Summary
As a studio, Monolith Productions is synonymous with adaptations of J.R.R. Tolkien’s fictional universe,The Lord of The Rings. While the developer has a history-themed around Middle-Earth in its most famous releases, it’s venturing into the relatively unknown by branching out into the superhero genre to bringWonder Womanto life in an open-world action-adventure game. Not much is known about the title in terms of gameplay elements apart from its expected style of play, and while it’s expected to feature pieces of creative brilliance, Monolith’s upcomingWonder Womangame would do well to walk down the road Rockstar paved inRed Dead Redemptionwith the heroine’s famous Lasso of Truth.
Admittedly, the points of intersection between an idyllic superhero-based game and a late Industrial Revolution-era title ofRed Dead Redemption’s premise should be almost non-existent. However, Rockstar has continually explored several dynamics that stretch far beyond a title’s scope - even going so far as to include UFO sightings inRed Dead Redemption 2. In the context of Monolith’sWonder Woman,Red Dead Redemption 2could provide an unlikely source of inspiration for the upcoming title through Arthur Morgan’slasso mechanics. Wonder Woman may have many weapons in her arsenal, but Monolith’s game would be incomplete without sufficient homage to the Golden Perfect, and Arthur Morgan’s usage of the device forms an ideal blueprint.
Arthur Morgan’s Cowboy Lasso Equipment Could Translate into Wonder Woman’s Universe
There are many moments in the story of Arthur Morgan that led toviralRed Dead Redemption 2clips, and the sheer ridiculousness of the lasso makes it rank near the top of the list for clip-farming reasons. Although its primary use is for taming wild horses and herding cattle, the lasso also has ramifications that extend to NPCs. It’s not uncommon to see players using the device to drag victims through the mud behind their horses instead of simply shooting them, eliciting pleas for mercy.
In this form, the lasso can transform into a lethal weapon, which lines up with what is expected in the context of Monolith’sWonder Womangame. Players can get creative while wielding the device; directing the lasso into obstacles while moving at speed kills characters effectively, and smashing one NPC into another is a cynical but popular means of turning the human body into a weapon and killing two birds with one stone. Since the lasso is one ofWonder Woman’s more memorable weapons, it wouldn’t be out of place for Monolith to deploy some of Rockstar’s mechanics with a more supernatural twist.
Wonder Woman’s Lasso Should Be Useful, But Not Overpowered
The upcomingWonder Womangame is expected to featureMiddle Earth: Shadow of MordorandShadow of War’s Nemesis System- a mechanism that equips Orc enemies with a procedurally generated hierarchy. With this in mind,RDR2’s lasso implementation could come in handy. Higher-ranked opponents should logically be able to resist some of Diana’s moves, and Arthur Morgan already provides a blueprint in this defensive regard. Other criminals inRDR2can use lassos to wrangle the protagonist, but players can escape the hogtie in a physics-defying move by switching to a knife. Similarly, opponents higher up the food chain in Monolith’sWonder Womanshould have mechanisms to break free from the famous lasso hold.
Although the Lasso of Truth is said to be unbreakable and forces anyone it captures into submission, there have been characters in canon material that have resisted Diana of Themyscira’s grip. Bizarro tore through the device as a being of anti-truth, and The Joker couldn’t be compelled to obey Wonder Woman due to his twisted belief of what makes up the truth. Hence, Arthur Morgan’s physics-bending maneuver should be extended to a select few characters inMonolith’sWonder Womanto give her a few weaknesses.RDR2’s protagonist may have seem like an unlikely source of inspiration, but when it comes to this specific tool, the upcomingWonder Womangame would be remiss to ignore the lessons that can be learned from Arthur Morgan’s lasso usage.
