Every In-Game Version of Wakanda, Ranked Worst to Best

Black Panther’s home nation of Wakanda has featured in several Marvel video games, spanning the LEGO titles to an expansion in Marvel’s Avengers.

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Marvel’s Avengers may have been the most recent video game to feature Wakanda in a major way, but the iconic Marvel location has a storied history when it comes to video games. Arguably one of Marvel’s most famous and impressive locales, Wakanda is a popular pick for game developers when it comes to settings. While the fictional country’s appearance in video games dates back to 2009, the setting has become increasingly popular thanks, in large part, to the Black Panther film and the Marvel Cinematic Universe. And though the versions of Wakanda in games like Marvel’s Avengers often differ quite a bit from the film’s version, its appearance in recent games still owes a lot to the Black Panther film.

Wakanda is naturally one of the best Marvel locations to set a game (or part of a game) in. The fictional country can transport players into a location they’ve never been before, and the diverse locations, such as the lush jungles and sci-fi cityscapes, help to vary the scenery and make for more interesting missions. The culture of Wakanda has long captured the interest of Marvel fans, and in video games, players are able to more thoroughly explore the cultural elements through side missions and conversations. Whether players are meeting new people in the capital city of Birnin Zana or exploring Wakanda’s dense jungles as an Avenger, the location has a lot to offer.

With the inclusion of Wakanda often comes the appearance of the Black Panther. As the king of Wakanda, T’Challa is always involved in the goings-on in the country, serving as both its ruler and its protector. Being one of Marvel’s most popular and greatest characters, players are often eager to get the chance to play as the Black Panther, and there’s no better place to do so than in his own country. While many games have attempted to recreate the country in some fashion, Wakanda is at its best when introduced fully with story and exploration, like in Marvel’s Avengers’ War for Wakanda expansion. That being said, there are some fantastic contenders for the best portrayal of Wakanda in a video game, spanning multiple console generations.

Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3’s Wakanda Lacks Depth

Prior to its release, Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order looked as though it was shaping up to be the perfect sequel, with fans having waited 10 years for a follow-up to 2009’s Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2. It seemed to include so many characters, villains, and locations that many thought it really would live up to its name as the ultimate Marvel game. Unfortunately, upon release, many found its cutscene-heavy story and button-mashing-focused combat to be a bit shallow, landing it a bit low on many players’ lists for best Marvel games featuring the Avengers.

Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3’s version of Wakanda, while great visually, was also bland. The location features in one chapter in the game, and that chapter does its best to rush you through as many locations as possible. Players get the chance to visit the jungles, Birnin Zana, and the Wakandan Necropolis, but the time spent in each location is brief, making it a disappointing excursion overall.

LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2’s Wakanda Is Impressive

What the LEGO games lack in gameplay complexity they more than make up for with wit and charm. LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2 was a surprisingly ambitious game that expanded upon the open world seen in the first LEGO Marvel Super Heroes, swapping out NYC for different Marvel locales, and making it one of the better LEGO video game crossovers. One of the locations that it includes in this open world is Wakanda. While the characters themselves appear as cute LEGO minifigures, the setting of Wakanda is rendered with impressive, realistic graphics that really bring the jungle to life.

In LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2’s version of the fictional country, players get to run around and explore the jungles, solving various LEGO themed puzzles, helping characters with side-quests and visiting iconic landmarks like Birnin Zana and a massive statue of the panther goddess, Bast. The game eventually expanded upon the location and its people even more by adding a Black Panther movie-themed DLC pack. A mixture between the beautiful recreations of the famous Marvel locale, and the many puzzles and quests that let players immerse themselves make LEGO Marvel Super Heroes’ version of Wakanda a surprisingly excellent rendition.

Marvel’s Avengers Brought War To Wakanda

One of the biggest criticisms leveled at Marvel’s Avengers when it first launched was that it lacked iconic Marvel locations. Instead of including popular Marvel-themed areas like Asgard or Sakaar, the game instead opted for locations such as random forests, deserts, tundras, and occasionally, New York. However, developer Crystal Dynamics decided to tackle this issue head-on when it revealed that the first major expansion for Marvel’s Avengers would center around and take place entirely in Wakanda. The War for Wakanda expansion not only introduced Wakanda itself, but also Black Panther as a playable character. The attention to detail in Marvel’s Avengers’ version of Wakanda is stunning. The developers chose not to reuse any Marvel’s Avengers assets in Wakanda, so it feels far removed from the generic, recycled locations from the main game.

Marvel’s Avengers’ version of Wakanda features many of the country’s most interesting locations. The capital city of Birnin Zana acts as a hub city, where players can buy gear and accept missions, while the jungles, cliffsides, and even Vibranium mines are home to many of the game’s toughest enemies. The story itself centers around Ulysses S. Klaue, a mercenary who wants to come to Wakanda to steal its Vibranium, and the Black Panther’s quest to stop him. It’s an interesting tale that gives the players reason to explore the game’s massive locations filled with puzzles and secrets. A particularly exciting puzzle in Marvel’s Avengers’ Caves of Bashenga help to build the lore of Wakanda while showing off its impressively designed locations. The story concludes in a difficult and exciting raid inside the Vibranium mines, which may be the best rendition of the famous mines yet.

The Best Game Version Of Wakanda – Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2

Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 was the first game to feature a Wakanda that players could explore and run around in. Although the game released back in 2009, its version of Wakanda still impresses to this day. Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 devotes an entire Act to the fictional Wakandan country, sending players there to help stop an outbreak of nanites. The game’s depiction of Wakanda perfectly blends the technological Marvels of Birnin Zana with the thick, lush jungles and waterfalls cascading from the cliffsides. Players can explore as much as they’d like, with hidden secrets and side objectives to further flesh out Wakanda. Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2’s version of Wakanda still impresses, and serves as a testament to how great both Marvel Ultimate Alliance and X-Men Legends were in introducing Marvel to new fans.

With Wakanda’s growing popularity among the Marvel fanbase and the upcoming release of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, it is likely that the nation will continue to be a featured location in many Marvel games to come. While Marvel’s Avengers was the latest game to recreate the iconic setting, elevating it into the current generation of consoles, it will be interesting to see how future Marvel video games expand upon it going forward.

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