Summary
A collaboration betweenElectronic Artsand Marvel was announced in October 2022, with the intention to develop ‘at least three’ new titles based on characters from the latter. The first project was revealed to be based on one of the most revered Avengers,Iron Man, and another based on Black Panther, which was announced in the summer, also promising a single-player story-driven experience from the third-person perspective.
When the Iron Man title was announced, a release fromElectronic Artssaid: “Developed in collaboration with Marvel, the Iron Man game will feature an original narrative that taps into the rich history of the character, channeling the complexity, charisma, and creative genius of Tony Stark, and enabling players to feel what it’s like to truly play as Iron Man.” The promise of an in-depth look at his character quirks sounds enticing. The third-person, action/adventure genre seems to parrot the best of EA’sStar Warsofferings, as the company only seemed to truly take advantage of the Lucas-founded property with Cal Kestis' fantastic tale.
Developed in collaboration with Marvel, the Iron Man game will feature an original narrative that taps into the rich history of the character, channeling the complexity, charisma, and creative genius of Tony Stark, and enabling players to feel what it’s like to truly play as Iron Man.
EA’s Star Wars Games Were Good, but Misguided
Star Warsis a franchise that provides endless possibilities. The science-fiction setting, the diverse characters, and the splicing of genres (be it the western influence ofThe Mandalorianor the more fantastical moments ofThe Last Jedi) make it one of the few franchises that can accommodate new, truly varied stories.Respawn’sJedi: Fallen OrderandJedi: Survivordid well to capture some of the charm with a singleplayer, story-driven experience that compliments the core series.
Black Panther will also appear in Skydance’s upcoming project with Captain America, withUnchartedwriter Amy Hennig attached to the project.
Cal Kestis' storyis by far the bestStar Warsoffering in the current games space, due in large part to the fact that it’s a character-focused affair.Battlefront, its sequel, andSquadronsprioritized action and found success in their gameplay, but in doing so, they didn’t truly captureStar Wars’ability to conjure great and memorable personalities. The deal between Electronic Arts andStar Warsbegan in 2013, and it can be argued that it took six years for the company to finally take advantage of the Disney-owned IP’s biggest strengths. WithMarvelbeing similarly structured, the same shouldn’t happen again.
Marvel’s Characters are Beloved
As has been evident in the comics for decades, as well asthe Marvel Cinematic Universe, the litany of heroes, villains, and everything in between are the heart and soul of the stories they front. Iron Man’s abilities aren’t interesting without knowing the man behind the engineering, and Black Panther’s personal story is more interesting than simply the things he can do. Some of the EA publishedStar Warsgames failed to put character development at the forefront, and plenty introduced new people to the lore instead of adapting those whom fans are already acquainted with.
InBattlefront, it felt likeStar Warswas used merely as a skin for a new first-person shooter that could have existed in any property.Jedi: Fallen Orderhad its fair share of issues, but was the first time it felt like its potential was being realized in gaming, and as Iron Man and Black Panther already have clear traits that make them fan-favorites, EA would do well to accentuate their personalities and use them as a primary driving force for the story.
