The upcoming turn-based tactical game Empire of Sin is a pretty big deal, as its coming from famed developer Brenda Romero with her husband John Romero — one of the most iconic game developers in the medium — working on a few different aspects of the game. Empire of Sin also features a bevy of interesting characters, but one stands out more than others.
A video released today details the backstory of Elvira Duarte, who just so happens to be based on John Romero's great-grandmother. "She used to walk around with this green parrot on her shoulder and smoke cigarettes," Romero says, "and basically tell jokes with the parrot answering her, all in Spanish." If that wasn't enough, Elvira ran three brothels for about two decades — that is until she won the lottery, sold the brothels, and retired.
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It was Brenda Romero's idea to include Elvira in the game, citing her love of Elvira as a larger than life figure and a badass woman. It also helped that Elvira ran the brothels in the 1920s, as it made her a perfect fit for Empire of Sin thematically. It doesn't appear that Elvira will rock the parrot, but the character seems interesting nonetheless.
Elvira will have a special ability called "Devil's Breath," which allows players to take control of an enemy unit for three turns, after which the enemy dies. Elvira is modeled after John Romero's grandmother Soccorro, one of real-life Elvira's nine children. All around, she seems like one of the best video game characters of the past few years, helped in large part by the fact that she's based on a real woman.
The Romero's inclusion of her in Empire of Sin is also pretty heartwarming, especially when combined with the fact that she's also honoring Soccorro. It isn't the first time something like this has happened, Skyrim Grandma Shirley Curry will be in Elder Scrolls 6, but it's still a good way for the Romero's to honor their ancestors.
There's still quite a bit of time before Empire of Sin is available, but it is one of the most-anticipated games of the year for some.
Empire of Sin is currently in development.