Superheroes have been dominating the movie industry for years, and their popularity has also seeped into the gaming industry. There seem to be multiple superhero games from DC and Marvel every single year, but the majority of them are pretty similar to each other. Almost all the big superhero games go for the action-adventure or RPG genre, and most seem to see the heroes fight against some type of world-ending threat. It feels like there is not much variety in modern AAA superhero games right now, but a game based on Marvel's Jessica Jones could change that.
Jessica Jones may not be the most popular Marvel superhero, but she has become more mainstream in recent years thanks to Netflix's Marvel's Jessica Jones series. She is not known as the most heroic of people, and she spends much of her time as a private investigator rather than as a superhero. Her personality, lifestyle, and powerset could lead to a very interesting new type of superhero video game. A game that steps away from the world-ending threats of its predecessors, and replaces it with a much darker street-level detective story.
Jessica Jones Could Lead a Unique Superhero Detective Game
Jessica Jones' comics are notable for a more mature tone, and Netflix's Marvel's Jessica Jones emulated that tone very well. The show presented viewers with a Jessica Jones that suffered from severe PTSD, and events in her past turned her away from the superhero lifestyle towards alcohol. Instead of using her superpowers to stop villains, she spent her time as a private investigator. That was until the villainous Kilgrave reappeared, and she was forced to face her past.
Every season of Marvel's Jessica Jones saw Jones follow a trail of breadcrumbs to stop the season's villain. The first season saw her deal with the superpowered Kilgrave, the second season followed her as she dealt with her powered-up mother, and the third had her stop a serial killer. The stories of each were far removed from classic large-scale superhero stories, and that is what made them special. These seasons were simply about a powerful private investigator dealing with her past, and stopping bad guys the only way she knew how.
A Jessica Jones video game could take that type of comic book story and run wild with it. So many superhero stories these days seem to be focused on world-ending threats and the crazy powers of their protagonists. Jessica Jones' story is nothing like that. She is not stopping the end of the world, she is not going toe to toe with massive faceless armies, and her power set does not lead to insane scenarios. Putting her story as the focus of a game could lead to an entirely unique experience for Marvel games.
Since Jessica Jones spends her time as a private investigator, a game following her would have to be all about finding and connecting clues. The Batman: Arkham series did a bit of this with some of its stories, but Jessica Jones would take it to the next level. The plot would be more similar to that of a Sherlock Holmes game than a game like Marvel's Spider-Man. It could be a classic mystery with a superhero story mixed into it, and it would feel very special.
A Jessica Jones game would not be short on superhero action, that would just not be the focus. Jones is known for her superhuman strength and her ability to heal faster than normal. She uses this strength to protect herself, confront bad guys, and as a tool during her investigations. She also has the ability to fly in the comics, and that would be interesting to see realized in a game. A game following her would also most likely include the popular Luke Cage, and his unbreakable skin would lead to even more wild superhero shenanigans.
There are so many superhero games on the market right now, and most of them tend to stay within the confines of the same genre. There do not seem to be large style deviations within superhero games, but a Jessica Jones game could change that for Marvel. A detective superhero game could lead to loads of fun for comic book fans, and it could also give the character a chance to be fully realized again.