For Game Dreaming, we look to our favorite comics, movies and television shows and imagine them as AAA video games. By using existing games as a starting point, and adding in a healthy dose of imagination, we examine how the game might play, what it might look like and what it would be about in order to create the licensed games of our dreams.
This week we are imagining what the perfect Daredevil game for Xbox One and PlayStation 4 might play like.
Heightened senses. Martial arts mastery. An in-depth understanding of the American legal system. Oh, and a badass costume. That's Daredevil, and the Hero of Hell's Kitchen's star is definitely on the rise, given the recent success of Netflix's Daredevil TV drama.
But why stop at TV? The ongoing saga of the Man Without Fear would lend itself perfectly to the realm of video games, and now is the perfect time. The character's popularity is at an all-time high, and Marvel desperately needs to break into the video game world in a big way.
A top-notch Daredevil game is just the way to do it. Imagine it: breakneck rooftop chases across an open world New York City, brutal hand-to-hand combat and, of course, a bloody and tragic tale to wrap it all together. We've seen the character in a few Marvel games in the past, like in Marvel Heroes, Marvel Ultimate Alliance and as a guest star in various Spider-Man games, but never has the hero been the star of the show. Unless you count the Gameboy Advance game based on the Daredevil film, which we try our best to ignore.
Using existing games as a starting point, and filling in the details with our own imaginations, we dream about what an official Daredevil video game might look like.
Gameplay
A Daredevil video game has to have two things: fast-paced melee combat and plenty of buildings to climb on and leap across. After all, Daredevil spends much of his time patrolling the rooftops of Hell's Kitchen, on the prowl for criminals.
When you say melee combat in today's current video game landscape, one game series comes to mind: the Batman: Arkham games. The formula of attack, counter and gadgets established by Rocksteady has become a clear winner, with similar controls appearing in numerous other games, like Shadow of Mordor and the upcoming Mad Max.
It's a setup that would work beautifully in a Daredevil game. Like Batman, Daredevil is a skilled martial-artist, capable of fighting multiple opponents at once in hand-to-hand combat, as seen in the incredible hallway brawl from the show:
Like in the comics and the show, the basics of fighting could be taught by Daredevil's sensei, of sorts, Stick, in the form of a tutorial. But on the streets of New York, not every encounter is going involve fists and knives. Thugs would often be equipped with firearms, and that could spell a quick and bloody end to our hero.
That's where Daredevil's signature billy clubs come in. In addition to being usable in melee combat, these two clubs also serve as a handy way to take out enemies from afar. In the Netflix show, we see Daredevil use his heightened senses to bounce and ricochet his billy clubs off walls and objects in order to take down opponents. This would be a great way to disarm dangerous opponents from the shadows, and would require a more tactical approach to entering a combat encounter than simply walking into a fight with fists flying.
Speaking of heightened sense, here, too, we look to the Batman games for inspiration. Rather than the "Detective mode" seen in Rocksteady's games, Daredevil's heightened "Radar Sense" would allow him to detect objects, enemies and more in a similar manner. Being able to sense heart rates, visualize noise and see through walls would bring an authentic Daredevil feel to the game.
This could be tied directly into the game's open world exploration. Similar to Assassin's Creed, where a parkour system allows players to scale buildings and leap from rooftop to rooftop, Daredevil could use his radar senses to identify pipes, windows, fire escapes and other means of navigating an open world Hell's Kitchen. Free-running over obstacles and across gaps could lead to some great chase sequences, as Daredevil hunts down criminals attempting to escape.
An open world Hell's Kitchen without anything to do isn't any fun, so that's why different regions of the map would be controlled by the various organizations that comprise the criminal underworld. Similar to forts in Assassin's Creed, taking down the leaders of various gangs at hideouts sprinkled throughout the city would reduce a group's control over certain areas, allowing Daredevil to more freely navigate the area without getting into a scrap and liberating the region from fear of violent gangsters.
But Daredevil isn't all about being a costumed hero. It's also about Matt Murdock, the man behind the mask who works as a lawyer by day. Taking cues from L.A. Noire, Matt and his partner Foggy would meet potential clients and interview them, and it would be up to the player to determine whether or not they are telling the truth using Matt's heightened senses.
Visuals
What's the best look for Daredevil? The character has seen multiple looks and styles over the years. He is a comic book hero, one that has been portrayed in both a dark, gritty noir fashion, but also in the more light-hearted and colorful tone of the ongoing Daredevil series from Mark Waid.
Cel-shaded, comic book inspired graphics or a more realistic look, to accurately match the tone of the show? A more realistic approach is probably best. Frank Miller's down-in-the-gutter take on the Man without Fear is where the show has primarily drawn its inspiration, and would be the look hardcore and casual Daredevil fans alike would be most familiar with.
Story
When it comes down to story, the options are near limitless. Developers could adapt the television show, a famous comic book storyline or create a brand new tale. For our money, a Batman: Arkham style approach sounds best. Rocksteady took Batman and his iconic cast of supporting characters and crafted their own, self-contained universe, one that has spawned four games and multiple comic book series.
An original tale drawing inspiration from some of Daredevil's greatest stories sounds too good to pass up. Kingpin would almost have to be involved, but characters like Bullseye, Elektra and even Spider-Man are perfect to include as well. And Foggy. Foggy is important, because while Daredevil is half about a costumed hero beating up baddies, it's also about the duality between being a lawyer by day and vigilante at night. Matt's job as a lawyer would need to play a substantial role in the narrative, as players move from case to case piecing together defenses that occasionally require Matt to don his superhero costume in order to uncover the truth.
There is no better time for a Daredevil video game. Combining the combat of the Batman: Arkham series with the open-world exploration of Assassin's Creed, Marvel could have a real hit on its hands if it could take those two core concepts and expand upon them in ways true to the Daredevil name. We've done all the heavy lifting, Marvel. The ball is in your court.
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