Superman is arguably the most iconic superhero property of all time, but the same cannot be said of the character's presence in the world of video games. At times outshined by his peers despite being the face of the Justice League, Superman has largely been relegated to supporting roles throughout various appearances over the years. Now that Superman: Legacy has been confirmed to be in production and kickstarting a new universe of DC Comics films, it could finally be time for the man of steel to get his just dues with a solid title. With the movie’s estimated release so far away, however, the time for a Superman game could be sooner than later.
A massive success, the Batman: Arkham game series redefined Batman for many fans that had never experienced such a fully realized superhero simulation, but Superman hasn’t received anything close to that. Arkham Asylum may have launched at a time that coincided with The Dark Knight Trilogy and made sense as a release in that way, but this treatment has only really been given to Bruce Wayne. The era of 2013’s Man of Steel and its sequels has come and gone with no proper Superman-focused title, leaving the DC flagship character to only exist as a part of ensemble rosters.
Superman Games Are Historically Difficult to Get Right
One of the main theories fans have had regarding the absence of Superman games is the simple fact that a being as powerful as a Kryptonian is inherently difficult to create a satisfying gameplay loop around. Very little of the Arkham experience would be able to translate over into the world of Clark Kent, as Batman is still a human being despite his advanced gadgets. The combat, gliding, and even basic recon mechanics that Batman is known for are all immediately trivialized by the immense, godly power that Superman possesses, meaning the developer would need to get extremely creative and potentially pioneer an entirely new subgenre of action game.
It isn’t as if developers haven’t made attempts in past generations, however, with games such as Superman: The New Superman Adventures for Nintendo 64 being received so negatively that the status of the character in games has been largely characterized by blunders ever since. The infamous Superman 64 ended up featuring gameplay that involved flying through floating hoops in the sky, while even 2006’s Superman Returns movie tie-in game featured battles with fire-breathing dragons in between monotonous EXP grinding. The lesser known title Superman: Shadow of Apokolips is generally considered the best attempt at a fun experience, mainly due to the game’s concession of making all of its enemies powerful robots that perfectly resemble humans.
Superman Deserves the Batman: Arkham Treatment
Rumors of Superman game pitches have circulated in the past to no fruition, but it could finally be time for Warner Bros. To let a developer take the necessary risk again. While it will likely raise the character’s profile in the mainstream, Superman: Legacy’s box office performance shoudn’t dictate the character’s presence on the gaming front. If there’s anything that the Batman: Arkham series has proven over the course of its four titles, it’s that a DC superhero is capable of standing on their own and even having a new universe built around them. There could be growing pains involved with properly crafting systems like flight, but this is all the more reason for a game to come into production sooner than later.
Regardless of its broader context, Superman: Legacy is sure to bring a new interpretation of Superman to the forefront through the vision of Guardians of the Galaxy and The Suicide Squad director James Gunn. With Rocksteady’s Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League set to see the character in a murderous, antagonistic role following the similar version of Clark seen in the Injustice series, a more classic incarnation of Superman could use proper representation in modern gaming. If a studio like Rocksteady has any concept for bringing the man of steel into his own part of the Arkhamverse, Kill the Justice League could be the perfect pivot. The upcoming title already features Metropolis as its setting, but a solo Superman title would also inevitably be a massive departure from the modern trend of looter shooter gameplay.