The future for Marvel games certainly looks like a bright one. Insomniac Games is hard at work on its Marvel’s Spider-Man sequel and Marvel’s Wolverine, with fans having high expectations for both PlayStation exclusives. Amy Hennig’s Marvel project has a lot of potential, as does the upcoming Marvel MMO from Dimensional Ink Games. With Marvel’s Avengers still getting content, Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy successful enough to deserve a sequel, and Marvel’s Midnight Suns covering a fresh genre, all kinds of gamers have some Marvel content to look forward to.
However, given how popular the Marvel brand is at the moment, it would not be surprising if even more games were announced and released over the next several years. While there are strong cases to be made for games based on Doctor Strange and Black Panther, a project focused on Captain America could work just as well. With potential for powerful storytelling, standout gameplay, and various settings, a lot can be done with a game that takes a close look at the man behind the shield.
How A Standalone Captain America Game Could Work
While Captain America has a prominent role in Marvel’s Avengers and has featured in games that bring several heroes together like Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3, his solo outings have been extremely limited. 2011’s Captain America: Super Soldier was the only modern, AAA release for the hero, and while it was better than some other MCU tie-in games, much more can be done with the character.
From a story perspective, a Captain America game could follow a few different paths, but the most interesting one of all would see every era of the hero covered. The first act of a hypothetical, Cap-led game could cover his origin story, with players seeing him injected with the Super Soldier Serum and experiencing his battles during World War 2. A second act could focus on modern day Cap, highlighting his encounters with Winter Soldier and adapting iconic storylines like The Death of Captain America. A third act could see Steve’s shield being passed on to Sam Wilson, allowing players to control a new version of the hero.
By spanning across a few different eras, the game would be set up to have some varied gameplay. Players could face off with Hydra across three different time periods, with the villains getting new leadership, outfits, and technology as the story progresses. This would allow the game to increase in difficulty naturally, with Hydra’s stronger technology making sense due to the passing time. From the bloody warzones of World War 2 to the cities of the present day, gamers would have diverse settings to battle through. An upgrade tree for Cap could unlock new tricks for his shield, opening additional combo abilities. With such a storied history, there are plenty of opportunities for unlockable suits, too.
Another opportunity that a Captain America game could capitalize on is Steve Rogers’ various partners. In the first act set in the past, Steve’s sidekick Bucky Barnes could tag along. The second, modern day act could introduce Falcon as Steve’s partner, while the third act could feature a Falcon and Winter Soldier team-up just like the MCU. While co-op could be possible, these characters could also be AI companions like in the Uncharted series. Another possibility would let players take control of them in certain sections, similar to Miles Morales and MJ in Marvel’s Spider-Man. Being able to fly around as Falcon or wield Winter Soldier’s metal arm seems too good to pass up on, as do the potential team-up finishers between the various characters.
Lastly, if a Captain America game spanned across Cap’s entire career of heroism, there would be several opportunities to tell an impactful story. Strong writers could show the similarities and differences between 1940s and present-day America, highlighting areas where the country still needs to improve. With a character like Captain America, it is impossible not to get political, so leaning into relevant topics would be essential. Considering how much potential a Captain America game has from a narrative standpoint, and how fun it would be to play, hopefully a project led by the character becomes a reality one day.
