Summary
Next to nothing is currently known about Monolith’sWonder Womangame, even whether a piece of alleged concept art from a developer’s LinkedIn page is legitimate or not. The prevailing perception of what shape the game could take, though, is that of Monolith’s previous endeavors in itsMiddle-earthduology. It will be interesting to see what elements of Wonder Woman’s mythos make it into the game, too, such as which weapons players will be able to adorn her with. Wielding a sword would play intoMiddle-earth’s Freeflow-esque combat, for example, and Diana’s most iconic tool has already been confirmed.
Wonder Woman’s cinematic teaser announcementgave a first look at Diana—though it’s entirely possible that she’ll look different when the actual game is revealed—and in it, she gallantly wove an incredibly long, illuminated lariat around her. It would seem obvious then that the Lasso of Truth will be integral to gameplay, and there are already a handful of mechanics that the lariat can fulfill. However, if Monolith and Warner Bros. Games plan to make a franchise out ofWonder Womanthey should still resist the urge to dole out mechanics as gradually asGod of War’s recent entriesdid.
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God of War’s Blades of Chaos Have an Understandably Granular Development
God of War’s Blades of Chaoswere reprised in the initial Norse saga installment before it made a full appearance inRagnarok. The dual, chain-linked cleavers largely served a narrative role inRagnarok’s predecessor by taking a backseat to the Leviathan Axe, but became much more prominent inRagnarokwhen they were given a traversal function in the sequel’s larger world.
This allows Kratos to now throw himself up and down walls or cross huge gaps, adding profoundly to the sense of movement that was dogged in comparison before the Blades could achieve such navigation.
It simply made sense in all regards to have traversal feel more interactive and fluid, especially withRagnarok’s emphasis on environmental puzzles, and since the epic reveal of the Blades was already achieved in the previous game Santa Monica could run wild with whatever other functions they could serve in gameplay. That said,Wonder Womanhopefully won’t wait for a sequel to make the most out of its own iconic weapon.
Wonder Woman’s Lasso of Truth Needs to Be Multifaceted Right Away
There are two primary roles Diana’s lariat will plausibly fulfill: lashing at enemies to pull them close, pull Diana close, or hurl enemies around, and being able to interrogate enemies with the lariat, not unlikehow Celebrimbor interrogates enemies inShadow of Mordor. This combat could be made exceptionally fun with a lot ofMiddle-earth’s genetic essence permeatingWonder Womanvia osmosis, but depending on how players traverse Themyscira—and seemingly also the world’s known mainland—it would be fantastic to see her also using the lariat for traversal purposes.
Wonder Woman’s Abilities Will Need to Be Carefully Considered
It’s always been debatable whether Diana can fly or not, hence why she would need an invisible plane to get around, and a much more grounded take on the character could see her getting around environments by grappling around similar to how Kratos uses the Blades inRagnarok. Only time will tell how multifaceted the lariat is, but having to wait for aWonder Womansequel to see its full potential could be a mistake if it would enhance the gameplay from the get-go.
However, if Monolith and Warner Bros. Games plan to make a franchise out ofWonder Womanthey should still resist the urge to dole out mechanics as gradually asGod of War’s recent entriesdid.
Wonder Womanis currently in development.
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