There are precious few superhero open-world games, particularly official releases based on Marvel or DC Comics. Heck, I'm still waiting for My Hero Academia to announce a single-player open-world project where you create a student and attend classes, akin to something like Hogwarts Legacy. The potential is endless and, sadly, seems likely to remain untapped. While Spider-Man has swung his way through New York multiple times over the decades, everyone's favorite wall-crawler is pretty much the only superhero who regularly stars in open-world adventures.
Superheroes are the perfect conduits for OP action romps where players get to live out their "saving the day" fantasies. Most popular heroes are even directly tied to specific cities, creating an obvious setting for an open-world. Yet, these styles of games are rare treats (and they are not always treats). So, why don't we highlight some open-world games that properly make you feel like a superhero? Time to take to the skies and demolish some villains.
Before starting, let's go over some criteria and things to know:
- This article does not cover the best superhero open-world games, but rather open-world games that make you feel like a superhero. They might not sound all that different, but the focus is primarily on the gameplay.
- To qualify, the protagonist does not have to be described or presented as a superhero. Just somebody who has powers associated with the role and can act in superhero-esque ways.
- On the other hand, a game will not be included just because it features a superhero playable character.
- MMOs have been left out, just because they feel like a different genre than traditional single-player open-worlds. That said, Champions Online and City of Heroes are classics.
- What is a superhero? The criteria vary from hero to hero, but the character should have superpowers (in most cases) and be driven by a desire to help people.
8 Lego Marvel Super Heroes
The Lego Formula Works Well, But These Games Are Their Own Thing
LEGO Marvel Super Heroes
- Released
- October 22, 2013
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Traveller's Tales
- Genre(s)
- Action-Adventure
After a billion releases that are mostly good but play largely the same, Lego licensed games exist in a separate category at this point. Do you like Lego games? Then give The Incredibles or DC Villains a try. Whether you love those properties is not even all that important.
Best Open-World Lego Games, Ranked
There are so many Lego games to choose from - so we've done the homework for you, and these are the absolute best.
Lego Marvel Super Heroes was pretty novel in 2013, offering an impressive (for the franchise) open-world and a massive roster of Marvel's legendary heroes to unlock. Yes, most of the characters control the same, but they are divided into groups defined by different abilities, be it flight or magnetic powers. So, the game does just enough to give the heroes some personality and uniqueness, and it is neat to fly through the world like a mini Iron Man or Thor.
Ultimately, Lego Marvel Super Heroes makes you feel like, well, a Lego superhero.
7 Undefeated
The Best Superman Open-World Game
UNDEFEATED
- Released
- August 2, 2019
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- UNDEFEATED Games, Indie-us Games
- Genre(s)
- Action, Open-World
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 5
Ah, the Man of Steel. Superman is the most iconic superhero of all time, even if he might not be every person's absolute favorite. Naturally, DC has unleashed the legendary Boy Scout on the video game world plenty of times, but Superman's best games are team efforts, like Injustice and Justice League Heroes, and his solo outings have been reliably disappointing since about the mid-90s.
The thing is, Superman has starred in quite a few open-world/open-ended games, as the idea of flying through Metropolis is inherently appealing; unfortunately, none of these projects were good or even passable. I guess Superman Returns is OK at times, but Supes controls rather poorly, which is an issue shared among most of these games.
So, that brings me to Undefeated, a free-to-play superhero game that has roughly an hour's worth of content. More than anything, this is a proof of concept that should spawn a proper, fleshed-out sequel called Undefeated: Genesis. While the story amounts to very little and the gameplay loop is repetitive, Undefeated does a fantastic job of replicating Superman's moveset. Flying feels great, and the combat is suitably weighty.
6 Crackdown
Superpowered Agents...Superhero Agents
Crackdown
- Released
- February 20, 2007
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Realtime Worlds
- Genre(s)
- Action-Adventure, Open-World
- Platform(s)
- Xbox 360
Yeah, Crackdown 2 and 3 have their issues, but these games are just so much fun in an arcade-type way. Sure, they deliver simple aura farming campaigns where you get stronger through your actions (and by collecting orbs), going from a capable agent to a being so effortlessly overpowered that they shed their humanity as they liberate a city of all its deadly gang members.
Crackdown does not take itself seriously and mostly sells itself as a power fantasy with a sandbox that cannot wait to welcome violence. While not giving that much attention to saving random bystanders, the games primarily revolve around street-level crime, and the Agents are effectively superheroes who do not wear capes.
5 The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction
Hulk Smashes An Open-World Game
The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction
- Released
- August 23, 2005
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Radical Entertainment
- Genre(s)
- Action-Adventure, Open-World
Is the Hulk a hero? Honestly, it depends on the context and storyline. That said, he is one of the most famous comic characters ever. In the last decade or so, Bruce Banner has only featured in team projects like Marvel's Avengers, a game that did not capture his destructive might. However, in the 2000s, the Hulk got a few solo runs, and The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction was by far the best.
Now, here is the thing: Ultimate Destruction does a fantastic job of making you feel like a powerhouse, which is exactly what the Hulk is. The open-world lets you destroy and demolish with reckless abandon, turning cars into boxing gloves and reducing the military to weaklings who cannot present much resistance. You become the Hulk, but that means you act more like a force of nature than a hero.
4 Saints Row 4
Great Open-World Game To Feel Superpowered, If Not Necessarily A Typical Superhero
Saints Row 4
- Released
- August 20, 2013
WHERE TO PLAY
When Volition debuted its GTA-style street gang warfare open-world franchise, nobody could have envisioned Saints Row's future. The series always loved to get silly, but there is a big leap from a gag weapon to a simulation caused by an alien and a protagonist who is more Kryptonian than human. Saints Row 4 said to hell with realism and embraced absurdity, a decision that spoke to my inner desire to smash fools.
Every Saints Row Game, Ranked
The Saints Row series has had its highs and lows. Here's how all the titles in the franchise stack up against each other.
Saints Row 4 is kind of an odd case, as the Saints leader has many of the big abilities associated with superheroes. While they still use guns, they can more than handle their own by sending out blasts or picking up enemies with their minds. They can even stomp down and cause an earthquake. They can also run absurdly fast, kind of similar to the Flash. Frankly, Saints Row 4 is the ultimate superhero sandbox sim.
That said, you don't particularly act like a traditional superhero, at least in terms of motives and minute-to-minute actions. Sure, you are technically trying to save the world, but that is mostly limited to the main missions and does not come across that much in the open-world activities. The game being set in a simulation robs some of the tension, too.
3 Batman Arkham City
You Are The Caped Crusader...You Are The Dark Knight...You Are Batman
Batman: Arkham City
- Released
- October 18, 2011
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Rocksteady Studios
- Platform(s)
- PS3, PC, Xbox One, PS4, Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii U, Nintendo Switch
Similar to The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction, Arkham City does a stunning job of making the player feel like Batman. From the smooth-as-butter free-flow combat to the fear-inspiring stealth sections and Detective Mode, you become the thing that keeps Gotham's villains wide-awake at night. The story would fit seamlessly into the pages of a comic book, and it comes packed with boss fights that showcase Bruce Wayne's strength, agility, and brain.
Batman: Arkham City is perfect for feeling like one specific superhero, a character who is known for his lack of superpowers and reliance on gadgets, intimidation, and tactics. As Batman is the definitive comic book character for a lot of people, Arkham City should be the definitive superhero open-world game for them; however, if you are craving something that captures the OP thrills of becoming an entity capable of extraordinary feats that go beyond humanity's capabilities, there are slightly more fitting options. Arkham City also exists in a fairly weird world where the streets consist of only thugs; it is explained by the story, but it means Bats is solely beating up people rather than saving them.
Just to be clear, Arkham City is probably the best superhero open-world game ever, but Batman is a one-of-a-kind character (ignoring all the many, many copycats).
Also, Arkham Knight is great.
2 Marvel's Spider-Man
The Best Open-World Games For Feeling Like An Amazing Superhero
Marvel's Spider-Man
- Released
- September 7, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Insomniac Games
- Genre(s)
- Action, Adventure, Open-World
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5
No other superhero has as many great games as Spider-Man, especially when it comes to open-worlds. Spider-Man 2 is a classic, and Ultimate Spider-Man is one of the best open-world games of the 2000s. The Amazing Spider-Man and Spider-Man 3 have their moments, and Web of Shadows is an underappreciated gem. While not perfect, these games deliver either ambition, great web-swinging, solid combat, or just witty banter.
Best Spider-Man Games That Lived Up To The Hype
Spider-Man is such a popular character that any games starring him are always hyped up. These games actually lived up to those lofty expectations.
Insomniac's Marvel's Spider-Man is the full package, a statement that can be said for each entry in the trilogy. Yes, everyone has a few issues with these titles, but they all have fantastic movement, gorgeous visuals, engaging story beats, satisfying combat, and all the costumes you could want. Even more so than Batman, Spider-Man is the quintessential comic book superhero, and Insomniac created the quintessential Spidey games.
1 inFAMOUS
Best Open-World Games For Feeling Like A Superhero...Or A Supervillain
inFAMOUS
- Released
- May 26, 2009
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Sucker Punch
- Genre(s)
- Action-Adventure, Open-World
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 3
Sony needs to bring back inFAMOUS. Frankly, it has been too long. Putting aside their decent stories, these games nail their gameplay and progression, gradually transforming players from young superheroes to gliding deities that have the power of Zeus (in Cole's case). Each title focuses on abilities that are both visually stunning and narratively empowering, all the while giving players quite a bit of choice in framing their hero's morality.
While licensed projects have you role-play as established heroes, inFAMOUS grants way more freedom in creating a hero that feels genuinely your own, even though there are plenty of restrictions in place. The games emphasize interacting with the public more than nearly any other superhero open-world game besides Marvel's Spider-Man, which adds greatly to the experience.
Canceled DC Superhero Games
Unfortunately, for one reason or another, these DC superhero games never saw the light of day.