Forget Spider-Man and Batman, why not just give the famous Black Panther his own solo video game? If he was underrated before his live-action debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, he has certainly reached the level of fame he very well deserves by now. T’Challa is one of those rare superheroes that the comic book world really needs. Just think about what he represents. The first real black superhero to make his way on a page of a comic book and be a symbol of cultural representation and progression for the black community is quite an achievement. That’s why the Black Panther movie was so well-received by critics and fans, as it basically serves as a testament to what comic book movies should do going forward. Delivering on that long-overdue diversity in comic book movies is something everyone should want. Because of Black Panther, we are now getting that.
But we’re not talking about the MCU Black Panther right now (a little more later), because he’s making a major appearance in another Marvel property. Remember the Marvel’s Avengers game from Square Enix last year? Well, if you do, you just might be in the minority. Sad to say, there isn’t a large amount of gamers out there who are still playing the game. Heck, I started playing it last year and I’m not even halfway through it. Yes, I do like it, but I can see why so many gamers have turned away from it. It’s fun and it lets you play as the major members of the Avengers, but all the micro transactions and short story mode really neutered its replay value.
And what’s the solution to earn back those uninterested gamers? Well, Square Enix and Crystal Dynamics is upping the ante with some additional add-on content in the form of playing as other Marvel characters. We’ve already had two DLC expansions delivered to us with Kate Bishop and Clint Barton, aka Hawkeye, taking center stage. Those were met with somewhat decent reception, but that’s unfortunately not enough to win back those fans. Well, maybe this new DLC expansion might do the trick. And guess who’s taking the spotlight this time around? Everyone’s favorite African monarch/superhero, the Black Panther.
If you haven’t checked out the trailer for the new expansion, I suggest you do so. The expansion, called War for Wakanda, has you play as T’Challa in his very cool Black Panther outfit, with all the awesome abilities that come with it. Everything you saw the MCU version did in the movies, this Black Panther seems to be able to pull off. It looks like he’ll be a blast to play as and if you still own the game, you now have the chance. Just watch the trailer and it just might win you over. As I said before, I haven’t finished the game, but I’m tempted to get this expansion just to play as the very awesome Black Panther.
Just watching the trailer made me realize something. Marvel fanatics and gamers really enjoyed playing the Spider-Man game from 2018, because it did the character justice. Oh, and of course, the game itself was loads of fun. The point is, if we can play a new Spider-Man game that sells, we can certainly get a good Black Panther game. This DLC can give us just a small taste of what it will be like to play as Black Panther and I can already say that fans will want more. Based on the reviews for the War for Wakanda expansion, this actually seems like it’s worth your time.
Now I’m kind of fanboying here, but if this really gets fans to revisit the Avengers game again, could it be possible for Square Enix and Crystal Dynamics to pursue a solo game focused on Black Panther? Well, never say never, but I say why not? We’ve done the dance with the most popular superheroes before, like Spider-Man, Batman, and Superman (although it was terrible), so now it’s time to give us a hero who hasn’t had the same treatment. If not enough people are on the Black Panther train already, a solo game will help out.
So let’s just take a minute to think about what kind of game we’d be in for. Maybe we should start with what we’re getting in the War for Wakanda DLC. Who is he fighting and who is he fighting with? The obvious answer for both questions is his archenemy, Ulysses Klaue, and his younger sister, Shuri. In the trailer, we got clear views of them and they had plenty of dialogue. In fact, Kalue made it clear that he’s the main antagonist for the expansion and he’s even taking full, giant form to fight Black Panther. But he also has an army of heavily armed mercenaries at his beck and call. These enemies are ideal for a game and we can get more enemies like this in a solo game.
But if you watch the full trailer, you might see a familiar face. In a blink-and-you-miss-it moment, you’ll see Crossbones ready to fight. Now he’s not an enemy of Black Panther, but including him in the DLC does make sense. He’s a mercenary and he’s useful to invade Wakanda. This makes me wonder what other kind of enemies you’d be fighting in a Black Panther game. For starters, how about the obvious ones? If he’s going to tango with some heavy-hitters, he’ll have to fight enemies like Erik Killmonger, Man-Ape, White Wolf, and even Namor. I can already see in my mind what kind of boss fights those would be like in a solo game. I would very much love to see that and play it even more.
And yes, the trailer does show some Avengers. More specifically, we get to see both Captain America and Iron Man fight alongside Black Panther. The solo game can be connected and having that advantage means he can fight enemies who aren’t normally associated with him. For instance, maybe Baron Zemo or the Mandarin will set their eyes on Wakanda to obtain some vibranium. That would be a more unexpected turn, but it would be a fun one. Being able to play as Black Panther and fight his colorful rogues gallery sounds like a fun time to me.
So what are your thoughts, Marvel fans? Does a solo Black Panther game sound fun to you? I think this is something that should be pursued and if it does, then fans will go for it. We need more T’Challa and this could be a way to get more of him. Maybe it’s time to get this DLC now.Namor
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