Sega hasn’t done the best job with their Marvel Comics-inspired games over the past few years, as both Iron Man games were plagued with camera and bug issues, ruining what could have been excellent games.
This time around with The Mighty Thor, Sega is attempting to bring out the big guns, providing a massive story and original versions for the Nintendo Wii and DS. While the footage shown at the New York Comic Con this past weekend was still a work in progress, it’s easy to see a few things already.
For one, both the levels and enemies are huge. Showing the press some production stills, it was insane to see how small the God of Thunder in comparison to his enemies. How this will affect gameplay is anyone’s guess, but developer Stephen Frost said it should create some interesting fights.
“Thor is always looking to put his enemies in the best situation to hit them with the hammer,” he said. “Even if that means climbing up one of their swords.”
The control scheme for the Wii also looks intriguing, as players will get to swing the Wii-mote like his hammer. The game will also have a different story and graphical feel than its cousins on the 360 and PS3, one that was said to be a bit more colorful and built around the Wii’s capabilities. Regardless, Sega’s Matt Powers said all the games should have a gameplay clock of about 10 hours.
The Mighty Thor will also feature an intriguing combat leveling system that will allow for enhanced gameplay. Frost said customization varies for every gamer and can yield interesting results. For instance, maxing out your melee tree will infuse Thor’s hammer with lightning permanently, causing much more damage than before. How much overall replayability this adds is anyone’s guess, but it’s nice to see some sort of leveling up system in an action game, especially one based on a licensed character.
Graphically, Thor looks like he’s up to the task to fight some gods. Good-looking character models and expansive environments may in fact be the thing that separates this game from the drab entries Sega has made in the past when a comic book character is involved. The fighting animation looked smooth as well, as Thor had no problem flying or swinging his hammer at foes.
While it’s ultimately too early to tell, The Mighty Thor has enough positives on its side to keep gamers’ fingers crossed until it’s released next summer.
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