Monolith's upcoming Wonder Woman game is likely to take inspiration from the character's more traditional comics, but a game inspired by Daniel Warren Johnson's Dead Earth story could make for a much more unique title. Superhero video games are well known for their massive open worlds, menus full of powerups and abilities, and a host of villains to provide a challenge for the hero and for the player. While these elements may be coming to this Wonder Woman title, divesting from the norm and situating the game in Dead Earth's apocalyptic setting could help it stand out from the competition. Warren Johnson's story saw Wonder Woman team up with villains and confront old allies, and subverting expectations in this way could make for a title with a metal approach and an even greater emotional payoff.

The new Wonder Woman game is being developed by Monolith, who tackled the Lord of the Rings franchise twice in the last decade with the Middle-earth series, bringing fans an original tale in the lands of Mordor while also introducing new gameplay systems, such as the iconic Nemesis system. With the Nemesis system expected to return in Wonder Woman, it could benefit even more from being set in a world inspired by the Dead Earth graphic novel. As Diana, players could hunt down apocalyptic warlords based in Wonder Woman's lore and Middle-earth's system throughout the endless wasteland of a shattered Earth. On top of that, a system like this could also extend into gaining more advanced gear, as higher-level enemies could reward the player with better loot. Wonder Woman has been known to wield a large variety of mythological weapons in DC's comics, and a post-apocalyptic setting could put a fresh twist on some of the more familiar ones.

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While the vast majority of superhero games have taken from more traditional interpretations, now might be the best time to take a different approach. Batman: Arkham was a unique interpretation of the Dark Knight's comics but the games were, by and large, traditional, in that they spotlighted a version of Gotham familiar from the source material. Marvel's Spider-Man differs from the comics in a great many ways, but it's still a version of Peter Parker that is familiar to most. A Wonder Woman game based on Dead Earth would be the exact opposite of those two franchises, and could help inject a further jolt of energy into the superhero genre in video games.

A Dead Earth Wonder Woman Game Could Be Similar To Fallout

Looking at apocalyptic games that a Dead Earth Wonder Woman could be similar to, the Fallout franchise seems like a strong candidate, as it has most of the ingredients that could compliment a Wonder Woman story. The Fallout series spans over an apocalyptic America, is filled with mutated and irradiated creatures, and contains legendary equipment that could mirror the same type of loot that mythological creatures and a post-apocalyptic society would create. While Fallout is a first-person shooter set hundreds of years in the future, and Wonder Woman will most likely be a third-person action-adventure, a Dead Earth-inspired game would have many similarities with Bethesda's fan-favorite franchise.

There is one particular mechanic that could be included in an apocalyptic Wonder Woman game that would be a first for the superhero video game genre - that being Fallout 4's underused location-based settlement system. Wonder Woman is a character who is known for her humanity and courage, and adding a settlement system for her to care for would work well in a post-apocalyptic setting, providing a steady stream of quests and a way to rebuild the world. While Monolith's upcoming title may focus more on the action-adventure themes, a settlement system would complement a world set in the Dead Earth universe and would act as a foundation to grow and evolve as the game progresses.

Wonder Woman Could Rebuild An Apocalyptic Dead Earth

Along with the Fallout series serving as potential inspiration for a Wonder Woman game set in a Dead Earth setting, another game that could influence the world and Wonder Woman's Nemesis system is the 2015 Mad Max video game. Within the Mad Max title, the player has the opportunity to conquer enemy occupied regions of the map and rebuild strongholds to maintain influence in the area. These strongholds also provide the player with valuable resources that can help upgrade equipment, something which could be useful in a Dead Earth-inspired world. While Wonder Woman is conquering the wasteland and battling mythological enemies, strongholds and settlements could provide a stream of resources to help aid the player in their journey.

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Monolith could also use this opportunity to carry over some of the best elements from its Middle-earth series beyond its Nemesis system, such as its enemy strongholds, its region-based quest design, and its brutal combat. These elements could set apart a Wonder Woman game from Batman or Superman and make her corner of the genre unique. And even though Diana is known for her elegance and compassion, she can also be known for her strength and brutality on the battlefield, proving that she is truly the daughter of Zeus in times of war. The Middle-earth games focused on its hardcore combat, so an apocalyptic Wonder Woman could take influence and provide the player the opportunity to role play as both sides of Wonder Woman by exhibiting elements of her gentleness and ferocity.

While Monolith is most likely going for a more traditional route with this action-adventure Wonder Woman game, adapting one of DC's most hardcore Wonder Woman stories would be a unique take for the genre and present new ways for players to roam through a wasteland grounded in superhero history. Even though Marvel dominated the market with the release of Marvel's Spider-Man, the upcoming Wonder Woman game could catch up with Marvel and its recent slate of titles. Dead Earth is unlikely to be an inspiration, but its vibrant world and devastating story could make for the perfect video game premise.

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