Disney is investing a substantial $1.5 billion into Epic Games. With that new stake, there will be plenty of opportunity for Epic to capitalize on Disney’s brands and turn them into sellout gaming hits.
With Disney owning the likes of Pixar and Lucasfilm (alongside all of Disney’s internal assets) the possibilities are monumental in our eyes. Here are Epic games we think have to happen now that there’s a locked-in Disney connection.
Epic must make these 10 games after Disney team-up
10) Star Wars: Rogue One single-player survival story
Rogue One has an encapsulating presence in the Star Wars Battlefront DLC, where the movie appears through a new map and mode. I always found the inclusion of Rogue One added a lot of flavour, and similar could be done with a single-player Rogue One survival story.
Jyn Erso had to survive alone for many years before joining the Rebels. This would make for the perfect chance to create a survival game focusing on those events. I’m thinking of a third-person action-adventure game similar to the canceled Star Wars: 1313 game.
Exploring the galaxy as Jyn Erso who doesn’t have access to Jedi equipment and abilities would keep the game grounded in the survival elements. She doesn’t have to be a Jedi to be powerful and Jyn’s character and strength of resolve are always admirable. It would be excellent to see this all in play through a game experience.
9) Pixar fighting game (Street Fighter/Tekken style)
An experience that isn’t around yet is a game focused on Pixar characters but with a Street Fighter twist. There is a mobile MOBA named Disney Melee Mania that features Pixar and Disney characters, but Pixar hasnn’t hit the brawler scene just yet.
Even better, Reddit fans have already dreamed up a roster that would fit a fighting game in the Pixar universe, showcasing a lot of early interest.
This concept doesn’t necessarily have to be all Pixar characters though; it could also include other franchises. The Marvel Vs Capcom fighting game series is an excellent example of a crossover fighting game done well.
8) Deadpool game sequel
The Deadpool game was met with a mixed reaction in 2013 but some fans did praise the game for its dialogue, humor, and fourth-wall-breaking factors. I always find good use of a fourth wall break—when done right—to be highly effective for engagement. As someone who designs games, I have taken starting inspiration from moments in this one in particular.
Now would be the perfect time for a sequel (or next installment). It would be an opportunity to potentially kickstart a new series of Deadpool games in a similar vein to Insomniac’s successful new Spider-Man titles except instead, you could really feel like Deadpool.
7) Home Alone One vs. Four asymmetric multiplayer game
Picture this: a Home Alone game where a team of robbers is pitted against one player who has to set up traps and defenses inside a house or a building to stop as many goods from being stolen as possible.
The setup for the defending Home Alone player could act similar to Rainbow Six Siege’s defense initial wave but then when the round starts and the robbers are trying to get in, the player would have access to a range of small weapons to slow down and cause whimsical chaos for the robbers when they’re trying to steal items.
The defending player would of course have to try and avoid the robbers too, so there would be a stealth aspect to the core gameplay loop.
6) How to Train Your Dragon battle royale
Dragon battle royales are something that would generate solid interest. When you attach How to Train Your Dragon to the concept, it may act as a catalyst for people wanting to get their hands on it even more. With Epic’s pre-existing knowledge of creating highly engaging battle royale experiences, it could become a major selling point.
Disney being able to work with Epic to release a How to Train Your Dragon game would seem like a gray area because it was made by Dreamworks and owned by NBC, of course. On the contrary, however, 20th Century Fox (owned by Disney) distributed How to Train Your Dragon 2, indicating clear close connections. A game based on the world has been made before, so it definitely could be a possibility and would make for a fresh new battle royale.
5) Night at the Museum horror game in FNAF style
There is something timeless about Night at the Museum, whether it be the idea of museum pieces and statues coming to life or simply just the nightguard having to deal with all of the vast shenanigans. In reality, if a nightguard suddenly has their surroundings coming to life around them in a museum, the situation would be petrifying.
This can act as a great starting point for a concept in which the player would have to navigate around the museum and keep watch on particular parts of the areas in a Five Nights at Freddy’s style. Of course, FNAF already exists as an immensely popular series, so some mechanic inspiration can be gleaned from the titles.
4) Mickey Mouse & friends racing game
Our list wouldn’t be complete without at least one mention of the stylish mouse, and despite the fact they’ve had their fair share of games already, a new racing adaptation would make for an engaging spin. There have indeed been a few earlier racing titles for Mickey—Mickey’s Racing Adventure developed by Rare with a release in 1999, and Mickey’s Speedway USA being a few examples.
Imagine a racing game where you could have Mickey and Pluto Battling it out on the road with a range of power-ups in Mario Kart’s enjoyable fashion. There’s plenty of character possibilities, from Mickey’s group to skin variations based on the older style cartoons. Steamboat Willie (who is now public domain) would make one-such brilliant skin.
Disney Speedstorm—a racing game similar to this concept—does have Mickey and other Pixar characters included, so this game could be focused on Mickey’s group with no crossovers. Track-wise, there is a chance for taking locales like Mickey Mouse’s Clubhouse and basing a track around it.
3) Black Widow action-adventure game
There are an immense number of games that center on Marvel characters but someone we haven’t seen too much focus on Black Widow. She would make for a brilliant protagonist and plenty is going on within her world and life to create a story based around it all or a full new spin-off tale.
Natasha was a spy and assassin before joining the Avengers and there could be intriguing story beats to pull from her spy times. If it was successful, there would be an opportunity for continuing the story further in future games.
2) Monsters, Inc. platformer
Monsters, Inc. already has a game, but a key element that could be explored in a new title is the aspect of the doors that act as portals. Having to navigate the door section in the factory with a character like the always-humorous Mike Wazowski would be excellent. There could be times when you have to make your way into other doors which open up new worlds potentially.
Having a platformer focused on the franchise would also allow the current younger generation to enjoy a slice of reminiscent moments of platformers from the past. Plus, who would want to turn down a chance to revisit the nostalgic factory?
1) Disney•Pixar WALL-E remake
In 2008, WALL-E had a film adaptation hit the marketplace on the very same year the main film was released. Fans loved the experience and even to this day it boasts an overwhelmingly positive rating on Steam.
A remake would prove to be a hit as it has been many years since we’ve seen WALL-E take the main stage. Factoring in the fact Disney•Pixar WALL-E has an up to four-player multiplayer mode there would be some enjoyable friend and family lounge times to be had.
All of these concepts are easier said than done of course, compared to actual implementation and design, which would take many years. Nonetheless, Disney’s huge Epic investment paves the way for many potential exciting games based on the studio’s many highly popular franchises and I cannot wait to see what is on the horizon.
Published: Feb 19, 2024 12:23 am