The neverending debate between DC and Marvel fans about which Comic Book license reigns supreme has expanded way past the actual pages of comics these days. With the likes of the MCU and DCEU, the various TV shows whether it be Netflix or the CW, and now even the gaming industry there are always some fans somewhere arguing about which one is best. Now to many hardcore Marvel fans disappointment DC has pretty much dominated the gaming scene for the last few years most noticeably with the Arkham series and the Injustice games. These games haven’t always been perfect by any means but they have been a cut above what Marvel has produced and…actually come to think of it, what have Marvel actually produced? Other than an unholy amount of Spiderman games and some pretty good but less well known X-Men games Marvel really haven’t got much going for it and they certainly don’t have anything up to Arkham city or Injustice 2 standard but I think that’s about to change…
DC’s Past
Any DC fan or Batman fan will tell you that the Arkham series is the best comic book video games series of all time, and whilst games like Arkham Origins or Arkham Knight had there fair share of problems Arkham City is to this day my favourite comic book video game of all time and is basically the industry standard. However, the Arkham series is all but finished up, at least for the foreseeable future and there is no real concrete evidence that Rocksteady, WB Games Montreal, or anyone else for that matter is working on any other games from the DC universe. Fans have been very vocal in giving their ideas for future games such as a Knightwing standalone set within the Arkham Universe or a Flash or Superman Game but done to the standard of the Arkham series. Unfortunately, those may stay as the dreams of loyal fans because there’s no sign of the showing up anytime soon.
The Arkham Series isn’t all that DC has going for it, however. The Injustice series of games has also proven extremely popular with both hardcore DC fans and casual gamers alike. These games are also excellent, and that’s coming from a guy who isn’t too big on fighting games. They have a fantastic story, (as well as there own tie-in comic which is also pretty good), and Injustice 2 raised the bar when it comes to graphics and animation for me, especially with facial animations on the characters. Both games combined have a huge variety of Dc most famous characters and overall have been a huge success for DC and WB games. That isn’t to say they aren’t without there problems, however, all be it very small ones. First, Injustice 1 and 2 are both fighting games which naturally puts some people off playing them even though they are great games. Plus even with Injustice 2’s impressive roster of characters, the DLC characters felt lackluster to me with most of them being guest stars and non-DC characters which stopped more DC fans returning after launch.
So apart from a few small bumps along the way DC Gaming past has been a pretty big success with next to no competition or threat from Marvel but I think that could change pretty soon…
Marvels Future
I’m obviously talking about the much-anticipated release of Marvels Spiderman PS4 which has been setting the PS4 and Marvel communities on fire leading up to launch and is looking to be easily the best Marvel game in recent years and could possibly challenge DC’s Arkham City for the title of best comic book game. I may be getting a little ahead of myself but Spiderman PS4 does seriously look good. I know I already mentioned the insane amount of Spiderman games Marvel have released but thanks to the likes of Into the Spiderverse and Tom Hollands performance in the MCU I don’t see and Spidey fatigue kicking in anytime soon. Plus the game itself looks phenomenal from what I’ve seen. Its beautiful with stunning graphics plus it has the biggest range of Spiderman characters ever with the likes of the Sinister Six showing up. You throw in a great Story and an interesting open world to explore and you’ve got yourself a very strong game.
When it comes to any problems Spiderman PS4 might have they are hard to list without actually playing the game but one glaring problem I can see is its PS4 exclusivity. Don’t get me wrong its great for all us Playstation owners but as a business move they are cutting off a large portion of XBOX players who are Spiderman fans. The DC games don’t have this problem and so can reach a much wider audience and make all the more cash. Will this be a serious problem for the game? Probably not due to how good the game looks and how popular the PS4 is right now but its still worth mentioning. Given that Spiderman PS4 is pretty much set to do well the question now turns to other Marvel characters and properties getting similar games. Spiderman Ps4 has already confirmed that Daredevil and the Avengers exist in this universe so could we be seeing a brand new MCU in the gaming industry with an interconnected universe starring the likes of Iron-Man Or Black Panther? It’s too early to say but man it sounds like all my best dreams come true.
Mobile Games
This is a topic that most people probably don’t consider but its definitely worth mentioning quickly. Marvel has produced plenty of Mobile games and even though they basically all function and feel the same they are all still pretty good games whereas DC’s mobile games, in my opinion, don’t feel up to scratch. Injustice 2 mobile felt like a very poor port and the other DC mobile titles aren’t really worth mentioning. So it may be a very small victory for Marvel on the Mobile Games front but it’s still a victory.
Conclusion
Conclusion: If you’re both a DC and Marvel fan, such as myself life is pretty good for us. In all seriousness, however, I do believe that in the coming years Marvel could be a serious threat to DC on the Gaming front. DC doesn’t really have any big title planned and with the MCU being more popular than ever and bringing characters like Dr. Strange or The Black Panther to mainstream audiences it opens up countless doors for more games and a whole lot more money for Disney Marvel. So what are your thoughts on Spiderman PS4 and the battle between DC and Marvel in the Gaming industry? Let me know in the comments below. Make sure to follow my Twitter to stay up to date with the latest news update and articles and I’ll catch you next time.