The Game Awards of 2021 has been handing out awards for the crown jewels of gaming this year, as well as groundbreaking announcements for what to look forward to in the future. For fans of comic book games, the reveal for the upcomingSuicide Squad: Kill The Justice Leaguewas surely exciting, but a bigger surprise came from Monolith Productions teasing its newWonder Womangame.
The DC superhero needs no introduction, especially as the live-actionWonder Womanfilms starring Gal Gadot have been popular big screen adventures these past few years. Developer Monolit is widely known and praised for its work on the critically acclaimed action-adventure titleMiddle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor. While Batman may have had the spotlight for DC games in the past with Rocksteady’s fantasticBatman: Arkhamfranchise, Monolith may be next in line to deliver a standout narrative-driven superhero action game for that comic universe.
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Wonder Woman - A Rich Comic Book Mythology
Comic book superheroes have taken over Hollywood in the past decade with the immensely successfulMarvel Cinematic Universe, and with DC delivering its own hits like 2018’sAquaman. These modern myths of fiction have also begun rippling into the video game industry as their high-flying superpowers make for great opportunitues to center a game. With years of rich lore ripe to be picked at, video game studios have no shortage of material to choose from when creating these projects.
The aformentionedBatman: Arkhamseries made excellent use of not only the comic books in terms of narrative and aesthetic, but also the many animated series and even film interpretations over the years. Wonder Woman has been an icon of superhero books for nearly as long as Gotham’s caped crusader, and has just as much compelling content to use for her upcoming game. Her homeland of Themyscira can be used as a sprawling open world, similar to how Gotham was utilized inArkham CityandArkham Knight. Her legion of archenemies such as Cheetah, Ares, and White Magician also provide a laundry list of potential foes both big and small to face off against.
Monolith Productions - Excellence in Action Game Design
Being aWonder Womangame, fans would naturally expect a strong focus on fast-paced combat. Armed with herculean strength, the ability to fly, and her trusty lasso of truth, Princess Diana seems like the perfect fit for a AAA action game. Monolith Productions borrowed fromBatman: Arkham’s freeflow combat systemwhen delivering its own fighting system inShadow of Mordor. The studio added additional momentum and speed to the attacks, giving it its own feel to stand apart fromBatman: Arkham.
Monolith Productions can once again utilize this combat system for itsWonder Womanproject. Players able to take control of such a powerful character should be squaring off in deadly encounters against worthy adversaries. Wonder Woman faces off against more than just human-sized enemies, coming face-to-face with monsters from ancient myth; towering creatures and freakish beasts. It may be wise for Monolith Productions to look for inspiration from other sources as well, namely how Kratos contends with his own slew of monstrous opponents in theGod of Warfranchise.
Wonder Woman can do more than just beat bad guys to a pulp, with her many other attributes opening doors to other gameplay avenues as well. A skilled warrior with both a sword and bow, Monolith can incoporate different combat styles to take advantage of all ofWonder Woman’s particular skills. If gamers are lucky, maybe the team will even throw in the invisible jet for extra good fun.
