Highlights

  • Venom: Lethal Protector, the upcoming game centered around Venom, is likely to include suit customization options inspired by the comics.
  • Insomniac Games has a history of designing original suits for its superhero games, so expect unique looks for Venom in Lethal Protector.
  • Despite Venom's seemingly one-dimensional appearance, there are plenty of inspirations available from the wider Marvel universe for creative suit designs in the game.

The Marvel's Spider-Man franchise has become one of the most successful superhero video game franchises of all time since it began in 2018, with its success being attributed to a host of features the series brought to the table. Not only did Insomniac nearly perfect traversal mechanics that many past developers had attempted to implement and fallen short of, but it also replicated and refined the revolutionary combat system that the Batman: Arkham games introduced to the action-adventure superhero genre of video games. However, of all the attractive features of the Marvel's Spider-Man series, one stands out as a consistently requested fan-favorite: suit customization.

After the recent and unfortunate ransomware attack against Insomniac Games, many of the developer's planned releases were divulged to the world, including an upcoming Venom game seemingly titled Venom: Lethal Protector. While the prospect of a Venom game has excited fans of the Marvel's Spider-Man franchise, one can't help but wonder whether the Spider-Man 2's suit customization options will translate well (or at all) into a game that centers around Venom as a main and playable character. After all, a wide variety of suit styles makes sense for someone who actually wears a suit — like Peter Parker and Miles Morales — whereas Venom's "suit" is simply tied to his nature, leaving him with essentially only one option.

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Insomniac Will Need to Get Creative With Venom's Appearances

Venom's Cosmetic Options Should Primarily Take Inspiration From the Comics

At this point, having some sort of appearance customization options in an Insomniac superhero game is a fairly non-negotiable feature. Otherwise, there might be a rather loud outcry from fans requesting that it be added to any game that lacks it. Insomniac knows this, so its upcoming Venom game is almost guaranteed to implement the feature to some extent. So, the question is not whether the developer will add it to Lethal Protector, but how.

The most obvious option would be to take inspiration from the comics, as Venom has taken on many different appearances that are usually tied to the symbiote's host. For example, the symbiote bonded with Frank Castle, the Punisher, in Marvel's What If...? comic run, which altered Venom's appearance accordingly. While this only changed the symbol on Venom's chest from the spider to the Punisher's logo, it was enough of a noticeable change that it could very well be an option in Insomniac's Lethal Protector title. Venom Hulk and Venom Wolverine are other great examples from the comics of times when the symbiote bonded with a host and took on a different appearance.

As Insomniac has been known to include comic book-inspired suits in the Marvel's Spider-Man series, they'll likely give Lethal Protector the same treatment. There are, after all, plenty of options to choose from, and many of them are intricate enough that they would stand out among Venom's more iconic looks. That being said, the developer also takes every liberty to design original suits for its games, so that's an option as well.

Insomniac Will Most Likely Also Design Original Looks for Venom

Aside from taking inspiration from the Spider-Man comics, Insomniac hasn't shied away from designing original suits for Peter and Miles. While the original designs don't always land the way Insomniac most likely expects them to, they are still a fun way for the developer to connect with fans and add some creative flair to its work. If the history of original suits in the Marvel's Spider-Man series suggests anything, it's that the leaked Venom: Lethal Protector game will also receive a generous selection of unique looks designed specifically for it. Barring this occurring, it will be interesting to see what Insomniac's design artists can come up with.

At first thought, it may not seem possible for Insomniac to stay loyal to its tradition of including a wide variety of cosmetic options in Venom: Lethal Protector, as Venom's appearance seems rather one-dimensional. However, there are more than enough inspirations available in the wider Marvel universe, especially in the comics. Furthermore, Insomniac has proven in the past that it has enough creative talent in its design team to pull off some memorable appearances for the iconic symbiote, so Lethal Protector is almost guaranteed to have some original designs to choose from as well.