As Marvel's gaming ventures continue to grow with the most recent announcement of EA Motive's Iron Man project, developers should pay attention to these earlier games to take inspiration from, especially in the case of Spider-Man and its customization. While Marvel games have been far more successful in recent years, some still show signs of stumbling at the starting block, meaning EA Motive and others need to learn from the wins and losses with the likes of Guardians of the Galaxy, Marvel's Avengers, and of course Spider-Man. The latter, as one of Marvel's more successful solo superhero games, is a good template to start from.
Spider-Man did many things right by the fan-favorite web-slinger such as the game's actual web-slinging traversal mechanics to nuanced character development, but one of its other stand-out features was the availability of different Spider-Man suits. Unlocked through spending in-game tokens or completing story missions, the suits offered not just an homage to classic comic and film interpretations of the character but also gave players bonuses. If Iron Man is to succeed where its previous solo games had fallen short, then customization needs to be a priority for the player.
Customization For Both Gameplay And Style
At their core, Spider-Man and Spider-Man: Miles Morales offered players the choice of which suits they wanted to play as with optional Suit Mods. The fundamental function of these was to allow players to modify and create Spider-Man suits that fit their playing styles, whether it was to go hard and fast into fights or beef up their defensive capabilities to make combat a little easier. Alongside these mods were special abilities unique to certain suits. Some were useful, like Spider-Man's signature Advanced suit allowing for a faster charge of Focus, while others are more tributes, like the Vintage Comic Book suit adding snappy quips during combat.
Besides adding a level of variety to the game to ensure every player could feel that they had agency in how they played, both Spider-Man and Spider-Man: Miles Morales had their suits origins rooted somewhere in Marvel history. It's an ingenious way of providing players some diversity while simultaneously acknowledging the character's lore, giving even the most veteran and nostalgic players something to be happy about. Suits appeal broadly from MCU fans with the Stark or Iron Spider suits while others drew from the comics with the Vintage and 2099 suit, and even comical nods to The Fantastic Four with the Bag-Man suit that's appeared once or twice.
Iron Man Can Excel With Its Suits
Though fans are excited to see one of Marvel's most popular superheroes getting their own solo game, Iron Man has had a checkered history of previous games. EA Motive, therefore, has a significant challenge ahead if it's to ensure its Iron Man can improve upon its predecessors. But while this would mean striking the ideal balance for mechanics such as free roam flight to engaging combat, mirroring Spider-Man's customization options would be an easier step to take. It'll be relevant both for in-game abilities and for paying homage to the equally long legacy of different suits Stark has donned over the years.
Arguably, the ability to modify Iron Man suits makes more sense for the character than Spider-Man; while the game presents Peter Parker as a budding genius, he doesn't match the wealth and resources Tony Stark has at his disposal. Customization would naturally need to align with the game's mechanics, so players can only speculate how that might translate into an Iron Man game, but it still leaves the door open for suits to pay tribute to classic and modern sources. Whether it's the numerous Iron Man suits from across the MCU to more niche examples like the Thorbuster or Deep Space models.
Iron Man is currently in development.