Bleeding Edge's new character is Mekko, a badass dolphin in a tank

In the vast annals of sci-fi history very few creatures are as prolific as the dolphin. There was the loveable Darwin on SeaQuest, Jones the world-class hacker in Johnny Mnemonic, and of course the “So long and thanks for all the fish” aliens from the Hitchhiker's Guide series just to name a few. Now, the team over at Ninja Theory is about to add their own adorable, yet deadly, chapter to the sci-fi dolphin dynasty with their latest playable character for Bleeding Edge, Mekko.

This normally sea-faring mammal has left the comfort of the oceanic depths to become one of the most badass fighters in Bleeding Edge. Mekko lives inside a mobile tank that resembles the Tachikoma from Ghost in the Shell. They are the first ranged tank to enter the fray in the game and they are made for holding your ground. While this cute but deadly character won’t be available until after the full game finally launches, I was fortunate enough to get some hands-on time with a PC build of Bleeding Edge to see what Mekko had to offer.

Unlike every other character in Bleeding Edge, Mekko doesn’t have an evade ability, but instead has a bubble shield that depletes over time. As enemies fire bullets into Mekko’s shield they’re absorbed and stored into bonus energy that can be used to buff their abilities. Along with the bubble shield, Mekko can throw out a life preserver to pull a teammate out of trouble, lay down an AoE damage buff, and a ramming attack. Mekko also has two super abilities for players to choose between before matches start: A sonic barrage attack that deals hefty damage and knocks back opponents, or the “exclusion bubble” that traps an enemy and renders them useless for a short amount of time.

Out of all the cool and unique characters in Bleeding Edge I think Mekko fit my playing style the most as someone used to playing a defensive tank role. Combining the bubble shield with the damage boost when trying to hold down a checkpoint became a double edged sword as I turned my opponents attacks into ability buffs while churning out boosted shots of my own back at them. Of course, in order to stay alive I had to take breaks to recharge my shield and get some health back from my support teammate, so it’s not like Mekko is immortal. It does strike me as a very well balanced character in a game chock-full of unique archetypes.

While Mekko won’t be available to play in the upcoming beta that starts on March 13 there are plenty of other cool characters for players to try out before their available, and your new dolphin pal will be coming to the game after it launches on Xbox One and PC. Bleeding Edge Beta and full game will also be available for folks who have an Xbox Game Pass.

Blake Morse

Events Coordinator

Blake has been writing and making videos about pop-culture and games for over 10 years now. Although he'd probably prefer you thought of him as a musician and listened to his band, www.cartoonviolencemusic.com. If you see him on the street, buy him a taco or something. Follow him on twitter @ProfRobot