‘Avengers’ Game Release Date Nearing, ‘The Avengers Project’ To Be Published By Square Enix
It seems an Avengers game release date is on its way, and it’s coming from the people behind the Final Fantasy franchise. This may be the first good game based on the comic book team, unless you count the one made for arcades in the 80s and the upcoming Capcom fighter hitting consoles this Fall.
A trailer has been released for the first of a number which Square Enix has signed a contract to publish. It includes footage of items symbolically connected to various members of the team and a voice-over from a woman who isn’t recognizable from the MCU. She explains how the time of heroes is said to be over, that being different makes you dangerous. She adds that she knows the truth, that the world needs them, and they just need to be re-assembled.
The voice-over is making a general reference to the 2012 film, which in England was named Avengers Assemble, though it’s unlikely to have any solid connections to the MCU. There are a number of women in the Marvel Comics universe who she could be, though it’s obvious that it isn’t one we’ve seen before. Black Widow, Scarlet Witch, and Wasp have already joined the team on screen, but we have yet to see Captain Marvel or have confirmation on the appearance of She-Hulk.
Among the items in the trailer are Iron Man’s glove, Thor’s hammer, Captain America’s shield, and a pair of broken glasses. Those glasses may belong to one of two characters, one of which we haven’t had confirmed in the MCU, and the other whom we rarely see wearing them. These characters are Hulk and She-Hulk, the latter of which is a lawyer who, much like DC’s Superman, often uses glasses as part of her human form to look normal.
The look and some of the sound effects in the trailer also have a general feel much like Warner Bros. Games’ Batman: Arkham series, but it’s unknown if there is any connection behind the scenes, or if the game may simply borrow some ideas from it. If the upcoming game plays like the Rocksteady series, we could be seeing the next big superhero game outside the fighting genre.
The Avengers game release date might not hit until 2019, but it’s coming from Crystal Dynamics and Eidos Montreal, developers known for the Tomb Raider series and Deus Ex, respectively. According to Polygon, the information above comes via an official press release.
Currently called “The Avengers Project,” much like the PS4 Pro was originally known as “PlayStation Neo,” it’s not known what the final title will be. Time calls it “a completely original story” with a “universe gamers can play in for years to come,” once again making a possible reference to the MCU, though the tie-in likely ends there. With an original story, it’s very unlikely that the game will follow the story of metahumans fighting to stop Thanos from uniting the Infinity Stones.
The “universe” aspect appears to be directed more toward a possible open-world sandbox type of game meant to be played online. This means the “Avengers Project” will probably be an MMO title with interaction between gamers playing as Marvel heroes.
There has been a rise in open-world games in recent years, leaving even recent 2.5D titles like Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: China feeling antiquated in their wake. Even Ubisoft’s The Crew is an enjoyable MMO title, even if its racing world is filled with enough glitches to rival AC: Unity‘s launch.
Considering Square Enix’s contract, the Avengers game’s release date will be the first of many. With Disney’s licensing issues not really affecting video games, it’s likely that we’ll see X-Men, Defenders, and Fantastic Four titles in the future as well.
For fans awaiting further news about this upcoming title and others, Ultimate Marvel Vs Capcom 3 is set for release on PS4 and Xbox One this April, and MVC: Infinite is set to be released this Fall. Those fighters might be enough to whet your appetite, plus Marvel Ultimate Alliance was recently released on current-gen consoles as well.
[Featured Image by Marvel/Square Enix]
