The recent appearance of Superman in Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League got me thinking about a Superman game. Being a huge fan of the Man of Steel and not having a modern Superman experience can be frustrating.
Do not get me wrong, I think the Batman Arkham games were an essential milestone within the superhero games.
However, we still haven’t gotten a proper Superman game, a AAA title designed for the next-gen consoles. A Superman game for the modern audience should feel like a Superman game. Not only in gameplay, the game should feel like a Superman immediately when the players first boot up the game.
- A Superman game for next-gen consoles should prioritize making players feel like Superman
- Challenges should be creative and diverse, not just repetitive brawls.
- Storytelling should be rooted in Superman’s core values of truth, justice, and the weight of responsibility.
- The game world, likely Metropolis, should be a living, breathing city that reacts to Kal-El’s presence.
- While not essential, a destructible environment and the ability to explore space would add to the immersive experience.
Therefore, I want to dissect and analyze, what would create the ultimate Superman experience and what developers should focus on.
Play As Superman
First of all, let’s get the obvious out of the way. A Superman game should allow players to feel like they are playing as Superman. I have seen many amazing Mods, including the Unreal Engine 5 demo, which tried its best to mod Superman into a modern tech demo. However, it still does not fully capture what it feels like to play one of the strongest beings in the known universe.
Superman is no ordinary superhero, he is one of the strongest superheroes within the DC universe. He can fly at light speed, shoot lasers out of his eyes, and simply use his breath to freeze things over. The Unreal Engine 5 demo has an amazing world design and captures what it feels like to fly as Superman. But, it just stops at that as there are no other abilities.
Whoever gets to develop a Superman game should give him all his strength and not nerf him just for the game’s sake. Superman should be able to fly through buildings easily and his punch should send things flying to space. Although, that also means requiring strong enough enemies to take Superman’s punches.
In my opinion, a game not true to the essence of Superman will fail before it even begins. It would be an extraordinary feat to bring the Man of Tomorrow to life in video games, but, it is not impossible.
Story and Characters
Another incredibly important thing to any good video game is the world and story in it. The Spiderman and Arkham games have done this spades. Both of these video game franchises have some of the best stories with equal attention paid to the source material. Superhero games already have a base for their world through their comic book origins.
However, this also restricts the developers from experimenting and keeping the characters within the confines of their comic book counterparts. Let’s imagine a story with someone else as Superman’s love interest instead of Lois Lane. That just feels wrong, it is like trying to replace Mary Jane for Spiderman.
Therefore, the developers need to stay true to the source material. They should pick an iconic storyline from the comics and just adapt that into the video game.
The game should keep the iconic Superman villains, from the likes of Lex Luthor, Doomsday, and even Lobo. All the hard work has mostly been done by the comic book writers to set a tone for this world.
The Metropolis should feel like a Metropolis and Superman should exist alongside Clark Kent. Superman’s humanity is just as important as his powers. Let players experience the life of Clark Kent, a mild-mannered reporter. Imagine investigating leads as Clark, uncovering stories that tie into Superman’s larger mission.
This could involve detective elements or stealth mechanics, adding depth and variety to the gameplay
The Scope of The World
We have already learned that a Superman game is doomed to fail if the gameplay does not feel like you are playing as Superman. However, the scope and the scale of the world here are also equally important. The open world of this game should be unlike anything we have seen. Let’s not forget Superman can fly at speeds faster than sounds.
One of the first things most gamers, including myself, will do is fly straight into space. I mean being Superman, a huge part is flying into the cosmos to fight the cosmic villains.
The developers would need to incorporate some portion of space accessible to players. It should avoid the pitfalls of Starfield, and seamlessly integrate the flying mechanics.
It shouldn’t give you a minute-long animation, instead should allow players to fly themselves to space. Imagine fighting Doomsday and the fight takes you from Earth to the Moon. Games like No Man’s Sky have done this before, so this isn’t completely impossible.
While not the sole focus, a destructible environment adds an immersive layer to the gameplay. Imagine Superman accidentally leveling a building during a heated battle or using his super-breath to clear a path through debris. It just adds to the believability of playing Superman.
A Game Worthy Of Superman
A Superman game for the modern era hinges on one crucial element, making you truly feel like Superman. This means mastering the exhilaration of flight, crafting compelling challenges worthy of his power, and weaving a narrative that reflects his moral compass. It’s an ambitious feat, but one that could deliver a unique experience that takes flight and leaves a lasting impression.
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An enthusiastic writer who loves art and gaming, you can find Maaz casually spending his day either behind the keyboard or the canvas. Maaz holds a major in Electronics and has over 5 years of experience working as a freelance blog and content writer. He loves to talk about all things gaming and help other gamers through his guides. He’s an expert when it comes to Diablo 4, Elden Ring, Dark Souls, Starfield and Baldur’s Gate 3.
Maaz mostly plays games on PC, you can check out his library on Steam attached below:
