Summary
A new rumor suggests thatMarvel’s Bladecould have a morality system similar to the ones found in theInfamousgames. At The Game Awards 2023, Bethesda andDeathloopdeveloper Arkane Studios announced a video game based on Blade, the legendary vampire hunter from Marvel Comics. Not much else is known aboutMarvel’s Bladeat the moment, save that it will apparently take the Daywalker to a vampire-infested Paris and that it will be a narrative-driven, third-person action-adventure game.
Fans who know Blade from the Marvel comics and live-action movies of the early 2000s know that he is no ordinary vampire hunter. Eric Brooks was born part-vampire, with enhanced strength, speed, and anenhanced healing factor similar to Wolverine. As a downside to these abilities, Blade struggles with a vampire’s thrust for blood, which has the potential to make him become as much of a threat to the world as the monsters he hunts every night should he fail to keep it under control. He also has a much darker approach to fighting evil than more traditional Marvel heroes like Spider-Man, something that Arkane could explore inMarvel’s Blade.
Earlier this week, Double-Barrel Gaming shared somerumored information aboutMarvel’s Blade, including how it might feature a morality system shaped by the player’s actions. According to the YouTube channel’s sources, Arkane is considering a system similar to the one found in Sucker Punch’sInfamousgames, though there is reportedly no word on this decision being finalized.
Marvel’s Blade Could Have An Infamous-Style Morality System
In theInfamousgames, players could shape the morality of superhuman characters like Cole McGrath and Delsin Rowe by attacking NPCs and making either “Good” or “Evil” narrative choices, unlocking abilities and alternate story endings specific to each path. This would result in theplayable protagonists of theInfamousserieslooking different based on their alignment, and civilians would react differently to them depending on their actions.
Such a morality system wouldlend itself well toMarvel’s Bladegiven Blade’s nature as a human/vampire hybrid and dark antihero. Perhaps Arkane could offer the player the choice to restore health by feeding on NPC civilians, granting Blade increased power at the cost of tarnishing his moral alignment. The player could also choose to take a more violent and destructive approach to vampire hunting or possibly offer to spare certain targets who could become allies later. It isn’t clear at this point ifMarvel’s Bladewill even have a morality system, let alone how it would be implemented, but there are plenty of possibilities for gamers to shape the path of the Daywalker however they see fit.
Marvel’s Blade
Marvel’s Blade is in development at Arkane Lyon, which developed Deathloop and Dishonored. It is a mature single-player third-person adventure game set in Paris, where players take on the role of the titular and beloved comic book hero.
