In a surprise reveal during The Game Awards 2023, Half-vampire comic icon Blade is officially getting his own AAA action game set in the dark heart of Paris. Developed by immersive sim maestros Arkane Lyon in collaboration with Marvel Games, Marvel’s Blade already sounds like a match made in gritty paranormal heaven.
As the epic trailer shows, players will step into the leather-clad shoes of Eric Brooks, AKA the legendary Daywalker torn between humanity and bloodlust. It’s the perfect setup for Arkane to sink their artistic fangs into, blending stylistic third-person action with moral quandaries galore.
As Art Director Sebastien Mitton explained, Blade’s iconic imagery mapped neatly onto Arkane’s bold, forward-thinking development ethos. Everything from the brooding hero’s signature trenchcoat to his jet black shades screams opportunity to push their graphics engine and worldbuilding to exciting new territory.
And considering Arkane Lyon also gifted us the rich Dishonored series and cunning multiplayer hit Deathloop, they have the creative chops to realize a Blade power fantasy like no one else. We can expect the same meticulous attention to kinetic combat, environmental storytelling, and dynamic sandbox gameplay that have become Arkane trademarks at this point.
Though no release window or target platforms accompanied the initial game reveal, the Arkane x Marvel pairing has already got my blood pumping with hype. Blade making dope vamps go slice is a recipe for greatness no matter how you slice it. Just try not succumb to the thirst for human blood along the way, Daywalker! I hear the Paris nightlife can get pretty wild…
