Highlights
- DC should consider branching out into other genres, such as tactical RPGs, to bring a fresh and unexpected change of pace to its gaming lineup.
- Using the Justice League, Teen Titans, or other DC characters in a tactical RPG would allow players to spend ample time with multiple characters and provide a strategic, mental challenge that some gamers prefer.
- DC needs to embrace variety in order to survive and maintain a steady foothold in the gaming industry, instead of sticking to the third-person action/adventure format that has become the norm for superhero games.
Finding firm and consistent success in gaming can be a difficult achievement, even for the biggest of creative companies. While the Marvel Cinematic Universe is showing no signs of stopping and James Gunn's DCU is starting to develop, the pair of comic titans haven't done as well in gaming over the years. Film tie-ins were the norm for what seemed like decades for Marvel and DC, but in recent years, superheroes are finally starting to get a fair shake.
DC has an impressive slate of upcoming and recently released games, though this hasn't been without fault. A 2023 Suicide Squad title has been delayed into 2024, and Gotham Knights didn't live up to its potential. Wonder Woman could reset the course towards something positive, but there are other ways that DC can succeed. Branching out into other genres could be a viable and brave way to do this, and one format could be the most primed of all: a DC game akin to Marvel's Midnight Suns.
Tactics RPGs can Help DC Take the Fight to Marvel
Tactical RPGs went through a period of obscurity, but games like Fire Emblem: Three Houses, XCOM: Enemy Unknown, and Triangle Strategy have proved that the genre still has a lot to give. They allow players to spend ample time with plenty of characters, and instead of being reactive like action-based games can be, they are strategic, giving gamers who prefer a mental challenge to overcome an adversary something to enjoy. Marvel has used the philosophy to great effect with Marvel's Midnight Suns, and while that game doesn't have the same legacy as Insomniac's Spider-Man, it gained a following of players who really found something to love.
Using the Justice League, Teen Titans, Justice Society of America, or even the cast of Young Justice for a tactical RPG would easily shine a light on multiple characters at once and give players a different option that helps break up the AAA released that they've come to expect. Marvel has understood the benefits of this, but despite a lengthy delay to Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, DC is still chasing success in the most popular genres. Taking some of the DC universe and implementing it in a tactical RPG would be a fresh, and unexpected, change of pace.
DC Needs Variety to Survive
The third-person action/adventure format seems to be the norm for superhero-centric games with Spider-Man, Batman: Arkham, and Guardians of the Galaxy doing well to establish a following. It works, but with the litany of characters that DC has, it would be a shame to not see them in a new light in the gaming sphere. Marvel's Midnight Suns deploys a turn-based, tactical gameplay loop that not only brings plenty of the aforementioned personalities to one title, but does so in a way that satisfies a different audience and shows the range that the comic company has in gaming. The same can be said of Marvel Snap, which delves into an entirely new genre, finding success as if it was a formality.
With Batman: Arkham, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, and Monolith's Wonder Woman all adopting the third-person perspective, DC is running the risk of being too rigid in its approach to gaming. If DC wants to maintain a steady foothold in an industry that it's finding continued success in, deploying new ideas would make sense. With plenty of compelling storylines in the pages of comics and characters who have wonderful chemistry between them, a tactical RPG would have a lot of potential.