Many of us felt the virtual breeze, streaking across the New York skyline as the beloved web-slinger in last year’s PS4-exclusive entry, Marvel’s Spider-Man. It is, perhaps, the single greatest Marvel game we have seen thus far. With the talent of Insomniac Games at the helm, it became immediately clear that true fandom was poured into every nook and cranny of this game. Peter’s journey was joyful and heart-wrenching all at once. The visual design and swelling orchestral score were brilliant. The entire experience honored Spidey’s legacy. But most importantly, Insomniac perfectly adapted the feeling of Spider-Man in action – just the way we’ve probably all imagined.
Spidey has had his chance in the video game sun on countless occasions for better and worse. This may come as a shock, but Marvel is not a one-trick pony. There are countless heroes under its banner. So, let’s take a look at three Marvel games that have been confirmed, and seven heroes who desperately need the video game adaptation they truly deserve.
10 10. Rumored: Guardians Of The Galaxy
We couldn't classify this one as confirmed, but a Guardians of the Galaxy game has long been rumored to be in development at Eidos Montreal. This rumor dates back to 2017, around the time when Square Enix confirmed the Avengers game that was in development at Crystal Dynamics. Kotaku reported sources claiming that Eidos Montreal, most notably known for the Deus Ex series, is taking on the project. In the same breath, Kotaku stated that the Deus Ex series was being put on a hiatus indefinitely to add fuel to the rumor.
This still remains in “rumor” status as the project has yet to be actually confirmed by Square Enix or Eidos Montreal. Telltale Games did release an episodic story-driven adventure for the Guardians a couple of years ago. But if this more recent rumor is a go, the Mass Effect series from EA could be an interesting template for certain mechanics that worked well in an interstellar action game.
9 9. Hopeful: Deadpool 2
The first Deadpool game didn’t receive the attention that it deserved. But let’s be honest, the gameplay itself was a rather mediocre action affair. The joy of this game was witnessing the story and laughing at Deadpool’s antics throughout. The character followed a more comics-accurate portrayal showcasing the character’s insanity while he talked to the voices in his head. Who needs a sidekick for a fun conversation? A sequel could be appropriate, but with Marvel shifting the license away from Activision for other titles, that’s unlikely. However, a new title altogether would still garner excitement. If the gameplay action could be as refined and smooth as Spider-Man (2018) or any of the Arkham games, the character could be a stellar entry to the Marvel video game library.
8 8. Confirmed: The Avengers Project
An Avengers game is on the way from Crystal Dynamics. That is the only thing we know of this title. Release date/window, gameplay mechanics, or even a screenshot haven’t been unveiled at this time. But the potential for this title is off the charts for Marvel fans. It’s widely assumed that such a game might make the core Avengers roster such as Iron Man, Thor, and Captain America playable characters. Crystal Dynamics is no stranger to third-person action games with the rebooted Tomb Raider series. They definitely have the pedigree to handle these legendary characters. But, what’s important is to ensure the gameplay is dynamic and fluid while exploiting the best elements of these heroes’ skillsets. I have to imagine that a Tomb Raider-esque world for an Avengers title would be pretty stellar.
7 7. Hopeful: The Punisher
The Punisher games of the past have been diluted to cheap, silly repetitive action titles. Fans envision the Punisher being able to take on more complex scenarios than just running and gunning. A game revolving around the Punisher could have a rich story with twists and turns, while being able to employ gameplay that is dynamic and progression-based. Frank Castle could develop new tactics and equipment throughout the game to vary his engagement strategies. The game should still be a third-person action/shooter, but perhaps the game could leverage player agency by allowing players the ability to choose tactical strategy ranging from stealth to utilizing an enemy-tagging system akin to the Tom Clancy games that provide a more focused shoot-out strategy.
6 6. Hopeful: Agent Venom
Thinking back to The Darkness and the two games released during the last console generation for that property, it’s easy to see how a Venom game could work. What made those two games so thrilling is that Jackie Estacado was possessed by The Darkness that operated as a separate entity. While he could harness the powers of the demon, the story saw Jackie quarreling with the entity and even constrained by it when Jackie wasn’t meeting its expectations.
It created an interesting power struggle that made for a killer story, interesting dialogue, and changes in gameplay. A game featuring Flash Thompson from a first-person shooting perspective could also harness the powers of the symbiote to carry out operations. If you the game focused on a relationship between Flash and Venom, it’s not difficult to see an addictive game with an incredible narrative built out of this.
5 5. Confirmed: Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order
Here is a game that we do know much more about. The title will be exclusive to the Nintendo Switch console making it playable on the go – a highlight of the hybrid Nintendo console. If you’ve ever played Ultimate Alliance or Ultimate Alliance 2, you already know what to expect from Ultimate Alliance 3. A drop-in/drop-out co-op system will enable up to 4 players to assemble a team to play through this story, much in the same way as the previous titles.
The roster to select from is rather large with the Guardians of the Galaxy and other heroes made popular by the films such as Captain Marvel joining the lineup. The story seems to also pull from a popular one at the moment – the heroes racing to stop Thanos from using the infinity stones to bring about a catastrophe. Look for Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3 to hit the shelves in stores on July 19.
4 4. Hopeful: Doctor Strange
The Sorcerer Supreme actually received somewhat of a shout-out in Marvel’s Spider-Man. In the game, players can take Spidey for a quick jaunt down Bleecker Street to find the iconic residence of Doctor Strange, the Sanctum Sanctorum. Insomniac Games teased us with this Marvel landmark and now it only makes sense to bring Doctor Strange on board – preferably in his own game.
Of course, we know that Insomniac Games has no say over the matter. But if the powers that be would listen to reason, it’s easy to see how walking the colorful and bizarre grounds of other realms and having access to a host of magical abilities would make for an engaging and entertaining experience. A third-person adventure wading into the lore behind Stephen Strange and his mystical abilities is something that would be on every Marvel and gaming fan’s radar.
3 3. Confirmed: Iron Man VR
Last month, Sony unleashed its new State of Play video series for sharing news and upcoming content for the PlayStation 4 console. Iron Man VR made its debut here with a flashy teaser trailer. Granted the trailer didn’t show any actual gameplay footage, but it used the HUD (heads-up display) as seen through Tony's eyes in the films to showcase the action at points. The game will likely be seen from this perspective similar to the first-person angle we were given in Arkham VR with Batman. Whether the game will be more like a rail-shooter as Iron Man sticks to auto-pilot while we blast enemies on the screen is still to be seen. But it is a likely possibility given what we’ve seen from VR content recently. Let’s just hope that the title really presents the thrill of jetting through the sky in an Iron Man suit without any nausea!
2 2. Hopeful: Black Panther
Despite his lengthy comic book history, T’Challa only really slashed his way into the hearts of the world in early 2018 when he received his first feature-length film. Just ask any would-be box office contender, he’s a formidable adversary. Despite his simple design and typical action plan, a video game featuring the king of Wakanda might be more layered than one might expect. Shuri is the answer to a successful video game operation. One major aspect that contributed to the success of games like Batman: Arkham Asylum and Marvel’s Spider-Man were the gadgets that kept the combat from feeling repetitive. More gadgets were added to the hero’s arsenal as the narrative progressed. Shuri could ensure that Black Panther had a revolving door of that beautiful Wakandan technology at his disposal.
1 1. Hopeful: Captain America
Cap has already been pixelated on the 16-bit platform '90s kids know as the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. He’s also received a 3D-rendered iteration on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. However, this game wasn’t a carefully-crafted entry envisioning Cap’s fight against the Red Skull in the way that comic fans expect after seeing titles like the Insomniac Spider-Man game. It was simply made to quickly release alongside the movie for maximum commercial exposure.
Captain America, however, has the potential for one of the most impactful and narratively driven single-player experiences. We’ve had plenty of military shooters over the years, especially based in World War II. However, this is a game that could span several years offering a variety of experiences. Missions could pose morally taxing dilemmas that force players to weigh the odds and make their own choices. Ultimately, the game could offer a tree-branch narrative that evolves as players make choices – a trend that seems to be popular among single-player titles these days.