Why Arkane Should Go The “Dishonored But Third Person” Route With Marvel’s Blade

Whether you’re a kid or an adult, the concept of superheroes has always been fascinating. Even more so in video games, where you embody your chosen character and save the day. Thankfully, we have some pretty impressive superhero games to fulfill this fantasy. Don the cape of the Dark Knight or swing around the city as the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, the possibilities are endless. It’s a shame we don’t have a Superman game yet, but we’ll get there hopefully.

All of these are well-known heroes everyone has encountered at some point, so today, let’s discuss a more obscure character: Blade. TGA 2023 was full of exciting reveals, and it felt a lot like E3. Among those announcements was a new Blade game under work at Arkane, the developers of Dishonored. Yeah, you heard me right; A dishonored-style Blade game has just become a very realistic possibility, and I couldn’t be more excited.

A New Blade Game By Arkane? Sign Me Up

How long has it been since the last Blade game? Well, the character has continued to appear in crossover games, but the last solo Blade game was in 2002, the movie tie-in ones. First, we get the news of Blade returning to the big screen and joining the MCU, and later, he makes a video game appearance after a hiatus of two decades, Blade fans are surely eating good. 

I always found Blade as a character to be highly interesting, and although the games were not that good, they were still entertaining. Who doesn’t want to be a badass vampire killer with his vampiric skills and trusty weapons to rely on? I know I do, and that’s why I loved the ability to play as Blade. I’m sure if I play the PS2 titles now, I’ll find a lot of flaws, but times back then were a lot simpler. The young me just wanted to hack away at enemies to be happy.

However, things are different now, and this new Marvel’s Blade has a lot riding on it, especially since the past games were just alright. Clunky gameplay mechanics, dated visuals, and a weak storyline will no longer cut it. The gameplay in particular, for a character such as Blade, combat is going to be the core of the game. Still, I don’t think we have to worry that much, as we have Dishonored Devs at the helm of this project.

Dishonored Was The Peak Of Stealth Action Games, And I Need The Third Entry

Technically, it won’t be the third entry since Death of the Outsider exists, but that game is a lot more a Dishonored 2 DLC than a separate game, so it’s not the Dishonored 3 we look forward to. Anyway, regardless of the entry number debate, the point is that Dishonored needs to make a return. It’s too good to be left unattended and after the two brilliant games, fans are left craving for more.

So what exactly is Dishonored? It’s a first-person action game where you control Corvo in the first game, and either Corvo or Emily in the second. The premise is the existence of the Outsiders, a supernatural entity that imparts superpowers to you, and you use them on your quest for truth. It might seem simple, but the bulk of this series’ greatness lies in the gameplay. You are free to adopt either a stealth approach by making creative use of your abilities or go on a killing spree.

Dishonored: Holy ****, this game blew me away!
byu/Tidezen inpatientgamers

The abilities are so appropriately designed they complement either of the playstyles pretty well. Most of all, they give you blinking-fast mobility. Maneuvering around to confuse the enemies has to be the game’s most satisfying mechanic. It’s truly a shame we didn’t get a new entry. When the Arkane and Bethesda logos appeared, I was pretty sure here comes Dishonored 3. But I’ll be honest with you, Marvel’s Blade might be an even better outcome.

Arcane Lyons new title is a third person Blade action game and not DISHONORED 3
byu/Quelanight2324 indishonored

A Dishonored-Style Level Design In Marvel’s Blade Could Be A Dream Come True

Marvel’s Blade might not be the Dishonored 3 everyone was looking forward to, but Blade is a character that can fit extremely well in a Dishonored-like setting, minus the fancy superpowers of course. All he has is his trusty arsenal of weapons, super strength, and a healing factor, so kind of like Wolverine, if you will. But that is all he needs to eliminate any vampire in his sights. And Dishonored’s level design can become the perfect playground.

You might say that Blade is going to be third-person, so it can’t be the same as Dishonored. To this, I reply that who says Dishonored only has the first-person thing that Blade can take? Dishonored is filled with creative environments, enemy placements forcing you to think, and interactive puzzles for maximum immersion. Considering Blade’s nature, he can utilize his surroundings to better dispatch the enemies. Of course, the option to go straight into the lion’s den exists too, if you’re bold enough.

Blade is a perfect match tonally and in content for the studio that made Dishonored and Deathloop. A fan of Dishonored has every reason to be excited.
byu/Kill_Welly indishonored

Another important feature to consider is how Dishonored incorporates creative mechanics in its missions. An example is the dual-worlds mechanic briefly presented at the Crack in the Slab mission, now that was peak level design. Since Blade will be set in the Marvel-verse, there’ll be no shortage of items or relics he can employ, and a creative item could do wonders. Similarly, the game can feature missions where you infiltrate enemy HQs, and have to plan your approach. The possibilities are endless.

“Effect and Cause” and “A Crack in the Slab” my beloveds
byu/derpicface indishonored

Above All, Arkane Should Hold Nothing Back On Violence In Marvel’s Blade

Although we don’t know if Arkane plans to go the Dishonored route with Blade, which I think it should, the one thing that a Blade game genuinely needs is a very accurate depiction of the character. That includes all the violence and gore he inflicts on his opponents, or the kind of wounds he himself might receive. Other gameplay mechanics are up to everyone’s preference, but I think this is a point Blade fans will all agree with, Blade needs to be as brutal as he is.

Blade being PG13 is really lame
byu/OvOxO225 inmarvelstudios

This is something I’ll say for the Marvel Wolverine game as well as this one, they need to make full use of their mature rating and go as authentically violent as possible. Blade has no regard for the bloodthirsty vampires he brutally slaughters, the developers shouldn’t have any either. A game with Dishonored’s level of design and creativity, and the violence and brutality of say, X-Men Origins: Wolverine would honestly be a dream project for me.

If we consider Dishonored, the game allows you to slaughter enemies as well as subdue them. And you can utilize your powers to even achieve brutal kills, but that is nowhere near what I want to see in a Blade game. It can take hints about the mechanics from Dishonored, but it needs to feature its own brand of violence characteristic of the character. If I’m hunting vampires as Blade, I won’t be satisfied unless I see guts flying.

It’s Redemption Time For Arkane

I know of Arkane Studios’ greatness because of its exceptional work on Dishonored and Prey, but the thing recent gamers remember the developer by is Redfall, and it’s safe to say it is not a very good impression. Redfall was a pretty mediocre project even on release, and it didn’t get better with time either. Being on Game Pass helped it initially, but soon all of its shortcomings caught up to it.

Redfall was supposed to be Arkane’s most supported game, but new content never came for a long time. And even if it does get updates now, I feel like the damage has been done. When I played Redfall, I was genuinely shocked, thinking “Is this really a game by Arkane?” Thus, I believe the company needs to do some damage control, and I don’t think a better opportunity than Marvel’s Blade would be coming any time soon.

3 months after release & Redfall has had no substantial update. People are also still waiting on the additional content they paid for.
byu/welshdragon888 inXboxSeriesX

What made Arkane superb is the level of creative design, mechanics, environments, and the freedom to go wild found in games like Dishonored, as well as Prey. And this is precisely what we need in the Blade game, too. Arkane needs to play to its strengths rather than designing something it is not used to. It’s a blessing that Blade is a character compatible with the “Dishonored but third-person” formula. I hope Marvel’s Blade is the next Arkane masterpiece I’m waiting for.

Being an Xbox Studio, Arkane’s Marvel’s Blade will most likely be released on Xbox and PC, but the release date, actual platforms, and a PlayStation release for the game have not been confirmed yet.