Insomniac Games has now proven itself in the superhero genre several times over, delivering three entries in itsSpider-Manseries that each do a great job of capturing the spirit of the belovedMarvelhero in both gameplay and story. But Insomniac’s dance withMarvelis far from over.
Marvel’s Wolverinehas been in the works for years now, and according to the leaks that arose from the 2023 hack, Insomniac could already have plans for a wholetrilogy of X-Men games. It seems very likely it already has its hands full, but if Insomniac managed to find the space, there’s one other Marvel hero it would be perfectly suited to adapting.
Insomniac Should Make a Doctor Strange Game
Insomniac Has a History With Portals
The ninth mainline installment in the action-platformer franchise,2021’sRatchet & Clank: Rift Apartwas Insomniac’s first foray into the world of dimensional rifts and multiversal portals. As its name teases,Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart’s premise revolves around interdimensional portals that players can traverse via a wrist-mounted device called the ‘Rift Tether.’
At the simple tap of a button, players can attach theirRift Tetherto a nearby portal in the environment, and be launched directly towards it. Going through the portal has a range of different effects depending on its placement in the level. Some portals simply act as grapple points, allowing players to reach higher areas of the map. Some portals take players to parallel universes, where the architecture, enemy designs, and environmental obstacles of the planet have been changed.
A few years later, Insomniac would revisit this dimension-hopping mechanic briefly inMarvel’s Spider-Man 2. Afterstealing a magical device from the Sanctum Sanctorum, Black Cat zips through New York City, creating a series of portals along the way. In pursuit, players (as Miles Morales) travel through these portals, each one transporting them to a new location.
Insomniac’s fondness for portals has often led to some wonderfully cinematic sequences, and it would be great to see the developer go even deeper with its interdimensional experiments. A fully-fledgedAAA Doctor Strange gamecould allow just that. Players could use portals not just for traversal, but during combat as well, opening a rift to launch objects at enemies or whisk them out of the battle.
Doctor Strange Would Fit Insomniac’s Usual Tone
For the last decade or so, Insomniac’s games have all featured a very similar tone, often being lighthearted adventures with mature thematic undertones. TheInsomniacSpider-Mangamesare a good example of this. While the moment-to-moment gameplay ofMarvel’s Spider-Manis kept energetic and light thanks to near-constant quips from its leads and its exaggerated comic violence, there’s usually some serious subject matter behind the action, whether it’s Miles having to face off against his childhood best friend, Pete facing off against his, or Kraven the Hunter killing off the duo’s rogue’s gallery.
This tone would work well for a Doctor Strange game. Given the hero’s occupation as Sorcerer Supreme, a Doctor Strange game would need to be willing to dive into the Marvel universe’s more bizarre and fantastical side, while still providing players with a strong emotional core that runs throughout the story. Insomniac is well-versed in this tonal approach.
