Recently, gamers were treated to their first look at Skydance Interactive’s upcoming game,Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra. With animpressive debut story trailer, gamers got a glimpse into the playable characters, the setting of World War II Paris, and a less-than-friendly-looking meetup between Captain America and Black Panther.
The game is currently touted for release in 2025, though no concrete date has been confirmed. The game was announced in 2022 during a D23 showcase. The announcement confirmed that players would take control of four playable characters: Captain America, Black Panther and two new characters; a Howling Commando named Gabriel Jones, and Nanali, a Wakandan spy. Now that gamers have been treated to a deeper glimpse into the game’s aesthetic and characters, here’s what Marvel fans are hoping to see when the full title releases.
5A Strong Story
A Blockbuster Experience
Much like any narrative-driven video game, players hope that the story laid before them takes them on a journey filled with shocks, gasps, and unforgettable moments. That sort of experience isn’t unfamiliar when it comes to superhero games. Plenty ofMarvel and DC titles have featured excellent storiesthroughout the years.
Throwing the player into the shoes of not one, but four heroes, the game’s narrative has the chance showcase different viewpoints on the same central plot. Alternatively, the narrative route could follow several branching plot lines that come to a head in a spectacular finale. The gameplay could also be handled throughout those chapters. There is some worry among gamers who will want to spend game time playing as the superpowered Captain America and the Black Panther, over new characters Gabriel Jones and Nanali. Hopefully, Skydance Interactive recognizes that and centers the narrative around the beloved characters.
4Fun Gameplay
Superpowered Fun
There’s something special about playing as a fan-favorite hero. And now,1943: Rise of Hydrais giving gamers the chance for gamers to take the reins of not one, but two iconic Marvel superheroes. Both characters are nimble heroes, so the gameplay should embrace that trait.
That aspect may feel obvious. However, those who have played the live service gameMarvel’s Avengersmay be aware that there was a distinct clunky feeling to the game’s combat and traversal. DC’s villain shooter,Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice Leaguetook note ofthis and made improvements. Skydance Interactive will need implement the same awareness when building the gameplay of the two central heroes. Players will expect to take control of dexterous combatants, and expect fluid movement when maneuvering around the levels. From the trailer, it looks like the animation of the characters has captured that free-flowing feeling of movement. Still, there will be no certainty until some gameplay footage is released.
3Characters & World Explored
A Deep Dive Into 1940s Marvel
Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydratakes gamers back in time to an earlier Marvel universe. With that in mind, there’s a strong chance the team at Skydance Interactive has crafted an interesting and unique world. Hopefully, it will be a delight for fans to explore an earlier Marvel environment. There are already hints at that very aspect. Captain America acts in his period, and the Black Panther mantle belongs to Azzuri, the grandfather of T’Challa.
The big perk of an earlier time period means the game has the chance to showcase well-known characters in a whole new light, or show an interpretation of a World War II version of that character. One character fans might hope to see is the young version of the iconic X-Men antagonist, Magneto.The character has appeared in video gamesbefore. However, fans have never seen a child version of the character, caught in moments thatshape him into whohe would go on to become. There are other characters that fans will be hoping to show their faces, or at least get an off-the-cuff mention.Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydrahas the opportunity to build an intriguing universe that fans would want to come back to.
2A Great First Experience Over Forced Replayability
The First Time Is Special
Single-player narrative games seem to be a rarity these days, as plenty of games tend to go down the live service or open-world route. It’s refreshing to see a big superhero title take the narrative route, since this often tends to lead to abetter-paced and well-crafted story.
The key thing is that the game is built around the hero, rather than forcing a hero into a video game format that is popular at the time. Just because a game is packed with stuff to do or end-game content is dropped every other month, doesn’t mean it’s worth more than a perfectly paced and well-crafted narrative video game. Some of the best games out there deliver an amazing experience that puts gamers’initial run-through, front and center, and replay value second. As long asMarvel 1943: Rise of Hydrasticks to delivering fantastic gaming first and foremost, replayability will likely come about naturally from gamers wanting to leap back in and relive it all over again.
1HYDRA Villains
HYDRA is perhaps one of, if not the most well-known villain organizations in comic book history. The long-standing organization always has their grubby fingers in several world-dominating pies. SoMarvel 1943: Rise of Hydra, promising a look at the group’s early days, is an enticing premise for gamers and Marvel fans alike.
Alongside a plunge into a youthful HYDRA, this game should also include some of the morepowerful faces to work for the group. There’s plenty of hope that the likes of Baron Zemo, Arnim Zola, or lesser-known villains like Gorgon and Viper get a chance to strut their stuff. They could be included as compelling boss fights, or have a more prominent role in anchoring the direction of the plot.
As great as those villains are, the real villain fans hope to see will be Captain America’s nemesis and HYDRA leader Red Skull. It’s hard to imagine a Captain America tale that doesn’t include the villainous Nazi-affiliated Red Skull, especially with the game set during World War II. It should be a clear choice that the villain is pulling the strings, or at the very least teased in the plot for a sequel. It would be almost criminal for the famed villain not to appear at some point and sow some chaos.
