The new Iron Man game has been officially confirmed by EA, and while it is only in the pre-production phase at the time of writing, things are already looking promising for the upcoming superhero title. Being developed by EA Motive, the studio behind 2023's Dead Space remake, the Iron Man game is a single-player, third-person, action-adventure title. There is some skepticism online with EA being the company creating Iron Man, as Anthem's flop has perhaps put people off getting excited about an EA game revolving around highly mobile characters in mech suits.
There is also the conception among some that EA doesn't handle its single-player titles with the same care as it does its multiplayer ventures. However, EA has recently made an effort to inform gamers that it has a good deal of single-player games on the way, including Star Wars: Jedi Survivor and the upcoming Dead Space remake, and that it will focus on making these great narrative experiences. Even though the Iron Man game is only in pre-production right now, it seems fans shouldn't be too worried about the title's future, as Motive's recent development history shows it could make a great Iron Man adaptation.
What the Iron Man Game can Learn from Motive's Star Wars Titles
Previously, EA Motive has worked on both Star Wars Battlefront 2 and Star Wars: Squadrons. While a galaxy far far away might not immediately connect to Tony Stark, looking at the systems implemented into those Star Wars games shows what fans can expect from the upcoming Iron Man game. Star Wars: Squadrons and Star Wars Battlefront 2 both involved players flying around in TIE Fighters, X-Wings, and plenty of other fast-paced vehicles. Star Wars: Squadrons especially was built around the player controlling their starfighter, and so Motive had to get its flight mechanics right for that game.
With experience in creating fast-paced flight mechanics that allow players to rush through the air in calculated maneuvers and for them to slow the pace down a bit in order to blast their enemies, EA Motive could bring this knowledge over to its work on the Iron Man game, giving players a movie-like experience as they soar overhead. Something that the Iron Man game definitely needs to get right is how it handles the motion of the suit. If it feels too slow or clunky, players won't feel like they're taking on the role of Iron Man.
Apart from hopefully getting the flight of the Iron Man suit right, something else that Motive can take from its previous Star Wars games is the combat. In both Star Wars: Squadrons and Star Wars Battlefront 2, combat can be incredibly chaotic, with a lot of explosions and effects going off at once. Even in a single-player experience, Motive could use this chaotic nature of action to its benefit, shoving the player into intense scenes and having them try to navigate through them.
Which Dead Space Mechanics Could Feature in Iron Man?
While there are certainly different tones and atmospheres between a Dead Space title and one featuring Iron Man, that does not mean that Motive's next game couldn't have an impact on its Iron Man project. It isn't likely that Tony Stark will be facing off against any Necromorphs in the near future, but the suit mechanics the Dead Space remake uses could certainly come in handy when designing another protagonist who wears a lot of metal.
The Dead Space remake utilizes a new mechanic known as the ALIVE system, which allows for a much more realistic representation of Isaac Clarke. His breathing will become more rapid when faced with stressful situations, for example, and his movements will become slower, reflecting his fatigue. These could make for some interesting mechanics in the Iron Man game, as players wouldn't necessarily be left feeling invincible while wearing the suit, and it would help to reflect the man inside.
Also, the ALIVE system has a big focus on audio design, changing Isaac's dialogue if he is low on health, has just fought off a Necromorph, or something along those lines. Again, this could make for some dynamic gameplay in the Iron Man game, as Tony could communicate differently with other characters depending on his situation. He might joke less, should he be low on health, for example. A version of this system was put into Marvel's Spider-Man, and it changed Peter's lines if he was partway through a web sling or in the middle of combat.
Apart from the work on its recent games, there is some experience within Motive Studio on Marvel titles in particular. The development team for the new Iron Man game is being headed by Motive Executive Producer Olivier Proulx, who previously worked on Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy. One of 2021's sleeper hits, Guardians of the Galaxy is a unique Marvel game, and one that Motive's Iron Man project should seek to follow. While there were flying sequences in Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy, the features from that game fans will likely want to see in the new Iron Man title are the humor and strong focus on narrative.
It is likely that Proulx was put at the forefront of the Iron Man project to ensure it takes more from Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy than it did from the panned Marvel's Avengers game. As the project is just in its beginning stages, there won't be any solid proof of that for a few years, but for those who can't wait to get their hands on some more Marvel games, there are plenty in the works. Also announced recently was the first title from Amy Hennig's Skydance Studios, which sees Black Panther and Captain America team up in World War 2.
An Iron Man game is currently in development.