For a long time, videogames starring superheroes were extremely hit or miss, and even the best of them still weren’t blockbusters. That all changed with the release Rocksteady’s Batman: Arkham Asylum. Not only did it finally put a superhero game in legitimate Game of the Year territory, it also showed just how good the genre could be. Arkham City only raised that bar, and now we’ve picked out eight superhero game that we think could hit that bar if they were made.
Don’t see your favorite superhero? Tell us who we missed in the comments!
Green Arrow
Yeah, I know what you’re thinking. Motion controls. Well, not necessarily. If we just wanted to make a game about shooting a bow and arrow, then I could see it. But what makes Green Arrow such an interesting choice is the wide array of equipment he utilizes. Arrow with flash bangs, explosives, nets, grappling hooks, and more would all be up for grabs, and the possibilities for a crafting system are almost limitless. This would also present multiple approaches for combat, including non-lethal options. You could also have a few cameos from other members of the Justice League, but that’s just a bonus.
Blade
Part vampire-hunter, part quasi-vampire, Blade has a place in pop culture already thanks to the movies starring Wesley Snipes. A game starring the character would of course be a mix of hunting and killing vampires. The vampiric abilities that the character gained at birth would make for a number of interesting gameplay mechanics,. and the wide array of weapons would allow for some player customization. Vampire hunting hasn’t been explored much in the world of videogames, so why not start out with the most badass vampire hunter in history?
Nightcrawler
Stealth games have been pretty popular over the last few years, and what better character for a superhero stealth title than Nightcrawler? He’s got the ability to teleport, sticky hands and feet to let him climb walls, superhuman agility, and the ability to nearly disappear in shadows. As his abilities emerged as he got older, it could even be an origin story that shows where the character comes from, gradually granting abilities and culminating in his time as part of the X-Men.
Doctor Strange
Videogames have never done a great job of capturing the feel of casting spells. MMOs have worked on it, and games like Lichdom: Battlemage have come close, but we need a really good game that lets us use magic. Enter Doctor Strange. The former neurosurgeon turned superhero has a wide array of magical abilities that could be used, and his regular travel to other dimensions could provide some amazing settings for missions and levels. With a feature film starring Benedict Cumberbatch coming next year, this one actually has a chance of becoming a reality.
The Flash
It’s just so wrong that the only time gamers have gotten to play as The Flash is in Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe. What the character really needs is his own game, and we’ve actually seen an idea of just what it could look like thanks to Saints Row IV. An open-world version of Keystone City filled with side missions to complete alongside a solid main story could make The Flash as cool as he deserves to be. Plus, it would be great to run at super-speed through the entire game.
The Tick
Yeah, The Tick is a spoof character. But that could be what makes this such a great idea. Instead of trying to embody all the tropes of a superhero game, The Tick’s game could be the one that spoofs them all. His super strength and near-invincibility would make useful abilities, and the fact that he can still be injured or have brain damage could be used to hilarious result as a punishment mechanic. For my money, the one-liners that this game would spawn would make it worthwhile all by themselves.
Wonder Woman
It’s hard for me to believe that we haven’t had a Wonder Woman game hit the market yet. Sure, she’s appeared in other titles like Infinite Crisis and Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe, but those really aren’t what we’ve got in mind. A game that’s fully focused on Wonder Woman would finally let the Amazonian princess shine. She’s got awesome equipment, like the Lasso of Truth, her tiara, and her indestructible bracelets for deflecting ranged attacks. She also offers plenty of hand-to-hand skills and a ton of back story to build on. Add in the challenge missions and tutorials you could do on Paradise Island (which could also serve as a mission hub), and you’ll ask yourself the same question I did: Why hasn’t someone made this yet?
Daredevil
A Daredevil game was planned in 2004, but it was cancelled before coming to fruition. Now with Netflix’s new Daredevil series, and our new Good Bad Flicks detailing what was great about the 2003 movie, it’s time for Matt Murdock to make his debut in his own videogame. A Daredevil game would have to embrace Murdock’s blindness and embody it in the same way the 2003 film did, necessitating the creation of an echolocation mechanic used to see the world around you. The character’s signature billy club could be the basis for an entire upgrade system. Finally, a melee combat system similar to Arkham Asylum’s would round out what could be a great superhero title. We could even work in some courtroom scenes, just for kicks.
