Earlier this year, we were treated to one of the biggest movies in cinematic history, Avengers: Endgame. A project that began 11 years ago and took an incredible 21 movies to build up to. It broke all sorts of box office records and it feels as if pretty much everyone in the world went to see it. Now that the Endgame hype has died down, gamers have returned to wanting to know more about their piece of the pie. We finally got that via Square Enix's E3 conference on Monday.
You can check out the very first trailer for Square Enix and Crystal Dynamics' Avengers: A-Day above. As you can see, the game's storyline is based around - or at least begins with - the heroes being rejected by the general public due to a mission gone terribly wrong. So wrong, in fact, that Captain America appears to lose his life. However, we can't imagine that death will be a permanent one. The line-up is very similar to that of the first Avengers in the MCU. This is clever, as that will mean the game appeals to more than just the most hardcore of fans.
Platforms and Developers
What some Marvel fans are already asking is whether A-Day will tie in with Marvel's Spider-Man. Last year's PlayStation 4 exclusive was a game of the year competitor and has had us clamoring for more from Spidey ever since. However, we have already stumbled across the first reason why there will be no connection between Spider-Man and A-Day. Only PS4 owners could swing around New York as Spidey. At the end of A-Day's trailer, it's revealed that the Avengers game will be available on PS4, Xbox One, PC, and even Stadia.
Not only is the platform difference a problem, but also the developers behind the respective titles. Spider-Man was the work of Insomniac. Meanwhile, as already touched upon, A-Day is a Square Enix/Crystal Dynamics project. Different developers means different universes, right? Probably, but not necessarily. Don't forget that above all else, Marvel Studios is the company behind these games. Plus, Spidey has precedent. Despite the web-slinger appearing in Sony based Marvel movies, a deal was eventually struck up for Peter Parker to join the other Avengers in Disney's MCU.
Avengers Tower
Now for something a little more interesting: the in-game stuff. Just 12 short seconds into the E3 A-Day trailer, we thought we had made our minds up that there could be no crossover between Spider-Man and The Avengers when we saw Square Enix's take on Avengers Tower. Not only does it look nothing like the Avengers tower that makes a cameo in Marvel's Spider-Man, but it is in an entirely different part of the world. That is evident when we're shown the Avengers Quinjet flying toward San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge. In Marvel's Spider-Man, the hero never leaves New York City, and that's where he sees that game's version of Avengers Tower.
For those who have played Spider-Man, and found Avengers Tower, you'll know that it's more than just something you're able to swing by. The building is one of the game's many landmarks you are tasked with snapping a photo of. When you do, Spidey says something extremely interesting. "Avengers Tower, so cool! Too bad they’re never around to use it. They’re on the west coast or something." San Francisco, and hence Square Enix's Avengers, is on the west coast. Could Spidey have been referencing them, or is this all one massive coincidence?
The West Coast Connection
When asked about Spidey's west coast comment, developer Bryan Intihar claimed it was simply a nod to the location of Insomniac's main office. However, in hindsight, that doesn't really make a lot of sense. Plus, Intihar was asked that question months ago. The developer could hardly have been 100% honest and admitted to an Avengers game which will launch an entire gaming MCU being in the works now, could he?
On the other hand, Intihar has also hinted that Spider-Man is indeed the start of a gaming MCU. In a separate interview, the developer revealed that the intention is for Spider-Man to be to games what Iron Man was to movies. That means Insomniac has every intention of assembling Avengers, whether it be with the help of Square Enix and Crystal Dynamics or not. Personally, we hope everyone is working together and both games are taking place inside the same universe. Even if that means two separate groups of Avengers will be working on opposite US coasts. That instance could mean we see various crossovers and even a battle between the two sets of Avengers. We may be getting a tad ahead of ourselves with that thought, though.