Wonder Womanhasa long history of appearing in video games, but has never been the star of a game. While the equally-iconic Batman and Superman get game after game, reboot after reboot, Wonder Woman has been constantly relegated to the sidelines. Nearly all her appearances have been either as an NPC in a supporting role, or as part of a large ensemble of playable heroes. AWonder Womangame is somethingplayers have wanted for a long time. For Wonder Woman fans it can be frustrating to see yetanother Batmangame or movie when Diana of Themyscira has barely been touched. Fortunately, that is about to change.
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At the 2021 game awards, it was announced that aWonder Womanvideo game isfinallybeing made. Fans were ecstatic at the news,even if they may have to waitfor it. But there is more this game can do than simply bring DC’s greatest hero into the spotlight. Wonder Woman has some unique qualities compared to other superheroes. There have been a lot of Superhero games in recent years, from theArkhamseries toMarvel’s Spider-Man, but a game centered aroundWonder Woman could put a refreshing spin on the genre that allows it to stand apart.
5Diana’s Empathy
A lot of recent Superhero games have displayed a “tough on crime” attitude. Both theArkhamandMarvel’s Spider-Manheavily feature the player running around dealing with robberies and drug deals through brute force. Setting aside the fact that beating up random criminals is not an effective crime-fighting technique (and in fact may make the problem even worse), it has become something of a cliche. Aside from both the aforementioned series,the same approach is also likely for the upcomingArkham Knights. Diana may be an Amazonian warrior, and the developers will certainly want to make use of this, but simply punching street thugs until they’re incapacitated doesn’t really suit her character.
One of Wonder Woman’s defining traits isvaluing love over force. She can fight when she has to, but she always tries to be empathetic. This is something the video game needs to make a point of emphasizing. It would be refreshing to see a superhero game where the player has to rely on tactics other than timed smackdowns in between cartoonish antagonists defined by a single gimmick. They could even incorporate this into gameplay, perhaps having the player rewarded for finding alternative solutions and penalized for directly attacking people.
4Diana’s Abilities
It makes sense that in a superhero game, the player would have access to the character’s powers. A Superman game in which the player couldn’t fly or a Spider-Man game that didn’t involve shooting webs would be extremely counter-intuitive. But Diana doesn’t have as much in the way of gimmicky powers. The developers would almost certainly want to make mechanics of the abilities she does have, like blocking bullets and using the lasso of truth, but Diana has one thing that a lot of superheroes don’t have- a background as an amazon warrior.
Diana is trained in a variety of Ancient Greek fighting styles, and this is something the developers could incorporate into gameplay. They could take a few cues fromAssassin’s Creed: OdysseyorImmortals: Fenyx Risingto explore a more distinct fighting style that relies heavily on swordplay and agility supported by her more superhuman abilities. They could even include options for the player to experiment with different combinations of weapons from the Ancient Greek World, allowing for different playstyles. This would also allow it to stand apart from other recent Greek-themed titles by playing with the idea of Diana using these fighting styles in a modern setting.
3Versatile Gameplay
A lot of Superheroes have a very definitive fighting style, trademark weapons, or powers. Batman uses a combination of punching mixed with an excessive array of Bat-themed gadgets,Spider-Man uses a combination of parkour and web-slinging, and this tends to impact gameplay.Marvel’s Spider-Mangives the player options for different tools, but they all serve a gameplay style centered around mobile web-slinging. Batman’s gadgets might very, but they always serve a similar function of ambushing and beating enemies into submission. Wonder Woman has a bit more room for flexibility, which could be to the game’s advantage.
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Diana certainly has her own unique set of skills and powers, which should definitely be integrated into gameplay. Players should be able to block bullets and wield the lasso of truth, but different playersmay adopt different ways of using those abililties in game. Some players might prefer a warrior build that relies on primarily on sword and shield while others may prefer to rely heavily on powers and agility. This level of flexibility would leave room for different players to make a very different Wonder Woman.
2Unique Setting
Many superheroes are tied to a particular setting. For Batman it is Gotham; for Superman it is Metropolis; for Spider-Man it is New York. A lot of these heroes operate in dense urban centers, and this is one thing that sets Wonder Woman apart. While she is a bit more flexible in terms of setting, Diana is tied to one particular location-Themyscira, home of the Amazons. This is much more unique location compared to others. Themyscira isn’t a dense city in the same sense as Gotham or Metropolis. The more urban parts of the island are designed with an Ancient Greek aesthetic, not a modern one. This offers potential for a refreshingly new setting compared to the likes of theArkhamseries orGotham Knights.
Fortunately there is some evidence that this might actually be happening. The description of the game’s story claims it will “allow players to become Diana of Themyscira in the fightto unite her Amazon familyand the humans from the modern world.” Although not definitive confirmation, it does imply that the Amazons will play a major role in the story which in turn suggests Themyscira will appear in some form.
1The Antagonist
Let’s face it, Batman’s nemeses are pretty cartoonish and one-dimensional. Despite repeated efforts to be dark and gritty, nearly every opponent he goes against is defined by a single gimmick. Joker is chaotic and unpredictable, Mr. Freeze likes to freeze things, Two-Face has a partially disfigured face and likes to make decisions based on a coin toss, the Riddler likes to make riddles, the Penguin uses umbrellas to solve every problem. And this does carry over into the games.Wonder Womancould break this trend by trying to produce a more compelling antagonist.
So far there is no information about the game’s antagonist. It is unclear if itwill be someone from the comicsor a new character. But either way it would be refreshing to have an opponent who actually has complexity, depth, and understandable motivations or goals instead of flashy gimmicks. Such an opponent would be fitting to Diana’s empathetic nature, as she can actually relate to their problems instead of jumping straight to the most extreme measures.
Wonder Womanis in development for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
