Avengers: Doomsday Makes Me Realize a Good X-Men Game Is Long Overdue

I know I’m not alone in being thrilled to see some of the original live-action X-Men actors among the announced cast for Avengers: Doomsday. Nothing made my X-Men: Evolution-loving heart happier than realizing we’re seeing Nightcrawler on the silver screen yet again, portrayed by Alan Cumming. Aside from the immediate urge to rewatch X-Men and X-2: X-Men United, seeing those names made me yearn to play a solid X-Men video game while we wait for Avengers: Doomsday. Then I remembered we haven’t had a good X-Men game in years, and gamers, it is long past time.

There’s certainly no lack of X-Men games in the history books, with plenty of solid games from days of future past (sorry, couldn’t resist). X-Men Legends and X-Men Legends 2, for instance, were solid entries during the PS2 era. These action RPG-style games let players step into the shoes of several iconic X-Men characters, and I have fond memories of being absolutely furious that I couldn’t play as Shadowcat. Even with my personal favorite Evolutions character off the table, I enjoyed the gameplay. But it’s been years since that game released, and neither Legends title has been ported to modern consoles. Though a few more X-Men games came out after that, it’s been over a decade since the last true, X-Men game released for consoles. And I want more.

Yes, the X-Men have made appearances in other Marvel games over the years, most recently with several joining the roster of Marvel Rivals. And some of those games are pretty good, but the thing about throwing the X-Men in with the rest is that you miss out on some of the magic. The X-Men deserve another game that’s all their own, bringing the relationships and character-building to the forefront. What I’m saying is, they deserve to be in a game that’s not just a superhero shooter or beat ’em up style game.

Of course, rumor has it my wish will eventually be granted. Insomniac is currently working on Marvel’s Wolverine, which is technically an X-Men game in and of itself. But beyond that, a 2023 leak suggests that Insomniac Games has an X-Men project in the works, slated for a 2030 release. If that proves true, that’s five years to wait. If we get a really solid X-Men game out of it, it’ll be worth it. But here’s the thing: I’m not sure I want Marvel’s Spider-Man, but with X-Men characters instead. With a cast of characters that vast and interesting, an X-Men game has the potential to do so much more than the enjoyable but fairly on-the-rails plot momentum we’ve seen in Marvel’s Spider-Man games thus far.

While poking around Reddit to see whether I was alone in hoping for a new, solid X-Men game, I came across many brilliant gamers suggesting that what X-Men games really need is an RPG with the Baldur’s Gate 3 treatment. We’re talking open-ended gameplay steeped in story with wide-open potential, letting gamers control a team of iconic X-Men characters who are dynamically, thoughtfully rendered with all their big personalities. Imagine the potential in a massive X-Men RPG of that scale and depth. Is that what Insomniac is cooking? I somehow doubt it, but my goodness, I hope so.

When I think about what would make a new X-Men game truly great, it all comes down to characters and relationships. The X-Men are some of the most interesting, complicated heroes out there, and they bring so much potential to the table. Sure, it’s been fun stepping into Scarlet Witch’s boots for Marvel Rivals, but the superhero shooter genre only allows for so much dialogue and story between characters. Am I excited to see more X-Men arrive in fighting games like this and the newly announced Marvel Cosmic Invasion? Of course.

But what I really want is to sink into the world of Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngers, Hogwarts Legacy style. Or fight to keep my mutant identity secret as I explore an open world, controlling a cast of mutants like a party of Baldur’s Gate 3 companions. What we’re lacking in the X-Men video game department is a robust, in-depth game that brings the heart and flavor of the character and series along with the fun combat gameplay that results from all those mutant superpowers.

With Insomniac seemingly working on a game for 2030, it’s likely we’ll find out soon enough whether our X-Men are going to get the video game treatment they deserve. Before then, we’ll be able to enjoy seeing Nightcrawler, Professor X, Magneto, and more return to the big screen for whatever role they’ll play in Avengers: Doomsday. Hopefully, now that Disney has finally got their mutants in the MCU, it’s the dawn of a new era for X-Men tie-in content. And hopefully, it’ll actually be good.