Insomniac Games announced Marvel's Wolverine last year much to the excitement of comic and gaming fans, but long-running villain/antihero Venom may be a better choice to receive a game of their own. Although Insomniac's upcoming superhero project has a lot of promise and could even lead to a full X-Men game, Wolverine has had plenty of time in the spotlight when it comes to both video games and movies. Eddie Brock may arguably not be as charismatic as Logan, but a game centered on Venom would be breath of fresh air and could offer loads of unique gameplay content.
Venom was playable in the criminally underrated Ultimate Spider-Man game from 2005 and will be making an appearance in Marvel's Spider-Man 2, but the symbiote-wearing villain-cum-antihero has been noticeably absent from the video game sphere when compared to other popular characters. This disparity can be observed when looking at the X-Men Origins: Wolverine video game, which centers solely on the famed mutant and is generally considered to be a solid release. Venom, on the other hand, has no solo adventure titles to speak of, and is perhaps best known for his messed-up gameplay mechanics in Ultimate Spider-Man.
By releasing a full game centered around Venom, Insomniac (or another studio) could take a swing at the stranger side of superhero content and offer an experience unlike any other. Venom is extremely powerful and has a specific set of powers, which could make for some cool moment-to-moment gameplay as well as some interesting overarching mechanics and progression options. Venom stories, while they can sometimes be difficult to get right, can also be incredibly satisfying and engaging, and a playable narrative centered on the character could go in a number of interesting directions, spanning the cosmic corners of the Marvel universe all the way back to Spider-Man's home of NYC.
Venom's Powers Could Lead to Better Gameplay Than Wolverine's
None of Marvel's Wolverine's potentially violent gameplay has been revealed at the time of writing, but there's a risk that it could wind up being a bit old hat and derivative of classic beat-em-ups like the original God of War games. Wolverine, while brutal, aggressive, and deadly, only has one real approach to combat scenarios: rush in and attack wildly. This is because his main offensive powers of retractable claws and super strength only allow for this type of up close and personal strategy, with few options available when it comes to stealth or ranged combat. If Insomniac were to stray too far away from this baseline, Marvel's Wolverine could end up betraying the core of the iconic hero.
Venom, on the other hand, is a subject that can offer much more versatile and experimental gameplay rivaling even the most absurd Marvel's Spider-Man mods. In most iterations of the character, the Venom symbiote infects Peter Parker before moving on to Eddie Brock, meaning that Brock gets access to some of Spider-Man's abilities in addition to greatly enhanced strength, deadly claws, and sharp teeth. Because of these powers, a Venom game could provide players with much of the same brutal and quick melee combat as Marvel's Wolverine, but with the added twist of Venom's biomass and tendrils playing a role, perhaps through special abilities or ranged attacks similar to how Kratos throws the Blades of Chaos in 2018's God of War. Venom has also been shown to have various shapeshifting abilities, though the extent of these abilities can vary from story to story, with some iterations of the character going as far as growing wings when the need arises.
A playable Venom would differ from Peter Parker or Miles Morales, and this could be evident in how the character would traverse the world. Again, it's unclear just how Wolverine will navigate his environment in his game, but his options are somewhat limited when compared to what Venom has at his disposal. Since Venom has some of the powers of Spider-Man, he could maintain a certain level of agility and speed by swinging through New York City (or some other environment) with his tendrils and webs. Because of his size, however, Venom's movement could be much weightier and more impactful, with him perhaps breaking windows or cracking concrete whenever he lands. In this way, Venom could traverse the game world by employing a unique blend of elegant acrobatics and hard-hitting momentum.
Eddie & Venom's Relationship Could Make For A Gripping Game Story
Marvel's Wolverine is set to have motion-captured animation, high-fidelity graphics, and presumably a tight, well-written narrative typical of video games coming from Sony's first-party studios. With that said, gaming, comics, and film fans have already seen countless stories centered on this character, and while Logan's dark backstory, gruff personality, and relationships can make for some truly gripping tales, audiences may be ready for something else. Venom is a great subject for a stranger and more intriguing story, as Eddie Brock's struggle with the symbiote offers a unique premise. Recent comics have seen him take on a more cosmic focus, wielding the power of both Thor's hammer, Mjolnir, and the Silver Surfer's surfboard in a bid to destroy the god that created the symbiotes - Knull.
Mainstream audiences may be most familiar with the character of Venom from the recent Sony films starring Tom Hardy. These movies take a tongue-in-cheek, comedic approach to the character that pulls from some of his more wacky and cartoonish comics. This story and the goofy relationship between Brock and the Symbiote is entertaining, but their dynamic can also be put at the center of a darker, more mature plot. Marvel's Spider-Man had some great worldbuilding that underpinned serious emotional moments, and this same storytelling philosophy can be applied to a Venom game. This hypothetical game wouldn't have to be depressing or outright disturbing, but Brock's (or another host's) struggle between doing the right thing and the influence of the symbiote could present a gripping story, one that players could perhaps engage with through Mass Effect-style choices.
Marvel's Wolverine has a solid foundation to work from, a beloved character at its center, and is being helmed by one of the best organizations in the AAA gaming space. As such, it is sure to be fun and gratifying experience for many. However, Insomniac will have to work hard to set the game apart from other Wolverine-centric games and movies, whereas a Venom game would present a more or less blank slate when it comes to gameplay and storytelling. Venom might be playable in Marvel's Spider-Man 2, but this popular character deserves his own video game, arguably more than Wolverine.