Black Panther Open-World Game On The Way?
Wakanda Forever!
Thanks to the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever reveal trailer highlights during Marvel’s San Diego Comic-Con presentation last week, the character of Black Panther has once again taken his (or perhaps hers) rightful place in the spotlight. It’s been three years since we last saw the Wakandan king and almost two years since the untimely passing of Chadwick Boseman — whose portrayal of the character is nothing short of legendary — but the presence of the character was noted in other media as well.
The character has made several prominent entries in the gaming industry, the most notable of which was his appearance in Marvel’s Avenger’s expansion called War for Wakanda. It didn’t only introduce Black Panther to the game’s narrative; the expansion also fixed some of the game’s biggest bugs and glitches, saving it from a total disaster. Now, according to The Direct, a Twitter user @Nibellion has revealed news about a new video game in development centered around Marvel’s Black Panther.
According to the report, the game is currently being developed by EA Games, or some of its numerous subsidiaries, under the codename “Project Rainier.” The game is conceptualized as an open-world single-player game in which the players actually get to become the new Black Panther. The Direct’s report is somewhat unclear on whether this is an adaptation of Black Panther’s origin story or just another Black Panther action title.
We’re not surprised at the lack of information, considering that the game is reportedly still in its very early development. Industry insider Jeff Grubb shared that the game will start with the death of the previous Black Panther and the player taking on the mantle and various challenges associated with the Wakandan crown. However, projects can get canceled and changed even in later stages of development, as seen by the recent report regarding the Knights of the Old Republic remake.
There’s no telling just how the final game will turn out or which one of Marvel’s established characters players may end up as the game’s protagonist, providing an opportunity for an entertaining personalization to the gaming experience and the overall Black Panther comic book mythos. With that said, various reports suggest that the new Black Panther game will be an open-world experience, which wouldn’t be all that surprising.
Numerous games from Marvel’s catalog have received an open-world treatment. The aforementioned Marvel’s Avengers isn’t actually an open-world game, but the in-game environments are incredibly massive and immersive. The Spider-Man and Miles Morales games (whose sequel features fan-favorite villains) have expansive open-world environments allowing a truly immersive Web-Slinger experience, and considering Black Panther’s affinity for acrobatics; it’s completely viable to build the upcoming game as an open-world.
Lastly, Kevin Stephen’s name is worth mentioning since he’s reportedly in charge of this project. Kevin is a former VP at Monolith Studios, which was responsible for massive projects like Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor and Shadow of War, both of which are third-person open-world action adventures with review ratings well above 90%. If Stephen’s involvement is true, as well as the entire report regarding the Black Panther game’s development, the gaming community is in for a real treat.
