You’ll be waiting a long time for EA’s Iron Man game
Stick on some AC/DC because a new Iron Man game is on the way. While there have been plenty of games to feature Tony Stark, the billionaire playboy has been unable to replicate his Marvel Cinematic Universe success in the world of video games.
Alongside three games based on the MCU movies, we had the disappointment of Iron Man VR. The latter should've been a hoot as we flew around in our Stark tech, but instead, it got a pretty average reception as any old flight simulator that had the Marvel label slapped on it.
Motive Studios gives us an Iron Man update
Click to enlargeAll of that could be about to change thanks to Motive Studio's upcoming Iron Man game. The developer is known for its work on the Dead Space remake, and while it's sad that there's no sign of a Dead Space 2 remake, an Iron Man outing could be just as exciting.
Giving impatient players an insight into what's going on with Iron Man, Motive General Manager Patrick Klaus posted an update on the official site. The big takeaway is that Iron Man will use Unreal Engine 5, joining the likes of The Witcher and Layers of Fear remakes, as well as new titles like Black Myth: Wukong.
Klaus promised UE5 will help "empower the dev team to work their magic and create something really special." As for where Mr. Stark is up to, Klaus warned, "We’re still early in pre-production and taking our time to make sure we set the best possible foundation for development."
For those expecting Iron Man to get a surprise drop in 2024, that seems impossible. Continuing on from February reports that production had started, Klaus added, "Already, we’re finding so many opportunities to explore story, design and gameplay with Iron Man, and it’s exciting to see the fantasy start coming alive."
Dead Space was described as a "big milestone" for Motive, being the studio's third game after supporting DICE and Criterion Games on Star Wars: Battlefront 2, then going solo on Star Wars: Squadrons. There's not much to go on with Iron Man, but at least things are chugging along.
Are we getting a Marvel Gaming Universe?
Click to enlargeWhile the likes of Universal's Dark Universe and the disappointment of the DC Extended Universe prove that shared continuity universes don't always work, Marvel could strike gold with its gaming branch. Although Marvel Game VP and Creative Director Bill Rosemann has shunned the idea of an MGU, things are always changing.
There was confusion surrounding where Spider-Man, Guardians of the Galaxy, and Marvel's Avengers fit together, with many calling it a missed opportunity that they didn't share the same universe. We assume Insomniac's Wolverine will slot in alongside its Spider-Man games, but what about a wider world to share?
Even if Motive and Insomniac aren't holding covert meetings about how the games can work together, expect Iron Man to follow in Spider-Man's footsteps with a slew of winks and nods to the heroes and villains of Marvel Comics. Either way, we're excited for Iron Man to take flight - whenever that is.
