Marvel Games Might Be Moving Away From One Prolonged Trend

The next slate of Marvel superhero games will likely stay away from one popular design trend, as games that follow this trend have not been performing very well either critically, financially, or both. To maintain profitability and brand superiority, Marvel could choose to instead double-down on the creative direction of its best-selling games, such as Marvel’s Spider-Man 2.

Upcoming Marvel games built around characters like Wolverine have a good chance to be the status quo for quite some time, as solo adventures seem to be resonating with gaming audiences more than the team-up stories that are so prominent in modern superhero-based films and TV series. Indeed, when discussing the biggest superhero gaming flops, titles like Marvel’s Avengers, Suicide: Kill the Justice League, and Gotham Knights are often the first to crop up, with all three games suffering from both poor reviews and disappointing sales. Even ensemble superhero games that landed well with critics, like Guardians of the Galaxy and Marvel’s Midnight Suns, haven’t sold as well as publishers were likely hoping. This could turn the tides further in favor of solo superhero adventures.

Why Marvel Might Be Bearish About Pursuing Superhero Team-Up Games

Even well-designed superhero ensemble games like Guardians of the Galaxy have struggled to meet sales expectations, and the reasons behind this are somewhat unclear. Some have speculated that Marvel’s Avengers, with its technical issues and problematic monetization, poisoned the well when it comes to superhero team-up games. There could be some truth to this, as the recent Suicide Squad game certainly repeats many of the same mistakes as Avengers, possibly confirming the suspicions of apprehensive consumers.

The success of the MCU may have also had a negative impact on these sorts of team-up games. Audiences have been inundated with superhero ensembles for over a decade, with both Marvel and other studios attempting to recapture the fanfare and novelty of 2012’s Avengers film. After so many years of this, team-up superhero games like Suicide Squad and Avengersmay not have the same appeal to general audiences, who may be looking for more straightforward, focused stories and gameplay.

Single-Hero Games Have Been More Successful for Marvel

When it comes to contemporary superhero games, it’s hard to argue that any studio has seen more consistent success than Insomniac Games. The three Marvel’s Spider-Man games have all performed spectacularly in terms of both sales and critical acclaim, paving the way for future releases like Marvel’s Wolverine and Arkane’s promising Blade game. These games are all built around a single hero, and are no doubt looking to recreate the sense of immersion and fantasy-fulfillment inherent in the Spider-Man games, where the story and gameplay work in tandem to create a coherent, polished gaming experience. These games may appeal to players more than those featuring multiple heroes, as there’s less of a chance that gameplay mechanics and narrative can be equally strong and diverse across multiple playable characters.

Comparing the success of the Marvel’s Spider-Man games to the likes of Marvel’s Avengers might make the decision to avoid ensemble superhero games seem like a no-brainer. However, the Marvel brand could be missing some opportunities, as there is definitely potential in games featuring teams like the X-Men and the Fantastic Four. Of course, there’s nothing inherently wrong with the concept of a Marvel game with an ensemble cast, as long as it is well-crafted and motivated by more than pure profit.