7 Ways That Square Enix’s The Avengers Project Can Live Up To Expectations

Although the competition between Marvel and DC is constantly back-and-forth across most mediums, the latter continues to reign supreme in the video game department. With a great selection of titles like those from the Arkham series, Injustice series, and the recent Telltale Batman series, DC has maintained a strong presence in the industry throughout recent years. Marvel has undoubtedly noticed this though and looks to turn things around now, as they've announced a partnership for multiple games with Square Enix. While the parties involved (Crystal Dynamics and Eidos are on boar to develop) make this partnership - which kicks off with The Avengers Project - immensely intriguing, the first trailer gave us very little information about the game itself. The fact that there won't be any new details until 2018 is particularly frustrating and it feels like the teaser was released far too early in development (similar to Square Enix's initial Final Fantasy VII Remake announcement). Nevertheless, since there's so much time between now and 2018, let's offer up some potential ideas for Marvel and Square to keep in mind as they develop what will hopefully be the game of our dreams. If The Avengers Project is going to live up to expectations, it'd best take these things into consideration. 7) Recruit Top-Tier Talent With the MCU, Marvel has set a high standard in regards to the performances and the interpretations of these well-known characters. With that in mind, Square Enix needs to bring their casting A-game when it comes to finding the voices for each of the Avengers. For such a high-profile project, it'll be essential that Square and the developers allow the story to reach its full potential with voice actors that can provide the authenticity needed for fans of the MCU. When people are used to Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evans, and Samuel L. Jackson, it's a difficult task to maintain that level of quality outside of the standard Marvel films. In terms of who to cast, the MCU actors would obviously be ideal, but that's certainly easier said than done. If the original cast aren't available, then the usual suspects (Nolan North, Troy Baker, Laura Bailey, etc.) would do an excellent job filling the roles. Although this may seem like an obvious statement, it can be something that's very easily overlooked in favor of other gameplay components, so it is worth mentioning. Besides, if there's a way to start this project off on the right foot, it's in the main casting choices. 6) Have The Story Involve REAL Stakes Most of the great action-heavy stories maintain a strong sense of importance and intensity to keep audiences engaged throughout. Without any clearly-established stakes and a sense of unpredictability as to whether or not the main characters will survive the struggle, viewers/gamers may be quick to tune out. The first trailer for The Avengers Project teases a sense of urgency as the heroes are missing and need to be found soon. The threat is unknown, but it's clear that the team is needed sooner rather than later. For the game, it'll be essential that this same level of intensity and urgency is maintained as it'll promote player engagement and will ensure that the plot doesn't get lost behind the memorable characters. In order for everyone to care about what happens to a story and its characters, there needs to be some semblance of danger facing our heroes and/or those close to them. With the right villain, the Avengers would be forced to fight an uphill battle from the start, especially if the game begins with them missing. 5) Have Thanos Be The Main Villain The big bad of the MCU and Marvel Comics in general is an obvious choice as a villain for multiple reasons. He's imposing, he's able to take on the Avengers single-handedly, he's got strong motivations that keep him fighting and is an iconic figure that would translate well to a game. The potential boss battles, the opportunity to study his character, even the plentiful cutscenes where he can just monologue make him a completely deserving pick for the main antagonist. There are certainly other possibilities with villains, like Galactus, Ultron and Doctor Doom, but considering that Galactus and Doom belong to Fox and Marvel just did Ultron in Age of Ultron, Thanos seems like the most logical choice. If nothing else, he's able to appear larger than life thanks to his presence and personality without needing Godzilla-level size. It'll really depend on whether Marvel wants to put all of their Thanos focus in Infinity War, but if they don't think it'll be a case of overexposure, then they can't go wrong with a villain of his caliber for The Avengers Project. 4) Make It Open World Although this would be no easy task for Square Enix, the ability to travel through New York City with a fully-developed Iron Man suit would be far too tempting to pass up. Yes, LEGO Marvel Super Heroes did this already, but with such talented developers at the helm in a realistic interpretation of NYC, open-world traveling would be more entertaining than ever. Even if flying around isn't your thing, patrolling the streets as Captain America could be quite a bit of fun as well, especially if there were side missions spread out all over the open world. With an open world, you allow players the opportunity to experiment with their hero of choice for as long as they choose to. No one will be short-changed, as gamers will be able to have plenty of open world misadventures (if they so desire) with whichever hero they prefer. However, unlike games like Infamous and even LEGO Marvel, players likely wouldn't be able to destroy cars and wreak havoc at will. After all, the Avengers ARE supposed to be the good guys, right? It's a slippery slope to directly impose restrictions like that in an open world, so a linear story could be considered. However, with Square Enix describing this project as something that "people can play for years to come," then there's got to be more to the game than just a straightforward story. Just think about how cool side missions could be if they went open-world. Being able to take them on in-between the main missions would allow for great cameos, extra depth to the game itself, and just more fun in general. Besides, who doesn't want to let loose in a non-GTA mod version of Iron Man's fully-detailed power suit? 3) Have Combat Be The Focus, But Don't Lose The Narrative The thought of playing as characters like Iron Man, Thor, and Captain America is enough to make any gamer salivate. Add in massive power-sets and possible combos a la Arkham Knight and there's plenty of potential to make this title's combat some of the best we've ever seen in a superhero game. The wide range of movesets that would be available is immense, so Crystal Dynamics and Eidos need to take advantage of that. They also need to ensure that each character feels fully distinct and unlike any other controllable hero. The actual design of the gameplay remains unknown, but it seems like a third-person action style would be the most suitable option here. Put simply, the developers need to go all-out with the gameplay. Give it depth, flashiness, and intensity so that players look forward to every fight. Titles like this need engaging gameplay more than others, but Marvel also needs to make sure they don't lose the story in the process, as it can be sometimes easy to do so when making action-heavy games. You certainly want enjoyment and fun to be the top priority, but don't weaken other aspects of the title in the process. On that note, if they could make an Arkham Knight style finishing move where Iron Man shoots a beam at Cap's shield to take down an enemy, that would be much appreciated. 2) Include Multiplayer/Co-op If there's one major component of Marvel Ultimate Alliance that players love, it's the co-op. Having an impressive amount of playable characters mixed with plenty of fun multiplayer combat had massive appeal. Although both Crystal Dynamics and Eidos are known for their single-player experiences, the concept of an Avengers game simply demands some sort of multiplayer. How the developers go about including co-op, however, will depend on what kind of experience they intend to provide fans. Considering how much a superhero team like The Avengers depends on teamwork, it's essential that the devs incorporate that into the gameplay somewhere. If this title is primarily a third-person action game, then an online Horde mode where you could play with friends would be perfectly suited. However, if the developers go deeper than that and offer additional modes or even *Gasp* a co-op campaign, then they'll have added even more life to The Avengers Project. 1) Take Things Seriously, But Don't Lose The Humor The MCU receives plenty of praise from media outlets, but there has been a fair amount of questions and concerns from both fans and critics in regards to the universe's tone. Marvel has been accused of being unwilling to fully commit to its serious moments, even if the trailers for the film were mostly dark and grim (Age of Ultron and Iron Man 3 being the main examples). With the trailer for The Avengers Project, we've also been teased a rather serious tone in which the titular heroes have gone missing. As a way of distinguishing this game from typical Marvel movies, the story should commit to this so that every player (and every character) can feel the weight of the game's events. That being said, it shouldn't be ALL serious. The characters should still maintain their own sense of humor, but instead of quipping for quipping's sake, make them react like human beings. People DO attempt to make light of serious situations when they feel tension building, so the game's version of the Avengers shouldn't be any different. However, don't make them joke constantly or else you'll risk weakening the dramatic tension just for a possible laugh. It'll be a tough balancing act, but if The Avengers Project is able to maintain a tone that handles both the dark with the light (something like Civil War) in a satisfying manner, then it has the potential to offer up the most engaging story yet in the MCU.