Marvel's Doctor Strange has never received his own video game. While the Sorcerer Supreme has showed up in the Marvel Vs. Capcom series, and has made appearances in the LEGO games and Ultimate Alliance, he's never been the titular hero, and the story has never revolved solely around him or his rogues' gallery. For years, Marvel fans have asked for a Doctor Strange game, and although there's no official title confirmed to be in the works right now, the upcoming GhostWire: Tokyo may be able to scratch that Doctor Strange itch.
Set to release at the end of March, GhostWire: Tokyo looks like it's shaping up to be an intriguing blend of hand-to-hand and magic-based combat, paired with a vibrant art style and some otherworldly themes that may branch into the realm of psychological horror. For Doctor Strange fans, GhostWire: Tokyo's core premise and mechanics may already sound a little familiar. While there was a leak back in October of last year that Insomniac was working on a Doctor Strange game, nothing has been confirmed just yet, meaning that GhostWire: Tokyo might be the closest thing to a Doctor Strange game fans get, at least for some time.
GhostWire: Tokyo's Psychic Abilities Look Like Doctor Strange's Magic
In the most recent trailer for GhostWire: Tokyo, debuted during PlayStation's State of Play event, some more of the game's combat was shown off. In general, GhostWire: Tokyo's psychic abilities look very similar to Doctor Strange's magic, especially the version fans have seen in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
According to the game's Combat Director, Shinichiro Hara, the combat of GhostWire: Tokyo is designed to essentially be "karate meets magic." This comes from the game's attack animations, that show the player-character moving their hands in deliberate, intricate motions to cast psychic spells. Apparently, these hand movements are based on the art of Kuji-kiri, which has been implemented in a number of traditional Japanese martial arts.
To a Doctor Strange fan, a lot of these hand movements look very similar to the Sorcerer Supreme's on-screen appearances, with individual fingers being used to pull magic/psychic strings that effect the opponents on-screen, and distinct hand gestures being used to pull or push enemies around the arena. The visual appearance of the abilities in GhostWire: Tokyo also look very reminiscent of the MCU's Doctor Strange, with the primary color of the spells being gold, and circular shapes being visible when the spell is cast.
Taking On Otherworldly Foes
Though the specific setting and context of GhostWire: Tokyo doesn't really match up with any particular Doctor Strange storyline, the general premise, a man having to ward of otherworldly foes with fantastical abilities, certainly matches up with the bulk of Doctor Strange's on-screen and on-page presence. In the comics, and a little in the first MCU Doctor Strange movie, the Sorcerer Supreme can often be seen fighting off demons, spirits, and a variety of enemies capable of possessing humans.
Similarly, the psychological horror elements and overall darker tone of the game also lend themselves quite well to the Doctor Strange character. Though Doctor Strange is often kept pretty lighthearted during team-ups, his own series of comics tends to throw in some more horror-based elements that don't seem too dissimilar to the imagery shown in GhostWire: Tokyo's recent trailer. And though the MCU version hasn't strayed too far into psychological horror territory just yet, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness looks like it may get closer than the series ever has before.
So, while it may not be an official licensed title, and it'll undoubtedly have its own unique story and premise that's worth playing by its own right, GhostWire: Tokyo could give Doctor Strange fans a taste of what a game featuring the Sorcerer Supreme could be like.
GhostWire: Tokyo is set to release on March 25, 2022, for PC and PS5.