Venom is one of the most popular villains in the Marvel universe, and in recent years, he has started to reach a new level of prominence. Though some feel they did not do the character justice, and neither film excelled from a critical perspective, both Venom movies made plenty of money, ensuring that the character has become truly mainstream. Soon, he will be entering into a big video game role as a primary antagonist in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, which could set the stage for his own game.
One of the most brilliant aspects about the first Marvel’s Spider-Man game was how it set up Miles Morales, who served as a side character before going on to lead his own game a few years later. Perhaps this same approach will be taken with Venom, as his story could end in a place that sets him up to be the protagonist of his own spin-off. It is easy to imagine the “Be Greater” and “Be Yourself” taglines followed up with something like “Be Monstrous,” though the game could surprise players by using the classic Venom form sparingly.
Balancing Monster Gameplay With a Smarter Venom
Venom has flipped between villain and anti-villain status regularly throughout his history in the comics, and the character has had a few different hosts as well. Though Eddie Brock and Peter Parker are the most iconic, and Harry Osborn is seemingly set to join the lineup in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, Flash Thompson is another prominent host for the symbiote. Peter’s former high school bully has an interesting story tied to the alien parasite, and one that could be worth exploring in a video game format.
Flash Thompson joined the military after high school, and eventually, he was injured in battle, something that led to both of his legs being amputated. Fortunately for Flash - or unfortunately depending on one’s perspective - the US government was working on a program involving the symbiote. Flash was recruited for said program, eventually merging with the symbiote, which restored his legs. From there, he began carrying out missions and took on the name Agent Venom. With a solo comic series providing some interesting topics to pull from, this take on Venom could give Insomniac a unique angle for the character that most casual fans are likely unfamiliar with.
Given his military background, it is no surprise that Agent Venom wields guns alongside his usual Symbiote powers, which could add a lot of depth to the character’s combat. Additionally, a consistent plot point is that the longer Agent Venom goes without properly maintaining the Symbiote, the more unhinged he becomes, turning into the classic monster version of the character. This could be an excellent game mechanic, with players having a rage meter like Miles Morales’ electricity attacks that allows them to briefly transform into the classic Venom.
There could also be a morality system worked into the mix, as players could maintain Venom form by consuming people like in the classic game Ultimate Spider-Man, though each person eaten could be a hit to Flash’s sanity and the hypothetical morality bar. Having multiple endings depending on how well players can control themselves would be interesting, with an evil ending forcing the Spider-Men or even Insomniac’s version of Wolverine to take down Agent Venom and a good ending making Flash an ally. This would surely encourage replayability, as players who want to let loose and be as evil as possible could do so safely in another playthrough.
A Venom game like Hulk: Ultimate Destruction could absolutely be fun, but it would be a bit of a wasted opportunity for a studio as talented as Insomniac. Flash’s journey from a bully to a war hero to a character struggling to do good is a great one, and gameplay wise, Agent Venom can simply provide more than the original form of the character. Players could have a military third-person shooter in some aspects and a monster sim in others, swapping between the two forms of combat regularly. Hopefully, if the Venom Symbiote leaves Harry at the end of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, it finds its way into the hands of the military - and by extension, Flash Thompson.