Last year Marvel fans were introduced to a brand-new superhero team: The Eternals. The film was a fantasy science-fiction adventure that spanned centuries, and while the film itself received mixed reception, most of the characters had stand-out elements that would be fantastic in a video game.
In Eternals, a team of 10 super-powered beings are sent to Earth to guide the human race through the ages. They protect humanity from an antagonistic force called the deviants and make sure they thrive, making it so one day a giant Celestial can absorb enough energy to hatch out of the planet like an egg. Each of the characters has their own unique power set and personality that would lend itself well to a co-op game, and the movie’s plot already sounds like it was ripped straight from a video game.
Marvel’s Eternals Were Made for Co-Op
Eternals’ 10 different characters are perfect for a multiplayer game. Druig can mind control people, Ikaris can fly and shoot lazers, Sersei can reshape molecules, Kingo can launch energy from his fingers, Gilgamesh has immense strength, Phastos can create technology, Thena wields weapons made of light, Sprite can conjure illusions, Ajak can make medicine and communicate with the Celestials, and Makkari can run at supersonic speeds.
Players could select one of the 10 Eternals to play, each of whom could fit a specific niche. Ajak could be a healer, Kingo could be a ranged DPS, Gilgamesh could be a tank, and Phastos could be an engineer with similarities to Overwatch’s Torbjorn. Each character would have their advantages and drawbacks and likely range in difficulty. Players would have to make sure that their group has all the necessary Eternals if they want to get through a mission, or match if the game is focused on competitive elements.
How an Eternals’ Game Could Play
Gameplay could share similarities with Gotham Knights and Marvel’s Ultimate Alliance. Both of these titles has players select different heroes and complete missions. Gotham Knights has not released yet, but the game will allow players to select one of four DC characters for third-person action RPG gameplay, much like the Batman: Arkham franchise. Marvel’s Ultimate Alliance is very similar, but it gives players a top-down view rather than a third-person camera.
The missions in an Eternals game could range from defeating deviants, fighting alongside the Avengers, or combating a Celestial. As players kill Deviants with powers like Makkari’s super speed, their Eternals would level up and gain more power. At one point they could even unlock ultimate abilities similar to Sersei’s major power upgrade at the end of Eternals.
An Eternals Story Should Take Notes From Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy
Instead of following the plot beats of Eternals, a co-op Eternals game should tell its own story. The story of Eternals could encompass the entire galaxy, much like Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy, and include cameo appearances. Players could visit Earth, Asgard, Saturn, Titan, and a whole suit of additional Marvel locales in pursuit of deviants.
One of the best things about Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy was the banter between the Guardians. Eternals has 10 different characters, and that could mean a lot of development between them. While the Eternals are a more serious group than the Guardians of the Galaxy, it does not mean they are opposed to banter. Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy also filled its world with collectables that were fun to get. Each costume was not locked behind microtransactions, and greatly changed the look of the characters. Costumes from MCU movies and comics were present in-game. The Eternals allow for even more costumes to collect, and giving players a way to customize their characters goes a long way to keeping them engaged.
If done right, an Eternals co-op game could be a lot of fun for Marvel’s fans. Marvel has not had a great track with recent multiplayer games like Marvel’s Avengers, but Eternals has just as much potential, As long as the core gameplay loop is good and the story is intriguing, an Eternals game could be a must-buy for Marvel fans.
