Marvel has come a long way since it declared bankruptcy in 1996. The Marvel Cinematic Universe is still one of the biggest franchises in the world of entertainment, Marvel comics are back in full force with the new, lauded Ultimate series, and Marvel’s video game department is doing better than ever thanks to Insomniac’s Spider-Man series and the recently released Marvel Rivals.
A 6v6 hero shooter that includes well over 30 iconic and obscure playable Marvel characters, Marvel Rivals is currently one of the most popular multiplayer games on the market, having amassed over 20 million players by the end of December. Marvel Rivals has already had, and continues to have, a sizable impact on the gaming world, and that could ripple all the way out to the upcoming Kingdom Hearts 4.
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Marvel Rivals May Have Set The Artistic Tone for Kingdom Hearts 4
Marvel Rivals Gives A Bevy of Iconic Heroes a Stylized Makeover
One of Marvel Rivals‘ most noticeable features is its distinctive art style that, for the most part, strikes an excellent balance between capturing a character’s most iconic features, and including unique elements that separate them from other popular interpretations. Marvel Rivals‘ Wolverine is a great example of this, being given his comic-accurate short stature, instantly recognizable Adamantium claws, and his spiked dark hair, but also being given a much wider frame than usual and a new bright yellow and blue jacket.
This heavily stylized approach is perfectly suited to Marvel Rivals‘ more frenetic gameplay, with vibrant costume colors and cel-shading allowing players to spot opponents much more clearly amid the chaos of a superhero brawl. This stylized art direction also helps to make Marvel Rivals feel authentic to its comic inspirations, which isn’t always the case when a game uses more grounded designs, such as in Marvel’s Avengers.
Even when Marvel Rivals delivers a skin based on an MCU design, it’s given the same stylized treatment as the rest of the roster. Spider-Man’s No Way Home-inspired suit, for instance, features clear cel-shading and much brighter colors than its live-action counterpart.
Marvel Rivals’ Character Models Should Inspire Kingdom Hearts 4’s Rumored Marvel World
Though the series’ graphics have gotten exponentially better with each entry, Kingdom Hearts‘ art style could never really be described as “realistic.” Though Kingdom Hearts 3 gave its characters more detailed models and textures, they’re still essentially cartoons that have been brought to life, and thus have all the exaggerated features fans would expect from Disney characters like Mickey Mouse, Donald, and Goofy.
There have been plenty of rumors since its 2022 announcement that Kingdom Hearts 4 will include a world based on Marvel. If that’s true, then Kingdom Hearts 4 should look to Marvel Rivals for inspiration, and give its potential Marvel cast more stylized character designs that use cel-shading, exaggerated features, and vibrant colors.
These stylized designs would likely fit Kingdom Hearts 4 better than any MCU-inspired designs, as any character models attempting to capture real-life likenesses might feel tonally-jarring, especially if they interact with larger-than-life cartoons like Donald and Goofy.
Third-Person Shooter
Action
Multiplayer
- Released
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December 6, 2024
- ESRB
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T For Teen // Violence
- Developer(s)
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NetEase Games
- Publisher(s)
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NetEase Games