Eddie Brock, also known as the villain turned anti-hero Venom, is no stranger to video games. Since the 90s, Eddie has made many appearances in Marvel titles, such as Spider-Man and Venom: Maximum Carnage. The character is an especially common staple as a boss battle within Spider-Man adventures.
With Venom's immense popularity, it is genuinely surprising that he has yet to receive his own video game. This is especially true now, as the character is experiencing a surge in popularity with massive comic events such as King In Black and his own movie franchise. Due to this, Venom, more so than many other Marvel characters, deserves his own game.
2018's Spider-Man on PlayStation 4 features a post-credits scene that reveals the existence of the Venom Symbiote, this time attached to a comatose Harry Osborn. With the immense success of that game, Sony plans to capitalize with a shared universe of Spidey titles. So, Venom must be introduced in Spider-Man's sequel game before having his own adventures.
It is important to note that there is still no confirmation on whether Eddie Brock will appear in the sequel and become Venom as in the comics. At first glance, it appears Harry Osborn will be taking the role, as he does in the Ultimate Spider-Man cartoon. Several leaks indicate that it will indeed be Eddie, but only time will tell.
When predicting how a Venom-led game would play, an obvious first step would be to examine previous Spider-Man titles, as both characters feature some similar abilities. Eddie would likely utilize the same excellent web-swinging mechanics as 2018's Spider-Man when traversing the world, but when it comes to combat, the best inspiration can be taken from a completely unrelated series.
2009's Prototype has been commonly thought of as an honorary Venom game. Protagonist Alex Mercer is infected with a virus that grants him monstrous powers, allowing him to morph his body into various weapons such as claws, blades, fists, and tendrils. The character's move set is very similar to that of Marvel Symbiotes and does an excellent job at making the case for why a Venom game would be so much fun. Combining similarly weighty abilities with the slick traversal of Spider-Man would be a recipe for success.
Venom has many storylines and villains that would work perfectly within a video game. The most iconic and prominent of Eddie's rogues' gallery is Carnage, his spawn. Cletus Kasady would be an easy pick, most likely serving as the central antagonist and piggy-backing off of his appearance in the upcoming film, Venom: Let There Be Carnage. Various other Symbiotes such as Scream or Toxin would also make interesting choices, but Carnage is the best fit.
After King In Black, the Marvel comic universe has been rocked to the core by Knull, god of the Symbiotes. Venom's first solo game would be smart to plant the seeds for Knull's later arrival, as the character requires too much build-up to be satisfyingly realized in a single game. As the comic storyline first sees Carnage desperately trying to free Knull within Absolute Carnage, this could be an excellent opportunity to use Carnage as the game's main antagonist and also set up plot threads for the future.
A Venom game would allow players to use his vicious powers with reckless abandon to decimate those who would harm innocents. Unlike Spider-Man, Venom absolutely does kill, necessitating brutal combat and finishing moves. Similar games have proven hugely beloved in the past, such as Hulk: Ultimate Destruction and the aforementioned Prototype games. So, attaching a character as popular as Venom to such an experience is a recipe for success.
With the current popularity of Eddie's comic book run, the imminent release of his movie sequel, and Venom's innate popularity, now is the perfect time for a solo game. However, this possibility seems to be entirely dependent on where the sequel to 2018's Spider-Man leaves the character. Fans can only hope Insomniac Games also wants to use Venom to his fullest potential.