Highlights
- Arkane's Dishonored embraced the concept of branching paths with a pacifist or bloodthirsty playthrough resulting in different story outcomes.
- Marvel's Blade could have a similar binary morality system to Dishonored and Eric Brooks' half-vampire nature could lead to different combat approaches that affect the story.
- Arkane's inclusion of supernatural abilities in its games suggests that Marvel's Blade might incorporate similar powers, potentially opening up unique gameplay possibilities.
Arkane’s Dishonored really hammered home the premise of perpendicular paths that players can adhere to, whether they’re going for a pacifist playthrough with a ‘good’ ending outcome to the story or a bloodthirsty playthrough with a ‘bad’ ending outcome for the story. This makes gameplay sort of limiting since players will ultimately be missing out on an entire half of mechanics and features that the other path affords, but it creates a fun challenge to see if players can make their way through the game with a particular playstyle.
Rather, Deathloop didn’t have this binary morality inherent to its gameplay and there’s nothing currently insinuating that Marvel’s Blade will, either. That said, knowing that Blade is half-human, half-vampire, it would be surprising if Arkane hadn’t at least considered a binary morality system that could prey on vampiric instincts and have Eric Brooks demonstrate a more ghoulish approach to combat, versus his traditional vampire-slaying with a revolver, katana, stakes, and other tools.
5 Comic Book Villains That Would Be Perfect For Marvel's Blade
While not much is known about the story of Marvel's Blade from Arkane Studios, there are five comic book villains that would be perfect for the game.
Arkane’s Penchant for Good/Bad Paths Could Make Marvel’s Blade Invigorating
Arkane Could Leverage Blade’s Willingness to Retain His Humanity
Blade is a hero, not a villain, but he’s commonly depicted as being more complex than that simple distinction. The Daywalker isn’t necessarily a morally upstanding figure and is a much more enjoyable character as a result, and his vampire-slaying antics make for some mature, graphic content that isn’t ubiquitous under the Marvel banner.
When it comes to the vampire occupancy in Marvel’s Blade’s Paris, it’ll be interesting to see how Blade is able to cut through enemies with the tools at his disposal and the game may end up not having branching paths for different playstyles if it wants to portray the Dhampir with a singular scripted character development. However, while ordinary vampire-slaying as a Blade who wants to defend Paris could be the game’s only path, it would be incredible to see Arkane’s take on a Blade who can tap into much more supernatural inspirations.
Arkane has made a habit of including short-distance teleportation leaps into its games, for instance, and it would be odd now if Dishonored ’s Blink or Deathloop ’s Shift didn’t make its way into Marvel’s Blade somehow.
Arkane Might Tempt Blade’s Vampiric Hunger with Monstrous Abilities
There’s no telling what Arkane might instill in its take on the Marvel universe, but seeing Blade take on a fiendish, supernatural form within particular abilities that players may be able to unlock could give Marvel’s Blade a stunning alternate path. Blade’s heroic path wouldn’t necessarily be a pacifist playthrough, but Blade tapping into vampiric abilities would certainly be the bloodthirsty playthrough and could conclude with a horrific ending instead of one where Blade perhaps purges Paris or at least leaves a positive stamp on the dystopian, overrun city.
Blade is unlike normal vampires and it’ll be intriguing to see what gameplay during the day will be like compared to what gameplay during the night will be like, and gameplay choices could become equally profound as they were in Dishonored. Regardless, even if it abandons that popular Arkane storytelling trope, Marvel’s Blade is already looking like Marvel’s most unique game.
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.
- Franchise
- Marvel
- Developer(s)
- Arkane Studios
- Publisher(s)
- Bethesda Softworks
