Summary
- Marvel's Blade game announcement at The Game Awards 2023 signals a potential shift towards a more mature and darker tone for Marvel games.
- The success of Insomniac's Spider-Man games highlights the typical Marvel tone, but the anticipation for Marvel's Wolverine and Blade shows that there is an appetite for more serious and gritty superhero experiences.
- Characters like Blade, Daredevil, and Moon Knight have the potential to fill the void for edgier Marvel games with nuanced storytelling and intense combat scenarios.
Rumors concerning an announcement from developer Arkane Studios at The Game Awards 2023 were rampant, but the studio still managed to shock audiences when it unveiled an upcoming game focused on Marvel’s Blade. While the vampire hunter is confirmed to be featured in an upcoming MCU film, Blade’s appearance in a standalone video game is an unexpected turn of events given how Marvel games generally have a lighter tone. Marvel’s Blade may not seem to fit into the current state of the greater brand, but another upcoming game shows that a more mature future could be in store for Marvel.
The reveal of a game centered on a character like Blade who has historically been portrayed as a violent hunter of creatures of the night seems somewhat out of place, but it coincides with the growing hype surrounding Marvel’s Wolverine by Insomniac Games. It may have been revealed back in 2021, but Wolverine has only become more relevant following the success of Insomniac’s recent outing in Spider-Man 2. With the serious tone established in both Wolverine and Blade’s trailers respectively, Marvel games could be seeing a new era defined by a darker approach.
An Era of Marvel Beyond Spider-Man's Family-Friendly Brand
Blade and Wolverine's Chance to Capture a Mature Audience
Marvel games in the more accessible tone of Insomniac’s Spider-Man titles are unlikely to stop coming, as their appeal to general audiences makes them a safe bet from a business perspective. The announcement of Wolverine and subsequently Blade, however, shows a willingness on Marvel’s part to take risks when it comes to darker IPs. Titles like the next Spider-Man are almost certain to bring in huge sales, but the likes of Blade could find a more niche, but dedicated fanbase among older gamers.
Marvel's Lack of Edge Has Created a Void
The exploration of a new plot concerning the Venom symbiote brought some heavier moments to Spider-Man 2, but the game still ultimately falls into a typical Marvel tone that has been popularized by the MCU films. Peter Parker faces moral conflict in a way that pushes Yuri Lowenthal’s performance to a more violent place, but it never quite reaches the depths of Marvel’s more street-level properties. Attempts like Marvel’s Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy didn’t meet the lofty expectations of their general audience appeal, but the passion some fans have for edgier characters could bring a new form of success.
Street-Level Marvel Characters Are Prime for Future Games
The Untapped Potential of Heroes like Daredevil
While the likes of the Avengers have gotten pushed more than ever in recent years, fan outcry for less-publicized characters has only built up over time. Daredevil has appeared in No Way Home and She-Hulk through what was likely popular demand, and a game centered around the blind hero could find a place in the empty Arkham niche. Similarly mature characters like Moon Knight, Luke Cage, and The Punisher have had their reputations boosted in their own series on streaming platforms, and these IPs are all capable of carrying their games if handled by the right studio. They would fit right in with games like Wolverine and Blade, making them seem much more likely now than they did six months ago.
Mature Stories Can Take Advantage of the Medium of Gaming
The intense violence found in the world of heroes such as Moon Knight and Daredevil can naturally translate well into engaging combat scenarios, but there’s also a chance to represent the darker side of Marvel’s lore through gameplay. Spider-Man 2’s grand scenario leaves little room for player choice in its linear narrative, but the moral grey areas occupied by street-level characters can open up new routes for nuanced storytelling. It’s hard to imagine the noble Miles Morales facing a lot of internal conflict on a mature level, but a character like Logan could easily bring a violent twist to resolving situations. Only time will tell what approach Blade and Wolverine will take as more is revealed about them, but Marvel seems committed to approving an edgier direction.
Marvel's Spider-Man 2
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 88 /100 Critics Rec: 91%
- Released
- October 20, 2023
- ESRB
- T For Teen Due To Blood, Drug Reference, Mild Language, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Insomniac Games
- Publisher(s)
- Sony Interactive Entertainment
WHERE TO PLAY
Spider-Men Peter Parker and Miles Morales face the ultimate test of strength inside and outside the mask as they fight to save the city, each other and the ones they love, from the monstrous Venom and the dangerous new symbiote threat.
Explore an expansive Marvel’s New York with faster web-swinging and the all-new Web Wings, quickly switching between Peter and Miles to experience different stories, epic new abilities and high-tech gear.
Wield Peter’s symbiote abilities and Miles’ explosive bio-electric powers in battle against new and iconic Marvel Super Villains – including an original take on a symbiote-infused Venom, the ruthless Kraven the Hunter, the volatile Lizard, and more from the Marvel Rogues’ Gallery.
- Franchise
- Spider-Man
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, PC
- Genre(s)
- Open-World, Action-Adventure, Superhero
- How Long To Beat
- 17 hours
- Metascore
- 90
- PS Plus Availability
- N/A
