Marvel’s Avengers proves that Black Widow needs her own solo game – one that focuses on her skills as a spy, master assassin, and saboteur.
One of the biggest surprise standouts from Marvel’s Avengers was how strong its depiction of Black Widow was, and it shows how good a solo game based on the character could be. While Marvel’s Avengers‘ Black Widow has some superhuman abilities, compared to her fellow Avengers, such as Thor or the Hulk, she isn’t that powerful. With that in mind, it came as a bit of a surprise to some players to see just how well her abilities in Marvel’s Avengers stacked up to – and in many ways surpassed – those of her teammates, leading to many players to declare her as the most exciting character to play in the game. Although Black Widow’s gameplay in Marvel’s Avengers is impressive and a lot of fun, a Black Widow solo game could allow her to shine in a way that a team-based game never could.
While Marvel’s Avengers struggles to get Black Widow’s hair right when it comes to her MCU costumes, the game succeeds in getting her abilities right. In Marvel’s Avengers, Black Widow’s kit is comprised of an impressive blend of acrobatic melee moves, various guns and shock-based weapons, and even a bit of stealth. That last one is an important part of integrating Black Widow’s history as an expert spy and infiltrator. Her ability to turn invisible in the game allows her to hide from enemies and grants her extra damage and critical chance while invisible. It also comes into play during her story mission in the campaign, where Natasha has to infiltrate an A.I.M. base to rescue Kamala Khan. Further to this, there are sections in her iconic missions later down the line that require she use her invisibility to sneak past automatic turrets.
While these moments are fantastic, unfortunately, Marvel’s Avengers‘ focus on loot-based co-op brawling means they are few and far between. Black Widow is awesome to play in the game’s co-op warzone missions, but she never really gets the chance she deserves to shine as a masterclass spy and infiltrator. Having her own solo title could rectify this, finally giving Black Widow not only a chance to show off her stealth abilities but also to dive deep into her dark history in the Red Room. While her backstory as a Black Widow assassin is alluded to often in Marvel’s Avengers, it is never truly explored, which is something a solo game could really capitalize on.
What A Black Widow Solo Game Could Look Like
While Marvel’s Avengers gets Black Widow’s skills right, the game’s focus on the Avengers team often doesn’t provide the necessary context for players to use them. A Black Widow solo game should pull inspiration from acclaimed stealth games such as Hitman, Splinter Cell, or Metal Gear Solid. These games give players a mission and provide them with several avenues (some stealth-based, and others not) to complete that mission. A setup like this could give players the option to not only sneak their way through a mission, but also utilize a vast array of gadgets and disguises to properly accomplish it. Or, if players prefer to take on the challenge of being an Avengers level combatant, they could use Black Widow’s knowledge of hand-to-hand combat and firearms to battle their way to their goal.
Although Marvel’s Avengers features a Red Room event, the story behind Red Room itself, and Black Widow’s past, are barely touched on. This leaves an opportunity for a Black Widow game to explore her past fully, either by setting the game before she joins the Avengers, or by having her pulled back into her past life (similar to the Black Widow film). In this way, a Black Widow solo game can succeed where Marvel’s Avengers failed, and truly give one of Marvel’s most interesting heroes the spotlight she’s long deserved.
Next: Why Marvel’s Hawkeye Deserves His Own Game (& What It Could Be Like)
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About The Author
Michael Montgomery (45 Articles Published)
Michael Montgomery is a writer and Twitch streamer based out of Southern California. He has written two superhero themed novels and can regularly be found streaming Co-op games with his wife on Twitch. When not geeking out over the latest Marvel and DC video games he enjoys writing fantasy and superhero books. He is also an avid collector of anything X-Men related.
