Summary
- Bethesda and Arkane Studios debut Marvel's Blade at The Game Awards 2023, potentially challenging Sony's domination of single-player Marvel games.
- With Arkane's distinct approach to game design, Marvel's Blade could bring a fresh and unique experience to the gaming world.
- While details are scarce, it's confirmed that Marvel's Blade will be a single-player, third-person game set in a fictionalized version of Paris, offering a new perspective on Arkane's immersive sim gameplay.
Bethesda and Arkane Studios revealed Marvel's Blade at The Game Awards 2023, and it looks like the game could loosen Sony's vice-grip on single-player Marvel games. With Blade being one of Marvel's edgiest and most unique characters, and with Arkane being known for its distinct approach to game design, many gamers are surely wondering just what Marvel's Blade will look like. Although information about the title is sparse, a few details have been confirmed.
Redfall-related blunders aside, Arkane Studios is renowned within the games industry for its instantly recognizable, immersive sim gameplay, which will hopefully appear in Blade. Notably, Blade is a character who has not made many appearances in the world of gaming, with his last stand-alone game being a PS2 tie-in for the movie Blade 2. Because the Blade franchise doesn't have much of a footprint in gaming, the possibilities for Marvel's Blade seem virtually endless, and it will be interesting to see how Arkane translates its iconic, emergent gameplay systems to this mostly untouched gaming IP.
All Features Currently Confirmed for Marvel's Blade
Arkane tackling another vampire game might seem like a bad omen, but it's likely that Blade will have very little in common with Redfall beyond a few key elements of its vampiric lore. There's plenty that can be assumed or inferred about Marvel's Blade, especially when considering the titular character's established personality and his penchant for cool-headed, straightforward problem-solving; it's likely that players will have access to both melee and ranged combat, leveraging Blade's martial arts skills and superhuman strength to take down foes. As far as concrete, confirmed details are concerned, though, there are just a few pieces of info to dissect.
The Setting of Marvel's Blade
Arkane has visited many different settings, from the subarctic islands of Blackreef in Deathloop to the spacefaring supership Talos 1 in Prey, but Blade looks to be going in a slightly different direction. Set in a fictionalized version of Paris, Blade seems to be taking a more grounded approach to its environment design, compared to the striking industrialism of Dunwall or the funky 1960s-infused streets of Blackreef. This real-world city will be the backdrop for Blade's story, which is being described as "mature" by Arkane developers.
Marvel's Blade Will Be a Single-Player Game
Although Arkane managed to put out a rather well-received multiplayer feature in Deathloop, the developer's stumbles with Redfall suggest that it may be better suited to single-player games, at least for the time being. Those disappointed by Arkane's last vampire-laden outing will be happy to learn that Marvel's Blade is set to be a single-player experience, with no real-time or asynchronous multiplayer elements being announced at the time of writing.
The Gameplay of Marvel's Blade
One of the most surprising pieces of information revealed about Blade is the fact that Arkane is developing it as a third-person game. This will be the first third-person game from the developer, whose immersive sims have, up to this point, followed genre convention by adopting a first-person perspective. This could very well be the best choice for the game, as Blade's acrobatic and agile nature would probably feel better to play from a third-person perspective, as is typically the case for action games. Either way, this shift could offer a new take on Arkane's classic gameplay staples—an exciting prospect for fans of the studio.
There are still plenty of questions surrounding Marvel's Blade. Though Arkane has described it as an immersive sim, the company's reluctance to fully embrace that genre with Redfall and, arguably, Deathloop, raises some questions about this description. Additionally, Arkane suffered from a significant loss of staff during Redfall's development, potentially throwing a wrench into the development of Blade. That said, with Arkane's pedigree and talent for single-player games, Marvel's Blade has a good chance of being, at the very least, an interesting experience.
- Developer(s)
- Arkane Studios
- Publisher(s)
- Bethesda Softworks
- Engine
- Void Engine
- Franchise
- Marvel
Marvel's Blade is in development at Arkane Lyon, which developed Deathloop and Dishonored. It is a mature single-player third-person adventure game set in Paris, where players take on the role of the titular and beloved comic book hero.
