Marvel's Master of the Mystic Arts has had a significant bump in popularity over the past few years, largely thanks to Benedict Cumberbatch's portrayal in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. His appearance in films like Avengers: Infinity War and Spider-Man: No Way Home has made the superhero more familiar to modern audiences, turning what was once a niche character into a household name. This success looks to possibly continue as rumors have begun circulating that Remedy Entertainment is developing a video game based on the Sorcerer Supreme.
This should be taken with a grain of salt, as nothing has yet been confirmed or even hinted at by the studio. However, the notion of the team behind paranormal action games like Control and Alan Wake potentially taking on Marvel's supernatural protagonist is compelling. Based on Remedy Entertainment's library of work, there are a number of reasons why Doctor Strange is a perfect fit for the studio's next big project.
Remedy and Alan Wake - Weird, Wondrous Worlds
Survival horror had always been a beloved genre, but Remedy put its own psychological spin on the formula with 2010's Alan Wake. The game followed the exploits of its titular character Alan Wake, a writer who travels to the misty town of Bright Falls to try and uncover the mystery behind his wife's sudden disappearance. The narrative only expands from there, but one of the main draws of the game is its outlandish and haunting visuals.
It became clear that the player couldn't trust their own eyes in this world, as many monsters that go bump in the night and other supernatural oddities crept around every corner. Considering this experience in crafting a world that is constantly packed with bizarre illusions and dark twists, Remedy would be a perfect fit for the eye-popping visuals often associated with Doctor Strange and the Marvel multiverse.
Doctor Strange and his enemies are able to warp environments to their will, and cast mind-bending spells that defy logic and reality itself. Doctor Strange also leans into elements of horror, since he often comes face-to-face with demons, monsters, and other unspeakable evils from dark dimensions. Remedy understands these themes, so transitioning to the world of a similar Marvel superhero wouldn't be much of a stretch.
Remedy and Control - Intense Paranormal Action
As immersive and eye-catching as world design may be, this can only take a game so far. Thankfully, Remedy also puts a lot of effort into bringing interesting new mechanics and concepts to the combat systems in its products. Control in particular received acclaim for its intense third-person shooting mixed with a bevy of powerful abilities.
While controlling Jesse Faden, players can conjure shields of energy at will, or launch an object across the room with telekinesis. Doctor Strange is a superhero unlike characters such as Wolverine or Spider-Man, relying less on physical attacks and more on energy-based, magical skills. Much like Jesse Faden, Strange can create barriers to protect himself or summon beams of magic to shoot at enemies. Swapping out Faden for Strange makes it easy to begin seeing all the pieces fall into place.
Control's many action set pieces existed within a sci-fi horror context, something Remedy had a clear vision for. If the studio were to adapt its ideas under the Marvel umbrella, it might have free rein to go even more bombastic and over-the-top with how the game's combat can be. Doctor Strange seems like a near limitless pool of potential for gaming opportunities, and Remedy Entertainment is a key studio that could tap into it.