Okay, so either the idea was not strong, or I need to spend more time on making the write-ups more interesting, because my first attempt at a personal theme got a lukewarm reception at best. Granted, I still think there's a valid thought behind "The Great Ones," and I'd like to try it again later, I think I'll hold off on it for a while at least.

Moving on, I've got a new concept that I'd like to wax about; games I'd personally love to play that will never, fucking ever get made. Maybe it's because the licensing involved would never happen, maybe it's because no company with the power to make it happen would sign off on it. Either way, I've got some concepts that always sound kick ass, and I'd like to share them. So, first installment:

Magneto


I understand that with the Magneto spinoff movie coming in the next three years or so, there may soon be a Magneto-centric game coming. However, as I am a fan of the X-Men comics, I'm less than thrilled with the films. So this idea is sort of a "What If" version of the comics continuity.

The Story: You play as the man himself, and the game works through a modified version of his career, with one major difference from the comics; in this version, Magneto comes out on top a lot more. After defeating various teams of X-Men and Avengers, a conspiracy of major Marvel villains forms to prevent Magneto's inevitable takeover, culminating in a handicapped battle against Apocalypse and Doctor Doom.

The Gameplay: The biggest thing in this game shoud be the magnetic powers. I imagine new ones could be introduced every so often, like a magnetic shield or flight, but standard grab and lift powers would be your bread and butter. On the 360 and PS3, I figure the main use of magnetic powers should feel like a modified version of "Destroy All Humans'" Psychokinesis, with a little added influence from "Psy-Ops." A potential Wii version could be modeled more on the Wii version of "Force Unleashed," to prevent motion tracking problems. With the use of these powers, there would be no "concentration meter" to slow you down, better simulating the level of power from the comics, and meaning the challenge would be less artificial.


For the standard intro level, I see a scene from the days when Magneto hunted down Nazi war criminals, giving you a minimal challenge. From there, it's battles based on classic X-Men or Avengers teams, fighting more and more of each team at one time as the game goes on, eventually fighting full rosters of eight or so superpowered heroes. These fights could be spaced out with combat against human military forces, which would allow the player to slam tanks and helicopters into one another with ease. The key idea throughout would be a balance of incredible power and the need to use it sensibly.

Bonuses: Other than a slew of unlockable costumes (I admit, I'm a sucker for them), I'd love to see mini-scenarios replicating more specific moments. Imagine an "Age of Apocalypse" survival scenario, capped off with a fight against a much stronger version of Apocalypse. An "Ultimate X-Men" fight on the White House lawn against the X-Men with waves of Sentinels coming in every so often and a skirmish with the Ultimates. Yes, even a few movie scenarios, where the player can rip the Mary-Sue-Wolverine in half and drop a bridge on Shawn Ashmore for fun. The possibilities are practically endless.


So: thoughts on this idea? On the article concept itself? I'm always open to suggestions, so feel free to hit me with a pitch to play with. Thanks for putting up with the long-winded post.

-I? I am Power! Men call me Magneto!