EA Motive’s Iron Man Game Has a Tough Choice Ahead of It Regarding Gameplay

EA Motive's Iron Man Game Has a Tough Choice Ahead of It Regarding Gameplay

Highlights

  • EA and Marvel are teaming up to make an Iron Man game developed by EA Motive.
  • A recent job listing suggests the game may feature an open world.
  • Motive Studios should focus on quality side content and enjoyable exploration for the Iron Man game if it goes open world.

As a seasoned gamer who has navigated through countless open worlds and witnessed both the triumphs and pitfalls of this gameplay element, I can confidently say that Motive Studios has a golden opportunity with their upcoming Iron Man game. If they choose to go the open-world route, they need to tread carefully, avoiding the traps that have ensnared many other games in this genre.


2022 saw Electronic Arts (EA) team up with Marvel to develop a third-person single-player game featuring Iron Man. This project, as EA announced, is under production by Motive Studios, known for their works on “Star Wars: Squadrons” and the upcoming “Dead Space” remake in 2023. However, at the time of the announcement, there wasn’t much detail shared about the Iron Man game. In fact, all that was shown was a solitary piece of artwork depicting Iron Man himself. Since Motive Studios and EA revealed so little about the game initially, it’s clear that the project is still in its early stages and quite some time away from release.

It’s now been two years since Motive Studio unveiled their Iron Man video game, but Electronic Arts (EA) has remained largely silent about the project. However, a job posting on EA’s website hinted at what fans might anticipate from the upcoming Marvel venture. The job listing description indicated that the Iron Man game would likely offer an expansive open-world environment. If this turns out to be true, Motive Studios will need to carefully consider how they implement this gameplay feature, as open worlds can often be a two-edged sword.

Motive Studios Needs to Make the Right Choices if Its Iron Man Game Is Open World

Open World Games Can Be Hard to Master

As a gamer, I find open worlds to be quite a challenge when it comes to crafting an engaging experience within video games. When executed skillfully, these vast playgrounds offer rich, captivating adventures filled with countless hours of top-notch content for players to conquer and explore. However, if not done right, open worlds can transform what could have been a promising, linear game into a tedious, repetitive grind marathon riddled with unmemorable tasks and dull gameplay cycles. Given their hit-or-miss nature, the inclusion of open world aspects in games can sometimes spark a range of reactions from fellow gamers.

Speaking of which, there are numerous fantastic open-world games available today. Titles like “The Witcher 3,” “Elden Ring,” and “The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim” stand out among the crowd for their abundance of engaging content. These games avoid excessive filler and instead offer a wealth of intriguing side quests, each with unique, captivating characters and self-contained narratives. Additionally, they boast elements that make their open worlds more enthralling, such as multiple playthrough possibilities, a focus on player autonomy, and meticulously crafted, diverse locations.

Many open-world games such as Mafia 3, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, and Dynasty Warriors 9 have received mixed reviews. Despite their positive aspects, some players have complained about these games because they feel overly expansive, with large open worlds that are often filled with repetitive side activities. The main stories and characters in these games are also criticized for being shallow or lacking depth.

EA Motive’s Iron Man Game Should Take a Quality-Over-Quantity Approach With Side Content

As a dedicated fan, if the upcoming Iron Man game were to venture into an open-world setting, I believe it would be wiser for Motive Studios to prioritize quality over quantity in its development. Rather than overwhelming players with countless collectibles, enemy outposts, and communication towers, they could instead create engaging side quests and a variety of captivating locations to explore. Given Iron Man’s ability to fly, it would be an excellent opportunity for the team to emphasize verticality within the game’s open world. Additionally, introducing some choice-and-consequence mechanics into the side content could significantly boost its replay value.

Making Open World Exploration Fun Should Be a Priority for Motive Studios

If Motive Studios chooses to incorporate tedious tasks into the open-world of their Iron Man game rather than engaging content, they should draw inspiration from Insomniac’s Spider-Man games to manage these tasks effectively. Though both open-world superhero games contain a lot of repetitive side activities, exploring New York City remains exciting due to the thrill of swinging around as Spider-Man. In this case, Motive Studios could learn from Insomniac’s approach and ensure that flying around in Iron Man is so enjoyable that traversing the game’s open world remains engaging, even when players are given filler side missions.

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2024-08-19 22:13