Delta Assault
Member
Really wouldn't be hard at all. Just ripoff Arkham City.
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Why are Superman games so god damn bad
- Thread starter Phediuk
- Start date
Really wouldn't be hard at all. Just ripoff Arkham City.
BiggStankDogg
Member
Supes is susceptible to Krytonite, fighting till his reserves are drained, lack of yellow sun, and magic. There are PLENTY of ways to use these individually and in tandem with each other to either depower Superman or make his enemies on par with him. Hell the Billy Batson fight in Kingdom Come would make an awesome boss fight in and of itself. Batman beat him, Doomsday beat him, Wonder Woman has cut him, it's possible, and it's possible in a way that would make fanboys eat it up.
Games can also have incredibly powerful emotional moments as well. As long as the game doesn't focus on JUST the power of Superman exclusively, saving the real tremendous feats of strength for moments that need them when he's facing people while he's at his most vulnerable, THATS how you elicit a great response from the gamer. Think the microwave hallway in MGS4 - now imagine Superman facing waves of Kryptonite or a super focused magic-based opponent - THAT is where the true essence of Superman lies. It's not just a power fantasy, Superman would do it if his powers were stripped, because he's innately good.
Give him dream sequences where he doubts his powers, or plays on his fears that he can't save everybody, similar to the Scarecrow levels in the Arkham games. C'mon people - we've been playing games as overpowered characters forEVER. It's not that hard if you think SLIGHTLY out of the box.
Games can also have incredibly powerful emotional moments as well. As long as the game doesn't focus on JUST the power of Superman exclusively, saving the real tremendous feats of strength for moments that need them when he's facing people while he's at his most vulnerable, THATS how you elicit a great response from the gamer. Think the microwave hallway in MGS4 - now imagine Superman facing waves of Kryptonite or a super focused magic-based opponent - THAT is where the true essence of Superman lies. It's not just a power fantasy, Superman would do it if his powers were stripped, because he's innately good.
Give him dream sequences where he doubts his powers, or plays on his fears that he can't save everybody, similar to the Scarecrow levels in the Arkham games. C'mon people - we've been playing games as overpowered characters forEVER. It's not that hard if you think SLIGHTLY out of the box.
Superman isn't really invincible so much has he just has really high physical defenses. As such, rather than taking away his "invincibility," just have him gradually gain more stamina and health as the game progresses if you're going the "remove his powers" route.
Ya know, like every game character ever.
There's nothing inherent to the character preventing a good game about him being made.
Ya know, like every game character ever.
Not enough dev time, unskilled developers, WB Games hasn't given the go ahead on a big AAA Superman game, etc.
There's nothing inherent to the character preventing a good game about him being made.
Superman's principle ability is flying. That is very difficult to duplicate in a game correctly. You may say "but there's a lot of games with flying vehicles" but those are vehicles with inherent limitations we all accept. If we controlled Superman like an Arwing I think people would still be unhappy.
It's probably not worth addressing him at this point. He doesn't seem interested in genuine conversation as much as he'd like to dogpile.
I agree with you 100% though.
Sibersk Esto
Banned
Kageshinzo
Member
The 1989 Batman game for the NES was awesome. I flipped out when I learned I could wall-jump.
Batman has always had awesome games.
flaxknuckles
Member
What? That was already solved in Superman Returns. Flight controls worked great in that game.
Superman would go well with the Metroid method, I'd say. Start like a God, something happens, lose a bunch of powers, build up through the game until by the end of it you're a God.
Yeah, what Vice says. Not sure about the throw away boss fight part, though. Maybe if you got that power like right at the end of a very difficult boss fight once you "beat" him, and then the game gives you the opportunity to keep wrecking him in your now God-like state just to rub it in.
ThoseDeafMutes
Member
The prospect of Rocksteady theoretically working on a Superman game is exciting, but at the same time I'd rather see them working on their own IP. WB Montreal could alternate Batman/Superman games every year though with a fairly large team. Each would get a 2-3 year dev cycle or something.
I want to throw out the fact that the Rocksteady Batman series was greenlit (2007) and announced (2008) at the height of the Batman film trilogy by Nolan. There was huge public awareness for the brand and interest in Batman at the time.
To tie to the OP's question, Man of Steel was not well regarded. I thought it was a decent movie, but it did not "pick up the torch" of the popularity for DC properties from Nolan's Batman series. So that's a reason why maybe it hasn't shown up in recent years.
As already said on another note, he's just too hard of a character around which to create an interesting game. He's got immense strength to bullets, impacts, explosions, doesn't need oxygen, etc. Also, where do you start with him? Arkham Asylum and City were both confinement settings. They weren't all of Gotham. Just a small bit. How do you create that with Superman's villains? I'm sure you could, but it's a bigger challenge. I think it boils down to WB not wanting to take the risk.
But they will have to eventually. Arkham Knight and MKX will only take them so far.
To tie to the OP's question, Man of Steel was not well regarded. I thought it was a decent movie, but it did not "pick up the torch" of the popularity for DC properties from Nolan's Batman series. So that's a reason why maybe it hasn't shown up in recent years.
As already said on another note, he's just too hard of a character around which to create an interesting game. He's got immense strength to bullets, impacts, explosions, doesn't need oxygen, etc. Also, where do you start with him? Arkham Asylum and City were both confinement settings. They weren't all of Gotham. Just a small bit. How do you create that with Superman's villains? I'm sure you could, but it's a bigger challenge. I think it boils down to WB not wanting to take the risk.
But they will have to eventually. Arkham Knight and MKX will only take them so far.
MisterHero
Super Member
I didn't play it but he was in Superman Returns. The game went places the movie didn't.Who needs dream sequences when you got Mxyzptlk?
This character is begging to show up in a game, damn it.
Ex. Metallo, Bizarro, Warworld, etc.
Art Vandilay
Member
But he's Superman. I don't know, this concept just bothers me.
I have to admit... I kind of liked the idea of
stopping a tornado.
hydragonwarrior
Member
Metroid like would be interesting (kind of like how the approached Superboy in Young Justice)
Just for the hell of it, I would like to see Superman behave in the following games tho:
- Last of Us (zombies gnaw on him and they break their teeth before being vaporized) or any survival-horror
- Arkham Asylum
- Mass Effect
Just for the hell of it, I would like to see Superman behave in the following games tho:
- Last of Us (zombies gnaw on him and they break their teeth before being vaporized) or any survival-horror
- Arkham Asylum
- Mass Effect
Got blasted by a red sun weapon or the sun-eater appears. Regains power as he absorbs more yellow sun/exp. Same way batman levels up his martial arts and gadgets even though he should know all that at the start of every Arkham.
Check out the 90s cartoon or the old Fleischer ones. Watch "The Mechanical Monsters," it's probably on YouTube and 5 minutes. You'll see what I mean.
I think most posters in this thread would completely disagree with your post.
Poodlestrike
Banned
U wot m8? Some of the game ideas in this thread sound amazing.
Granted, both of mine kind of suck, but there's some brilliant stuff here.
Well, then, let's hear your idea.
Elements for a successful video game have to blend while submerging the player in a world they can believe in.
Playing as Superman is let's say, an open world game is like playing GTA with invincibility and all cheats enabled. Fun at first, stale in the long run.
Adding robots, aliens, etc. to a Metropolis would be a clusterfuck and wouldn't make sense for his character to battle on a regular basis as in comparison to Batman fighting thugs and criminals. The only fun Superman battles would be boss fights.
Incorporating a metroid element to superman would seem extremely out of place too. 'Oh you don't have the ability to fly yet', how else would you get around the city, take a cab as Clark Kent? Come on.
I have no good ideas for a Superman game because I don't think it can be successfully incorporated into what the modern gamer wants.
Not only does gameplay have to functionally make sense in terms of fluidity but it has to make sense with whatever setting/story you set it with.
Would the Last of Us be more criticized if you have a full arsenal of weapons instead of scavenging?
A modern day superman game would be like playing infamous ss after unlocking every power. Invincible.
Running super speed, leaping buildings. Fun as fuck in some games.
Also, and I'm repeating posts here: he's not invincible or god-tier in a majority of his incarnations. I'd go that route. It would negate the majority of complaints people seem to keep coining.
Those are all things that happen regularly in Superman fiction. Metropolis is crawling with super powered beings and Supes gets power resets like every 5 years now but regains them soon after. It makes sense in his world.
This assumes there's no way to incorporate any kind of fail state that makes sense for the character (untrue, since folks have already suggested several) or create enemies that could hurt him (also untrue as several exists in the comics he's based in).
Except...that is what Superman fights on a regular basis. Alien invasions, scientific abominations, magical beasts, other super beings, etc. Those are the things that appear in Metropolis on a regular in comics, movies, TV shows, etc. Would not be at all out of place in a game.
"Leap tall buildings in a single bound."
Start the game leaping, progress to flying, go from there. Skill trees, rather than unlocking new powers, could unlock new methods for using the powers you already have.
MisterHero
Super Member
If anything he has too many
-flight
-freeze breath
-super strength
-super speed
-super senses
-heat vision
-x-ray vision
^^^combininations of the above
-fighting criminals
-fighting natural disasters
-defending against psychics
-defending against magic
-saving people that aren't as durable as you
-Phantom Zone projector for catching supervillains
-Krypto as a sidekick
TBH I don't think a conventional game controller could handle all of them. Entire games could be based any one of those powers/tasks. A proper Superman would require them all. Ideally the powers could be accessed without cycling through some games do.
I don't get it either. Everytime there's a Superman game thread I feel half my posts are pointing out Superman isn't god-tier in many of his incarnations.
It's baffling.
This.
Unlocking flight after speed running/leaping a la infamous, Crackdown, or DC Universe online would be an amazing reward.
pillowtalk
Member
I'd disagree and say that he's not a boring character at all. The fact that he's so different from every other hero/character that shoots/slice stuff or hack stuff to complete their objectives. But I'm not clever enough to solve the op's question.
VlaudTheImpaler
tl;dr
I'm guessing you didn't read my post one page back then?
I don't know what you are talking about OP.
Honestly though, maybe if they made a game where he actually dies after having a son or daughter and you play them acquiring their powers while trying to figure out their lives and responsibilities having never known their father but clearly seeing the impact that he had on the world. Make it like prototype with a justice league style.
Or you could go really big and make a game in the style of No Mans Sky, where superman just wakes up on a planet in a distant galaxy with no memory or powers and you have to explore and re-gain powers to find your way home while taking part in an epic outer space opera on the way there. At the same time also regaining your memories. However, they are not just memories of some extremely powerful enemy taking you to where you wake up, but memories of heart wrenching loss and failure so much so that it effects your character both visually and Gameplay wise.
The most important part of making a successful and interesting superman game is making him vulnerable to the point where death or failing is a real concern of the story itself not just the Gameplay. Heck, make a game that begins where he has already failed or lost a battle in an epicly devastating way and then tell a story of rebirth and rebuilding. Show us a broken man on the brink and let us build him up to the potential that we know he has from scratch.
MrCunningham
Member
Or any other game that did the whole super powers open world thing... like Infamous, Saint Rows IV, Prototype...
But really, the Arkam aproach is about the best way to go. Create an original game world that's not connected to any of the movies or existing Superman properties.
Noisepurge
Member
yup, even though Batman is easier with him being vulnerable and, well, a human. Superman wouldnt even need to walk anywhere let alone take damage.
I would take Alpha Protocol/Mass Effect as foundation and make a Superman action rpg. There the combat against basic mooks can be overpowered destruction fantasy, then have a really good intricate storyline with hard choices that cause people to live or die and have some epic bossfights in space against legendary foes. Done!
Poodlestrike
Banned
yup, even though Batman is easier with him being vulnerable and, well, a human. Superman wouldnt even need to walk anywhere let alone take damage.
I would take Alpha Protocol/Mass Effect as foundation and make a Superman action rpg. There the combat against basic mooks can be overpowered destruction fantasy, then have a really good intricate storyline with hard choices that cause people to live or die and have some epic bossfights in space against legendary foes. Done!
This (and all the other "emphasize the hard choices" posts in this thread) are the ones cutting closest to what I think a really, really good Superman game would be. He's incredibly badass, but a big part of the character's appeal is that despite his godlike powers, he's incredibly human. Put him in situations that the player can really sympathize with, and you've got a winning formula.
Alx
Member
From OP's list :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superman_(arcade_game)
I remember seeing that game as a kid in an arcade and being completely fascinated by the attract mode. It looked so cool !
I wonder if it's good, but I'd rather keep my dreams untouched.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superman_(arcade_game)
I remember seeing that game as a kid in an arcade and being completely fascinated by the attract mode. It looked so cool !
I wonder if it's good, but I'd rather keep my dreams untouched.
Maxwood
Oh rock of ages, do not crumble, love is breathing still. Oh lady moon shine down, a little people magic if you will.
Just pump Clark full with small bits of blue kryptonite. Leveling and/or finding way's to remove them gives Clark some powers back. How that would work story-wise is up to the writer's, i'm certain there would be some way to make it work.
Or better yet, make an action-adventure starring Lois Laine. Inspired by Beyond Good & Evil, but with a bit more complexity in the photo-journalism aspect. Or a point & click on Brainiac's ship, swapping between worlds and characters DoTT style.
Or better yet, make an action-adventure starring Lois Laine. Inspired by Beyond Good & Evil, but with a bit more complexity in the photo-journalism aspect. Or a point & click on Brainiac's ship, swapping between worlds and characters DoTT style.
Earthpainting
Member
I think Superman himself is a big part of the problem for this. He's crazy overpowered, which you'd think would be very compatible with video games. Video games revel in destruction and action after all. You have his ability to fly, laser shit, punch like a truck and go fast. He would have been so easy to systemise into a video game, especially a modern-day open world one... if it wasn't for his reputation and moral alignment. Superman isn't a character that wrecks dudes and destroys properties in large quantities. Adding in believable threats in large enough quantities could easily feel quite contrived as well.
If I had to make it would, I guess I'd go down the Arkham path. Add some silly contrived plot point that cuts him off from almost all of his powers, and make you earn them back one by one by completing story objectives. Luckily enough we have kryptonite or blotting out the sun to help facilitate such a plot point.
Or make the player play from the perspective as Lois. I'm sure you could easily translate her shenanigans into a video game, and only give the player limited control over Superman's actions.
If I had to make it would, I guess I'd go down the Arkham path. Add some silly contrived plot point that cuts him off from almost all of his powers, and make you earn them back one by one by completing story objectives. Luckily enough we have kryptonite or blotting out the sun to help facilitate such a plot point.
Or make the player play from the perspective as Lois. I'm sure you could easily translate her shenanigans into a video game, and only give the player limited control over Superman's actions.
Another possibility is to open the game with all of your powers and you fight Doomsday or Darkseid or Brainiac or some other godlike being who could kill him. Then it ends in a draw or whatever and Superman goes into a "healing coma".
Cough.
And this is relevant:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PlwDbSYicM
Then when he comes out of the coma he isn't at full power and you go through the game trying to get back to full strength and it ends in an epic showdown with full power.
So basically Metroid, kinda'.
Cough.
And this is relevant:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PlwDbSYicM
Then when he comes out of the coma he isn't at full power and you go through the game trying to get back to full strength and it ends in an epic showdown with full power.
So basically Metroid, kinda'.
Because Superman is a shit character who has every power imaginable and is basically a god. Not exactly easy to make compelling gameplay when the character itself isn't compelling in any way.
That said Superman 64 is still the epitome of horrid games. But there was a game called The Death and Return of Superman made by Blizzard. It was a side scrolling beat em up where you could play Superboy and Steel. It was actually a damn fun game on the Genesis.
That said Superman 64 is still the epitome of horrid games. But there was a game called The Death and Return of Superman made by Blizzard. It was a side scrolling beat em up where you could play Superboy and Steel. It was actually a damn fun game on the Genesis.
Shit character and shit game are not mutually exclusive.
Also, this thread marks the first time I've ever heard of Superman being a shit character because he was co-created by a Canadian. Everything I hate about Superman discussions is present in this thread. All we need is jokes about Krypto, Comet, Beppo and Streaky and it'll be done.
Also, this thread marks the first time I've ever heard of Superman being a shit character because he was co-created by a Canadian. Everything I hate about Superman discussions is present in this thread. All we need is jokes about Krypto, Comet, Beppo and Streaky and it'll be done.
PHOENIXZERO
Member
Really easy to tell who here is completely ignorant of the character, not even worth arguing with or pointing out why they're wrong.
There are plenty of ways to make a good or great Superman game, especially as tech continues to advance. But like others already said, he's never had much in the way of good developers making a game for him.
There are plenty of ways to make a good or great Superman game, especially as tech continues to advance. But like others already said, he's never had much in the way of good developers making a game for him.
Auto-Reply
Member
He can fly, see through everything (nearly everything), laser eyes and can punch through walls.
Now try and create an environment that suits his abilities and have still an interesting and versatile game to play.
Now try and create an environment that suits his abilities and have still an interesting and versatile game to play.
Coffee Dog
Banned
People will say a bunch of game design reasons but honestly not that many people have tried to make a good superman game. Every single one has been a rushed licensed tie in game.
teh_J0kerer
Member
It could be a stealth game:
Something bad happens, and then Clark Kent has to find a place to change into Superman without being seen before the time runs out.
Something bad happens, and then Clark Kent has to find a place to change into Superman without being seen before the time runs out
.