Superheroes are all the rage right now, and it seems like Sony is going all in on the craze. The next couple of titles from Insomniac Games are all centered around Marvel superheroes. Not only is the studio building the Marvel's Spider-Man franchise, but it's also planning on exploring Wolverine in the upcoming Marvel's Wolverine. There seems to be no shortage of Marvel content on the way, and it has helped make the PlayStation the home of Marvel fans.
While PlayStation may have built itself as the home of Marvel with the likes of Marvel's Spider-Man, Xbox does not seem to have any AAA superhero games on the horizon. The platform has seen titles like Marvel's Midnight Suns and Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy, but PlayStation's Marvel games have prevented Xbox from being a superhero powerhouse. The studio needs its own AAA superhero franchise, and that's where Activision Blizzard's untapped Prototype franchise can come in.
The Prototype Series Deserves to Come Back
In 2009, Activision and Radical Entertainment released Prototype. The game put players in control of a shapeshifter named Alex Mercer in the streets of Manhattan. A virus had run rampant through the city, and it was up to the superpowered Mercer to uncover the truth. He accomplished this by using an assortment of wild powers that included superhuman strength, speed, agility, and the ability to create massive weapons from his body.
Prototype lets players run wild in an open-world Manhattan. They can use his powers to cause all sorts of chaos and mayhem, and his superhuman speed is vital to traversing the streets. Antihero Alex Mercer felt and played like a virtually unstoppable killing machine, and that drew players to the title. While he was not a superhero, the game went a long way in delivering a great superpower adventure.
Activision would release Prototype 2 a couple of years later, and it continued to deliver a fun superpower fantasy. This time, players took control of U.S Marine Sergeant James Heller after he got infected with a strain of the virus. He was granted powers similar to Alex Mercer, and embarked on a quest for revenge against the first game's protagonist. The game expanded upon the superpowered mayhem, and made players feel even stronger. While the story was not as good as the first, it still gave superhero fans a carnage-filled experience unlike any other.
Prototype 2 was well received, but the sales seemed to struggle. It just never found its audience, and Activision would end up downsizing Radical Entertainment. The studio would become more of a support studio, and the Prototype franchise would be put on ice. Outside a re-release for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, the Prototype series seems to be dead. However, the rise of superhero media makes now the perfect time to revive this unique franchise.
Xbox Needs Its Own Marvel's Spider-Man
Superhero media is insanely popular thanks to the MCU and DCU. This popularity has also found its way into the gaming industry with all sorts of superhero adventures on the horizon. There seem to be new AAA superhero games every year, and it looks like Sony has gone all in on the craze. The studio has cemented itself as the best place to play for Marvel fans, and Xbox has been left in the dust.
Insomniac Games seems to be pumping out Marvel-based games for PlayStation. It started with the exclusive Marvel's Spider-Man for PS4, and then it launched Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales for PS5. Both games were critically acclaimed and often cited as some of the best superhero games around. Now, the studio is planning on further expanding its Marvel franchise with Marvel's Spider-Man 2 and Marvel's Wolverine. Xbox may get some third-party Marvel games, but Sony seems to have locked down the Marvel market.
Xbox needs to get a superhero franchise of its own, and the Prototype series gives it that opportunity. It may not be connected to DC or Marvel, but it delivers a unique superhero adventure that could shine on modern hardware. If the Activision Blizzard acquisition is approved, then Microsoft needs to tap this franchise as soon as possible. It could help give the platform some fighting power in the superhero genre, and could finally give Prototype fans the third entry they have been waiting for.
Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is currently in development for PS5.
