The announcement of a new Iron Man's suits from decades of Marvel's comics and the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it could take things one step further and allow players to design their own suit from scratch, unlocking new parts as they go and applying them to make a suit perfectly tailored to their playstyle. This could be anything from applying more Hulkbuster-type features for a tank-type playthrough or using more nanotechnology to allow for a freer-flowing style of movement in combat.

Past Iron Man Games Have Lacked Full Customization

Despite Iron Man's popularity growing in recent years - in large part due to Robert Downey Jr.'s portrayal of the billionaire playboy in the Marvel Cinematic Universe - his video game appearances have been somewhat lacking. Iron Man most recently appeared as one of the main flying characters in Marvel's Avengers, but that title has been largely criticized in part for its live-service model, bugs, and was rife with microtransactions. Prior to this, Sega made movie tie-ins for Iron Man and Iron Man 2 but neither were warmly received by critics. Iron Man in particular dabbled with customization, with players able to unlock new suits and upgrade elements to suit their playstyle. Avengers included options to increase flight speed by putting more resources into upgrading thrusters, or upgrading repulsors, rockets, and the Unibeam to prioritize performance in combat. However, these upgrades also didn't come with visual changes to reflect where the resources had been allocated.

The best way for Marvel Entertainment and Motive Studio to truly make players feel like they are stepping into the shoes of Tony Stark would be to create their own suits and channel his creativity when it comes to technology. This doesn't mean that the new Iron Man title can't add suits from movies and comics, as Batman: Arkham, Marvel's Spider-Man, and even Marvel's Avengers have proven that players will obviously want to explore the game's world in their favorite suits. However, a creative way to implement them into this customization model could be to take the parts that have been unlocked throughout the game and use them to create those suits from the character's history, with achievements and special abilities based on moments in that specific run that could be granted to players once they do. This kind of feature would help make the Iron Man title different from other superhero games on the market, and would be in keeping with its main character's key abilities.