The template, ideas and mechanics for superhero games have evolved considerably since 2006's Superman Returns to the point where making a solid Superman game is a no brainer. Superman is one of the greatest superheroes ever. So, why has a game featuring him proven harder to do than piercing his skin?
As one of the most iconic superheroes, Superman has captured the imaginations of millions of fans worldwide. With his superpowers, including flight, super strength, heat vision, and more, it seems like the Man of Steel would make for an epic video game protagonist. However, creating a dedicated Superman video game has proven to be a significant challenge, and several factors contribute to why.
When it comes to a making a solo Superman game, there are specific challenges and limitations developers face that make it almost impossible. So, the first thing to look at is why it is so hard to make a compelling Superman game: his powers. Superman has come in many forms, but a few things in his power set remain constant.
He is super-strong and invulnerable; I know you want me to say he can fly, but that's relatively new as originally he was jumping rather than flying. People always seem to list over a dozen different reasons why a good Superman game isn't possible to make, one of the most prevailing of which is the notion that Superman is too overpowered, invincible, and godly to make for a good protagonist in a game. Well seeing as how games like God of War exist, in which you play as a superhuman god in a mega.
Why has it been so hard to make a great Superman game? In this ultimate supercut of my three part video series, I take a deep dive into three of the most infamous and iconic Superman games ever. But why? The common argument is that Superman is too powerful, making it difficult to craft a game that feels challenging. However, with modern advancements in gaming technology, AI, and open-world design, a well-executed Superman game is not only possible-it's necessary.
Let's explore why Superman deserves his own game, the challenges in making it work, and how developers could craft. Generally, a video game only works if the player can lose at any time and that is hard to do with Superman. With fighting games, they have to nerf Superman so Joker or Batman can defeat him, at least with some of the Justice League games, he is mainly fighting heavy hitters like Darkseid or Brainiac as bosses and their minions are more powerful than normal goons, so its a little more.
Just curious as Matt Mcmuscles said it was easy to make a good videogame adaptation of comics like Batman and Spiderman, but Superman struggles the most when it comes to game adaptations. Like Superman 64 is so broken and buggy that it's a surprise that it was shipped out to stores, despite only being about 15% complete overall.