Marvel is a franchise of many tastes – comics, books, television and more. Video games? That’s where the tricky, competitive part stirs up. While there are a few successful entries like Marvel’s Spider-Man and Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy, many fail to live up to fans’ hype and expectations for the quality you’d expect from Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).
On that note, Marvel is shifting up the gears with future projects – with games like EA’s Black Panther and Iron Man on their way. With the upcoming Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, it’s a good time to be a Marvel fan. The folks at MCU might just save their video game fandom, one triple-A title at a time.
Marvel is PAINFULLY aware of how their video games division hasn’t been reaching its potential overall.
— CanWeGetSomeToast (@CanWeGetToast) September 30, 2023
There have been whispers of an internal shift for Marvel to focus on games. The new EA Black Panther and Iron Man games will be the start of a push for something BIG. https://t.co/mFp2DQVYFH pic.twitter.com/AwSgGXMGTz
Marvel Games Deserve More… Much More
According to the Twitter user, video games are going to be in larger focus for Marvel going forward. Considering how much the video game industry is worth at the moment (more than $200 billion), it’s no surprise that gaming can be the ideal platform for Marvel to tell more stories. Rightfully in the context of MCU-esque quality and gameplay from studios like Insomniac Games.
In the past few years, the now-dormant state of Marvel’s Avengers was supposed to take Marvel games to a new height. After all, the game showed promise with the variety of characters, voice-over work and narrative direction that single-player games often struggle to be. Unfortunately, the game didn’t do well and Crystal Dynamics had to announce their disappointment in the form of heavily discounted pricing and live-support service halted altogether.
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The game did receive a bit of love – garnering the attention of hardcore MCU fans – but that was it. Beyond mediocre gameplay and run-of-the-mill storylines, the game didn’t have much to offer. If it weren’t for the Marvel IP, there may have been a chance where the game shone has its own individual entity. Yeah, heavy is the head that wears the crown.
So, what can be done? For starters, Marvel already has a solid list of games that have been doing exceptionally well. These can be case studies for games to come. Furthermore, investing in studios like Insomniac and Eidos-Montréal ensures that an IP is in good hands. Secondly, understanding what the community needs from a Marvel game is essential.
For instance, a pay-to-win or loot-box strategy might not be the most ideal way to churn out a narrative-based game with larger titles. Especially ones that focus on single-player and games with strong storylines, among side characters that grow on us.
Marvel Games We Can Look Forward To
We’ll have our hands on Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 soon, the much-awaited sequel to a modern classic. The same studio is also working on Marvel’s Wolverine, another beloved Marvel character to see the light of modern gaming. Another two heroes receiving triple-A treatments – Iron Man and Black Panther. These games are being developed by Motive Studio and Cliffhanger Games respectively.
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Based on the gameplay we’ve had from previous Marvel games, third-person action-adventure titles can be expected. Then again, gentle surprises like Marvel’s Midnight Suns, a strategy-based gameplay experience, are a great way to experience the MCU too. Regardless of what sub-genre it falls into, the MCU has enough characters to give us years’ worth of content.
What kind of games would you like to see from the MCU? Let us know in the comments.
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