Finally! Deadpool is getting the spotlight in his own stand-alone title and it looks awesome. So how would it work? Well as a lifelong Deadpool fan, I've collected comics, figures and hell, I even have a Lego Deadpool cosplay costume. Long story short, let me shed some light on what High Moon Studios has in the works.
Part One: Chimichangas and Tacos for All.
Deadpool is raunchy, disturbed, hilarious and insane. He is a cluster of emotion and at the bottom of it all is a man, who genuinely wants to be a hero. From what I gathered, those who know Deadpool were stoked after watching the trailer. Others however were a bit confused, saying the trailer resembled that of Duke Nukem. The long and short is that High Moon is going to have to deliver a little bit more than boobie jokes when it comes to the story... and if anyone can make it happen, it's them.
If you've played Transformers: War for Cybertron, you would know why I'm putting utter faith in High Moon. They turned a dying video game franchise (largely due to Bay's Transformers) and transformed (see what I did there) it in to a wonderfully crafted story; they need to do the same for Deadpool. Wade Wilson is a man obsessed with death and on the flip side of that, being a hero. For this very reason I think a semi-open world, akin to Darksiders would work best. The Merc with a Mouth is, for the most part just that, a mercenary. A good portion of his adventures involve him getting hired to deal with something with a price that may be negotiated later in a VIP room... or over tacos.
While I wouldn't be opposed to some origin elements, it shouldn’t drive the story. Hell, there's an on-going joke on how Deadpool origin differs depending on the writer. For me, one of the most prolific stories was the Mithras initiative. In this particular story, Deadpool is chosen as a saviour of sorts to fight against an impending alien attack. It was a really well written arc, and something I’d like to see transition over to the big or small screen. But let's be honest here. This game will benefit from a quest giver format, set with-in an overall arc. Add in popular culture, vulgarity and a dark undertone and we could have a game of the year candidate.
Part Two: All Vampires are Named Dracula.
Wade Wilson is an interesting position when it comes to his rogue gallery. While the list of major Deadpool villains is small and lesser known, they've played important roles in the development of the character. For me, T-Ray, a magic wielding zombie and Ajax, a superhuman enforcer from Weapon-X, needs to at least make an appearance. The Hellhouse, a location where mercs can get jobs and hang out between them, should hold an important setting.
Now the best way for this story to progress is for a major organization to be involved. Since Deadpool has had several run-ins with Hydra and Weapon-X, it makes sense to have one of the two to be major players. This provides an abundance of fodder NPCs, while allowing a familiarization to a larger audience. At the same time, that said organization could hire better known villains, such as The Juggernaut, Rhino and Typhoid Mary to deal with Deadpool.
Part Three: Deadpool, Now in 4D.
What will make this game work is the same corkiness that fans love about the comics. Breaking the 4th wall and yellow inner monologue bubbles are a must. As much as I love Wade’s interaction with himself, a few of his allies need to be present... he is called the Merc with a Mouth for a reason. Weasel, Blind Al and Bob, Agent of Hydra should be present in some facet. And if we can get cameos from Taskmaster and Agent X I would probably be in heaven.
All that being said, High Moon needs to stay away from any kind of team up. While Deadpool has certainly had affiliations with the X-Men and Avengers, those characters would cast an unnecessary shadow over the game. In fact, the only reason X-Men should be mentioned is if they're poking fun at Wade’s appearance in X-Men Origin: Wolverine.
Closing: My Common Sense is Tingling.
Lastly, have fun with it. I'd love to see Deadpool creator Robert Liefield get involved and inspire some of the story. The man perspires Deadpool quips. As long as the game flows and embodies everything above, Deadpool: The Game will be a winner. Hell, if it garners a lot of success it could result in Fox taking the Deadpool movie out of limbo. Here’s hoping to that.
