Sadly, studio closures and mass layoffs have become commonplace in the games industry, hardly ever coming as a surprise. But even so, the recent shuttering ofWonder Womandeveloper Monolith is something of a shock, on par with the sudden shutdowns of Arkane Austin and Tango Gameworks last year.Monolith was a storied developerresponsible for inventive games likeF.E.A.R.,Condemned: Criminal Origins, and theShadow of Mordorseries.
Audiences were therefore considerably excited to see how the company would apply its rich pedigree, talent pool, and ingenuity toWonder Woman, a character that has been mostly absent from modern gaming, at least as a lead. Monolith’s industry-leading enemy AI design, experience with melee combat systems, and willingness to embrace bold ideas could have made for the definitiveWonder Womangaming experience, and while it’s tragic that the developer won’t get the chance to complete this project, it shouldn’t mean the character being locked away forever.
Wonder Woman Deserves to Helm Her Own Standalone Game
Wonder Woman Has a Lot of Potential as a Video Game Lead
When Monolith was helmingWonder Woman, there was a lot of speculation regarding how it would apply its signature penchant for experimentation and creative game design. But even without features as innovative asShadow of Mordor’s Nemesis system, a game starring Wonder Woman could be extremely rewarding, with a lot of promise for unique mechanics and broader gameplay systems. Wonder Woman abilities that could lead to interesting gameplay include:
It’s not difficult to imagine a robustmelee combat system built around Wonder Woman’svarious powers and martial skills: perhaps parry mechanics could mingle with unique fighting styles and weapon types for a strong action-RPG framework. But Wonder Woman boasts brains as much as brawn, and her intelligence and diplomatic skills could form the backbone for investigatory or social-sim-esque gameplay, injecting her adventure with a healthy dose of variety. Her broad arsenal of unique gear, including the iconic Lasso of Truth, could easily support such design ventures.
Again, it’s immensely unfortunate that Monolith’sWonder Womanwill never see the light of day, but that doesn’t mean that nothing can rise from its ashes. Many have speculated that Warner Bros. is looking to play things safe following the disastrous one-two punch ofGotham KnightsandSuicide Squad: Kill the Justice League—two games that failed to meet expectations, to put it lightly. This speculation is seemingly supported by an internal email from JB Perette, CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery, wherein he explicitly defines the company’s goals as being centered on fleshing out existing franchises.
But even if Warner Bros. is becoming increasingly risk-averse in theaftermath of games likeSuicide Squad, stepping out with something like a standaloneWonder Womangame wouldn’t actually be as bold as some would assume. In reality, being too safe can be dangerous in the entertainment industry, as even the most beloved and successful IP can see diminishing returns if they don’t change enough over time.Batman: Arkham, for instance, could make a comeback in the next few years, but if WB starts to rely on it too heavily, not branching out with new, creative ideas, fans will eventually lose interest.
Gaming audiences have already beenprimed for aWonder Womangame, so it would make sense to keep the momentum going in some way. Plus, the character is more prominent in the mainstream than ever thanks to the DC films, hit-and-miss though they may be. With gaming becoming more and more of a competitor to blockbuster films, it would only make sense to capitalize on a character as recognizable and brimming with potential as Wonder Woman.
