Summary
Bethesda and Arkane Studios revealedMarvel’s Bladeat The Game Awards 2023, and it looks like the game could loosen Sony’s vice-grip on single-player Marvel games. WithBlade being one of Marvel’s edgiestand most unique characters, and with Arkane being known for its distinct approach to game design, many gamers are surely wondering just whatMarvel’s Bladewill 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 inBlade. 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 movieBlade 2. Because theBladefranchise doesn’t have much of a footprint in gaming, the possibilities forMarvel’s Bladeseem 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 gamemight seem like a bad omen, but it’s likely thatBladewill have very little in common withRedfallbeyond a few key elements of its vampiric lore. There’s plenty that can be assumed or inferred aboutMarvel’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 inDeathloopto the spacefaring supership Talos 1 inPrey, butBladelooks to be going in a slightly different direction. Set in a fictionalized version of Paris,Bladeseems 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 forBlade’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 inDeathloop, the developer’sstumbles withRedfallsuggest 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 thatMarvel’s Bladeis 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 aboutBladeis 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 onArkane’s classic gameplay staples—an exciting prospect for fans of the studio.
There are still plenty of questions surroundingMarvel’s Blade. Though Arkane has described it as an immersive sim, the company’s reluctance to fully embrace that genre withRedfalland, arguably,Deathloop, raises some questions about this description. Additionally, Arkane suffered from a significantloss of staff duringRedfall’s development, potentially throwing a wrench into the development ofBlade. That said, with Arkane’s pedigree and talent for single-player games,Marvel’s Bladehas a good chance of being, at the very least, an interesting experience.
Marvel’s Blade
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.
