Summary
After a hiatus of over a decade, thePrince of Persiafranchise returned to game consoles last month withPrince of Persia: The Lost Crown, a 2.5D action-adventure game with several Metroidvania elements woven into its mechanics.Prince of Persia: The Lost Crownis at its best when players are utilizing new abilities to revisit previously inaccessible areas of the game’s huge map. Should Marvel decide to try its hand at a modern Metroidvania game, it has a famous hero who would seemingly fit the genre perfectly: the reality-bending Doctor Strange.
A typical Metroidvania has players navigating an often convoluted, complex, and intricate map, defeating enemies, collecting items, and gaining new abilities along the way. These new abilities will often allow players to return to earlier parts of the map, and open up new paths in order to progress. Games such asHollow Knight,Castlevania, andMetroidhave showcased how this Metroidvania-style of explorationcan work perfectly. Doctor Strange’s unique abilities could be put to good use in this type of adventure, should Marvel ever endorse such a project.
Marvel Has the Perfect Hero For its Own Metroidvania Game
It’s fair to say that before the monumental success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Doctor Strange wasn’t exactly equal to the likes of Batman and Superman when it came to popularity. While the same is still probably true now,Benedict Cumberbatch’s portrayal of the Master of the Mystic Artshas certainly raised the character’s standing, making Doctor Strange a much more popular and well-recognized character than he was pre-MCU.
Besides ensemble or cameo appearances in the likes ofFortnite, however, Doctor Stange has never starred in his own video game.
What makes this even more perplexing is that the mystical Doctor’s powers seemingly lend themselves perfectly to a video game. Strange’s ability to bend reality to his will could lead to some exciting in-game scenarios that have yet to be explored. His absence as a playable character was particularly noticeable in developer Crystal Dynamics’ill-fatedMarvel’s Avengersgame. It’s about time Strange was given a starring role in his own video game, and a Metroidvania side-scroller would be a natural fit.
Doctor Strange’s Powers Are Perfect For Exploration
Doctor Strange’s ability to open up portals could be a perfect catalyst for exploration, and it’s easy to imagine a scenario where he loses his powers and has to gain them back piece by piece, allowing him to travel to branching parts of a map that could, in theory, span different universes. Bringing the multiverse into the equation, which is aplot device that is currently central to the MCU, would keep the action fresh, entertaining, and topical.
Games likePrince of Persia: The Lost Crownhave shown that there is still a huge appetite for Metroidvanias, and further proof of this is found when discovering just how highly anticipatedHollow Knight’s sequel actually is. Marvel has plenty of video games in development, including a single-player Iron Man game, a Black Panther title set during World War 2, and theInsomniac Games-ledMarvel’s Wolverine. Nevertheless, it should seize the initiative and unleash Doctor Strange in some kind of Metroidvania experience that showcases his unique powers.
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown
WHERE TO PLAY
Dash into a stylish and thrilling action-adventure platformer set in a mythological Persian world where the boundaries of time and space are yours to manipulate. Play as Sargon and evolve from sword-wielding prodigy to extraordinary legend as you master acrobatic combat and unlock new Time Powers and unique super abilities.UNLEASH YOUR INNER WARRIORUse your Time Powers, combat, and platforming skills to perform deadly combos and defeat time-corrupted enemies and mythological creatures.LOSE YOURSELF IN THE PRODIGIOUS MOUNT QAFDiscover a cursed Persian-inspired world filled with larger-than-life landmarks and explore a variety of highly detailed biomes, each with their own identity, wonder, and danger.LIVE AN EPIC ADVENTUREImmerse yourself in a Persian mythological fantasy through an intriguing and original story as you use your wits to solve puzzles, find hidden treasures, and complete quests to learn more about this corrupted place.
