Since Marvel’s Blade with Mahershala Ali was announced, it’s faced several delays and, for now, has a 2024 release schedule. However, a 2023 Game Awards reveal showed this isn’t the only version of Blade coming to screen in the near future.
Last week, lots of trailers and teasers were shown at the Game Awards. Arguably too much, because among several other issues, IGN found only 18% of the three-hour show featured the actual awards. Some trailer highlights include a Jurassic Park horror game and a gripping story from the studio behind Life is Strange. I’m most excited about the upcoming Marvel game about the badass half-human, half-vampire Blade!
Marvel Entertainment describes the game as “a mature, single-player, third-person game set in the heart of Paris.” Outside of puzzle games, Marvel’s interactive entertainment maintains a mixed reputation. What’s promising here is that the studios working on this game are the same behind Dishonored and DEATHLOOP. Like these two titles, Arkane Lyon is the developer and Bethesda is the publisher. These two companies (and Arkane’s Texas branch, Arkane Austin) have collaborated consistently since Dishonored back in 2012. That includes through Redfall and now this!
Are you happy to be in Paris?
Via press release, the team revealed the setting to be a quarantined portion of The City of Light. Players will follow Blade as he handles a sudden “supernatural emergency.” Game Director Dinga Bakaba opened up about how personal the Daywalker’s story is to him. He stated. “As a kid of mixed origins, I felt a special connection to Blade – a hero with a dual heritage himself. The opportunity to put our spin on this character is a dream of mine and a challenge that our team embraces with a passion. We couldn’t be happier to put players in Blade’s boots, as he becomes the champion of my hometown of Paris, one stake at a time.”
This setting also gives more people the chance to experience Black artist in France. I love a good French indie-pop and rock song. However, not enough people on my timeline had a Lous and The Yakuza song appear on their end-of-the-year music recap. So, I’m definitely crossing my fingers for their inclusion! The studio has yet to reveal who the artist was in the teaser. Some have speculated it’s AlgĂ©rian-French rapper Lacrim.
There’s no news about what platforms Blade will be available on. If past publishing history is any indication, Blade will at least come to Xbox and Windows. The last two major Marvel games that weren’t a shared Sony title, Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy, came to all major platforms. The teaser also didn’t reveal even a vague release window. That’s fine with me because good art takes time! (Stares and breathes in Baldur’s Gate 3.)
While waiting, I’ll be checking the much-discussed 2023 comic Bloodline: Daughter of Blade by Danny Lore.
(featured image: Marvel Entertainment)
