Walter is a survivor in Sunset Overdrive. He acts as a guiding father-figure and mentor to the Player in the early missions of the game. He was the head of Fizzco security before they went fully automated.
Plot[]
The Master of Badass Entrances[]
Mentor, leader, and all-around badass.
Walter is the man. You know what the first thing he did in this game? He saved your ass from a Herker. You know what the second thing he did? He saved your ass again. Think of Clint Eastwood crossed with Chuck Norris, with Bruce Willis' hair cut. Or an apocalyptic Santa Claus mixed with a gun-toting Old Man from the Legend of Zelda. Getting the picture? Good.
Never without his AK-FU and bushy white beard, Walter is here to kick the Player out of the darkness of their gross, tapped-out hide-out and into the colorful world that is Sunset Overdrive. What's more, he's willing to take you under his metaphorical wing and train you into becoming the kickass, OD-killing, styles-for-miles hero that you've always known yourself to be. Well, you know, after having worked that crappy FizzCo janitor job and Sunset City turning into a rainbow-barf-version of Raccoon City. And don't worry, being bald is not a requirement.
But how did this old man survive this drink-driven epidemic? Well, just like you, Walter was also a FizzCo employee - the head of their security, ironically enough - but two years ago, he and all of his men were replaced by FizzCo technology. Walter remained in Sunset City, however, which led to him being trapped during the OverCharge apocalypse. FizzCo couldn't afford letting the world know that their newest and most expensive product turned people into monsters, after all, thus - in a typical villainous fashion - the company decided to silence everyone who worked or lived in Sunset City by placing its inhabitants in quarantine. With everyone thinking the city underwent an epidemic, it was safe to assume no help was coming. So, Walter, already having a big chip on his shoulder for being booted from the company, decided that his former place of occupation needed a like-wise kick in the pants. With the resolution to leave his home, if only to reveal to the world what FizzCo had done to Sunset City, Walter teamed up with Floyd in the aftermath of the devastation to figure out a way to escape.
"They're All Yours, Kid"[]
Before one becomes the Karate Kid to Walter's Mr. Miyagi, you have to prove yourself first. Every game needs tutorials, after all, right? Except Walter's tutorials are more like a lion throwing its cub into an ocean of piranhas - and sorry, you're not the lion.
"Hey dead guy - what am I in for here?"
Take Walter's crowbar (insert sexual innuendo and/or Legend of Zelda joke here) and defend yourself using melee attacks. Then, grind, bounce, and vault your way to the basketball court to get your second weapon, the High Fidelity. Walter will warn you that he's tried to train others before you in the 17 days that you've been hiding out after the night of the apocalypse, but obviously things didn't turn out well - he left one of his dead lion cubs in the middle of the court to show you he means business.
Prove yourself again, using your grinding and bouncing skills, and Walter should invite you to join him at your very first base - the Agua Mofeta Brewery. During your journey there, Walter explains to the Player that FizzCo has complete control of the city to cover up their newest product's side effects by claiming everyone inside is dead from a virus, effectively cutting off Sunset City from the rest of the world. Once at the Brewery, he introduces you to two new characters: Two-Hat Jack and Floyd.
Unfortunately, you don't have much time to make yourself acquainted, as some Scabs have decided to invade your base. Time to defend your new home, Player! After facing those nasty OD, you should be pro enough to take out some humans, right? Think again! They're even more deadly than the OD, since they can shoot you down with almost pinpoint accuracy if you're not using your acrobatic skills to avoid their gunfire, and melee attacks aren't as effective - yet. As long as you're nimble and follow Floyd's advice, you should do just fine, because just like Walter's last two tests, he expects you to glide through this challenge solo. Finish this, and Walter will pass you off to Floyd so he can work on his own shit on the overpass.
"What a Fuck Up"[]
After helping Floyd with some new Amps, Walter will invite you to come join him on the broken overpass for a surprise. On the way there, though, it turns out that Walter's secret project has attracted some very unwanted attention - Scabs. Just as when you defended the base, make sure to grind up above and take advantage of the multitude of broken cars that are just so convenient to bounce on. You also have luck on your side as a disembodied voice (The Announcer) decides to give you a freebie: enjoy FOUR levels of style for 60 seconds, and use it to demolish those dicks that're pestering poor Walter. With the death of the final Scab, your tutorial is completed. Well done, lion cub.
"What a fuck up."
Walter's pretty impressed with you at this point, so he wants to show you what he's been working on: a glider. Flimsily put-together and sitting on an equally-flimsy launcher, the glider is Walter's last hope of getting out of the city and putting the nail in FizzCo's coffin. He just needs to do some finishing touches and it should be all complete, which is why he needs you - you need to lift up the glider for him to get to the hard bits. Awwww.
The short-lived father-offspring moment is cut off when some OD show up, ready to tear the both of you apart. Walter needs you to keep holding up the glider, but as the OD pounce, the Player is forced to let go and shoot them instead. You turn to get a well-deserved thanks from the old man when you hear a large crash, and both you and Walter stare down at the wreckage of the glider. It's smoking, by the way, just to add insult to injury.
"Can't You See Me Smiling?"[]
Great. How the fuck are you going to get out of the city now, 'idgit? Well, Floyd eases your fears as he suggests helping rebuild that glider, and Walter's faith in you, by finding a replacement propeller. Time to the head to the Crown Blades factory near the waterfront, which leads you to finding your new (unintentional) fan boy and friend, Sam.
Ally yourself with the first faction in the game, The Oxfords, and get yourself that really neat propeller. Along the way, you'll also meet Buck National, who has his own television show that he wants you to star in. Think Chuck Greene, except you don't have a motorcycle. Fun times ensue. (If you want to know what happens, go check out Sam's and Buck's page, this is Walter's page after all.)
Death
Just when you think you're home free, Walter saves your ass from crashing into an invisible Fizzco wall. Walter sees a pigeon disintegrate when it hits the wall. Walter then pushes you out of the glider barely saving your life. But unfortunately Walter didn't have enough time to save himself as he dies along with the glider as it crashes into the invisible wall and explodes.