Marvel Cosmic Invasion is a blast. As someone who regularly plays brawlers to pass the time, the mere fact that Dotemu and Tribute Games managed to license a Marvel IP with their signature brawler format is an interesting surprise.
I have played most of Marvel Cosmic Invasion with my best friend, and if we’re not stealing each other’s kills and characters, we’d revel in the might of our favorite Marvel heroes and call out the many easter eggs and cameos each level offers.
As we play through the game’s bite-sized Marvel offerings, a thought came into my head: “What if Tribute Games tries to dip their toes in a Lord of the Rings beat ‘em up?” After all, they've already proven their worth by giving us some of the best brawlers in the market, so how about something from Tolkien?
As my buddy and I fought against Marvel villains like Knull and Hela, we began discussing the potential of a Lord of the Rings beat 'em up, and the possibilities are endless. Tribute Games' studio is already working on an upcoming adaptation of Bryan Lee O'Malley’s Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, and they've certainly done a damn good job with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge.
J.R.R. Tolkien’s acclaimed high-fantasy franchise has plenty of material to adapt from. Tribute Games’ choices are simple here: they would either move away from the established popularity of Peter Jackson’s movies or take a page from Tolkien’s plethora of fantasy stories. The Silmarillion is literally there.
Stories from the First Age, before Sauron’s ascension, would be interesting. We take on iconic characters from the series, facing off against the full might of Morgoth. Heroes like Galadriel or Durin I will be in their prime, and we could also be seeing returning Valar like Gandalf or even Sauron as playable characters.
They might even sneak in a playable Gollum if they feel like it.
Tribute Games has all the liberties to mix and match The Lord of the Rings’ sprawling lore. There will be some risky interpretations to the story here and there, but it’s a casual brawler that doesn’t need a competent story. It just has to be fun. Our favorite Middle-earth characters fending off hordes of Orcs and Morgoth’s forces would be a sight to see.
They could also go beyond the First Age, detailing key moments during the Second and Third Ages, prior to Bilbo Baggins’ discovery of the One Ring. We’d be taking control of other characters from the series, like the elf Thandruil or Isildur himself. Imagine these characters facing off against Middle-earth’s vile creatures like Durin’s Bane, and maybe even Smaug.
I could go on and on with its possible direction here, but the ball is in Tribute Games' court. Marvel Cosmic Invasion is shaping up to be a success for fans of both brawlers and Marvel franchises. In the off-chance that Tribute strikes a deal with Dotemu to publish another brawler again, then picking up Tolkien’s beloved IP could lure in its massive fanbase. And who knows? Maybe they’d start loving the genre altogether, wanting even more Lord of the Rings beat ‘em ups.
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