It's taken some time, but superhero games are back in vogue. Insomniac Games' PS4 title Marvel's Spider-Man seemed to jolt the industry back to a time when comic book adaptations were coming out often, and do not need to adopt any specific movie plot. The Batman Arkham games have been holding down the fort for a while, but with a third Marvel’s Spider-Man game, a Wolverine title from Insomniac, and a Wonder Woman game announced at the Game Awards, it seems like comic book hero adaptations are becoming common again in the game industry.
Spider-Man has been a video game star for a long time. Ever since the Atari 2600, there have been frequent games with Spider-Man starring or featured in a larger roster. As one of the most popular superheroes in the world, it makes sense for Spider-Man to appear in so many adaptations. However, he is not the only iconic character from his comic run. Peter Parker's rogue’s gallery is a thing of legends, and part of what makes the brand so strong. They've seen plenty of iterations over the years, but some mainstays always get first dibs at the limelight. Venom, Spider-Man's rival and sometimes arch-nemesis, is probably the most popular Spider-Man character next to Spidey himself. With him featuring in the next Insomniac game, it's a wonder why Venom can't get a stand-alone title of his own.
Venom Has Almost Held the Lead Role Before
Venom has been in video games for almost as long as Spider-Man has. In his third and fourth appearances, Venom served as the co-protagonist of Spider-Man and Venom: Maximum Carnage and Venom/Spider-Man: Separation Anxiety. These were a beat-'em-up for the SNES and Genesis, and Venom filled player two's role to fight against his and Peter's mutual foe Carnage. Normally, Venom is either a playable character in a larger roster like Marvel vs. Capcom or a central figure, like in Web of Shadows. Because the popularity of Venom and the symbiotes makes them dominate any work they show up in, Venom either needs to be excluded, marginalized, or given some sort of leading role.
Maximum Carnage was his first game in the protagonist's seat, but it was far from the last. Ultimate Spider-Man, an open-world action-adventure for the GameCube, PS2, and Xbox, also featured Venom in a leading role. This is the closest Venom has gotten to starring in a game of his own, forced to share it with Spider-Man but not as a simple co-op partner. As the story progresses, the player switches between Spider-Man and Venom for specific missions, and Venom provides a significantly different experience than Spider-Man. Venom's health is constantly draining, and while he can fight off enemies more easily, he's not as agile, so he needs to constantly find humans to absorb. The two protagonists fight when they come in contact, though of course, Spider-Man comes out on top.
What a Standalone Venom Game Could Look Like
Ultimate Spider-Man provides a good template to start building up a truly Venom-centric game. An open-world approach similar to what the Insomniac Spider-Man games have would still work, as Venom can web-sling and climb walls just like Spider-Man can. However, Venom's general style would be heavier and prone to gaining height through massive jumps, akin to The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction and Prototype. Venom would be able to pick up objects and small enemies in the environment to throw them with his tentacles, and there could be an interesting interplay between a human-eating health mechanic and a morality system.
As for the story, Venom has spent plenty of time as an antihero without Spider-Man, so the game could adapt the spirit of the Lethal Protector storyline. Venom, as Eddie Brock, would settle in a different city from Spider-Man and face down street-level crime and his own set of supervillains. There can be plenty of collectibles referencing Venom's storied past, including a wide variety of costumes including Anti-Venom and Agent Venom. There could even be a combat-oriented side quest devoted to tracking down and defeating the various other symbionts produced by the Life Foundation. Throw in some special transformations, similar to Spider-Man's gadgets, that evoke the different users of the Venom symbiote and the package is complete. A scorpion tail, a glider with acidic bile bombs, and perhaps even a quadruple-wielded set of web guns could all be part of Venom's repertoire. Hopefully, Venom's appearance in the upcoming Marvel's Spider-Man 2 will go over well, and a standalone game could become a reality someday.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is scheduled to release in 2023 on PS5.