". Kotaku. Archived from the original on August 3, 2018. Retrieved August 4, 2018.
- ^ Andriessen, CJ (August 21, 2019). "Once Overwatch's least played character, Symmetra is now the game's 'It Girl'". Destructoid. Archived from the original on October 21, 2020. Retrieved August 21, 2019.
- ^ Grayson, Nathan (February 15, 2019). "Symmetra Makes Her First Real Appearance Ever In Overwatch League". Kotaku. Archived from the original on February 15, 2019. Retrieved February 15, 2019.
External links
- Media related to Symmetra at Wikimedia Commons