There is little known about Insomniac’s upcoming Venom game, but fans can expect at least one departure from tradition in the early hours.

Last year’s leak by Insomniac Games revealed several projects that are currently in development. Among them is a game called Venom: Lethal Protector, which is believed to be set in the Marvel’s Spider-Man universe. Assuming the games share the same continuity and understanding that Insomniac is indeed developing Venom, there are a handful of trends and features that it’s safe to assume will appear in the game. However, some departures from Marvel’s Spider-Man tradition are inevitable given the history.

Insomniac’s Venom game will likely have a very different gameplay than Marvel’s Spider-Man titles.

Spider-Man games focus on the titular character’s iconic, dynamic and graceful non-lethal combat. But Venom, of course, will have to take a different approach. Even if Venom is portrayed in a more heroic light in this game, the character’s brutality and evil will undoubtedly come through in gameplay. In combat and in the construction of missions.

The Spider-Man opening mission trend needs to be changed in Venom

All three Insomniac-produced Spider-Man games start out strikingly similarly: Marvel’s Spider-Man opens with a showdown between Peter Parker and the Kingpin. The Miles Morales semi-sequel begins with a fight against Rhino. Meanwhile, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 starts with a bombastic set piece featuring a fully turbocharged Sandman.

These opening missions serve as an introduction to the story and world, but also as a tutorial, showing players the ins and outs of webcasting and combat in a fast-paced narrative context.

At this point, this style of mission can be considered a tradition. The following Marvel’s Spider-Man game will likely continue similarly. These overtures work well because they are exciting and compelling as instructional material. Players will receive updates on the state of New York City and Spider-Man’s life on the fly.

Why wouldn’t the traditional Marvel’s Spider-Man opening mission work in this case?

Spider-Man 2 ends with the apparent destruction of the symbiote. But the leaked existence of the Venom game means the entity is probably still around somewhere. With that said, Insomniac needs to address what really happened to the symbiote. Who is infected at the moment? Also, how the relationship between the symbiote and the host is established. So, throwing players into a big battle right away probably won’t work. After all, the game must first create the decisive context.

Perhaps the tradition of the opening mission could be maintained if Venom started with a playable Spider-Man or if it included a flash-forward, but those options would make for a jarring experience.

A Venom game probably won’t start with a dramatic battle against a perennial villain. Insomniac is uniquely positioned to shake up structural conventions. Instead of starting with a loud and intense fight, the game’s opening could be slower. It could start from a down-to-earth background. Slowly building tension as it becomes clear that Venom’s transformation is imminent. The game can then be an inversion of Marvel’s Spider-Man overtures, where the player takes on the role of a force of destruction.

Venom: Lethal Protector must be based on learning the host’s identity and background. Even if Venom is Eddie Brock, as the name Lethal Protector suggests, Insomniac needs to introduce this form of the character. While you have to show him how to become a monster. For this to work best, moving away from the opening mission style present in the first three Marvel’s Spider-Man games would probably be advisable.

Source: Game Leap