hemo memo
You can't die before your death
Metropolis: Clark Kent - A Reporter's Life.
I would play that.
It shouldn't be hard to make a good Superman game especially when games like God of War exist.
- Thread starter electricmastro
- Start date
I would play that.
crackajack
Member
Some games don't need interesting characters. Gordon Freeman is an empty nothing too.
Superman has history and with his Clark Kent figure also a second layer. But none of it, really works as a game, barely as a comic, tv show and movie either. Imho Superman lacks interesting opponents. At least I know not much about anything beyond Lex. The Snyderverse ones were okay but a bit undefined, without understandable goals beyond just being pure evil.
The problem with Superman is that you have to cripple him enough to give somewhat regular enemies a chance, without stripping everything from him that defines his Superman features. Otherwise if he is superpowered without any lame kryptonite bs, it could go in the direction of Asuras Wrath. His enemies need to be much more than Lex Luthor, which is a good enemy for Batman but not for Superman. At least the tech would be there for that now (in contrast to the effects that had to suffice in the Reeves movies).
The three vague ideas from that Barlog article also show that a Superman game kinda has to be made in absence of his powers. Especially daddy superman would be as goofy as his whole reporter nonsense already is. The trauma approach would certainly be fun.... not. I guess superhero stuff can certainly be dark and depressing sometimes, you can't save everyone is done quite often, but a whole game about basically failing? How should this end? With a shoulder shrug? + It is what is?
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VulcanRaven
Member
Superman can be hurt. In the 1940s cartoons he gets hurt a lot and it might be my favorite version of him.
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HRK69
Member
You are absolutely out of your mind if you think it's never happening
You act like the entire industry froze in time because you can't picture a solution. Just say you lack imagination and spare us the fake certainty lmao
VulcanRaven
Member
This game was fun:
Its not backwards compatible like the video claims though.
Its not backwards compatible like the video claims though.
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crackajack
Member
Were his powers back then not so extreme and absolut? Current Superman only has kryptonite as a weakness, and like anyone else, people he cares for can be hurt which naturally bothers him. Sure, he could be even faster, even stronger, cleverer with more foresight... but compared to other heros he is just too good. Hiding his hero being and playing Clark is kinda a waste for him too, unlike other masked vigilantes who need breaks because they are just human with toys, or humans with niche powers.
Imho Superman would have to be reintroduced if his powers are supposed to be weaker in a new version. Probably possible, but making the new one a kinda second tier version of him, to the current established version, is already a tough sell. Creating just another new superhero might be easier then. Make some clone experiment or parallel universe version and "proper" Superman only appears here and there a bit, but you play as the weaker version, which eliminates all the problems a overpowered Superman always has.
VulcanRaven
Member
He was weaker back then and I actually like it:
He has trouble few times during this episode for example. 6:35 and 9:00.
SomeNorseGuy
Gold Member
Fuck that caped Boy Scout. Let me play as Lex Luthor in control of LexCorp, coming up with eccentric, insane, over-the-top plans to stop that moral superior menace from invading earth. 
crackajack
Member
First timestamp looks odd. He falls for no reason? What power does that interference panel control? It turned the flying robot upside down... and? In the second one it is just slower than today action scenes would be done, but he still endures umharmed heavy fire attacks from robots that earlier were unharmed by machine gun fire, so also quite powerful, and beats them up with his fists.
Not really weak imho, just a bit slower.
MatrixReloaded101
Member
I remember playing the demo for this game on the 360. Had so much fun flying around the city.
It's crazy that they have not at least tried to make another open world Superman game.
Negotiator101
Member
Going by the Spiderman games I'd take Insomniac off the table, Santa Monica? Really? Naughty Dog could probably do something interesting with it but keep Druckmann away.
It's a difficult one to be fair, someone with open world experience but with a big budget, Avalanche possibly. Playground Games I think would have a good chance. Dare I say the old Rocksteady from their Arkham experience but who knows who's left from that team after the garbage Suicide Squad.
VulcanRaven
Member
He also hits the power lines when falling and then has trouble getting out of them. He is powerful but can still be knocked down. I think you can easily make a game with that kind of power level.
Magic Carpet
Gold Member
You people and your superhero games. Man I'm telling ya. Just man.
BlackTron
Member
Use Superman to turn convention on its head. When you press the map button, Superman instantly flies out over earth (yes every time) and uses his vision to highlight everywhere in the whole world a crime, disaster or crisis is occurring in red. But you can't be everywhere at once, and your human brain and gamepad buttons aren't as fast as the real Superman.
You can make a challenge with an invincible character. While also playing up how ludicrously broken that character is without any pansy, creatively bankrupt nerfing
You can make a challenge with an invincible character. While also playing up how ludicrously broken that character is without any pansy, creatively bankrupt nerfing
calico
Member
A good way of dealing with a basically unassailable in-world power advantage for the player character is to switch the onus from 'can you win this fight' to 'how stylishly or efficiently can you win this fight'. Midnight Suns does this very well and is mechanically geared towards it being a given that your team of superheroes would win most fights.
I think eg. Spider-Man's character lends itself to 'how stylishly can you win', but Superman is kinda dull so idk if it would be a good fit for him. I think for Superman the alternative would be can you prevent civilians dying around you / save cats from trees etc. while you are fighting, but making that fun to play might be difficult.
You could go the route of making Superman weak or give the enemies kryptonite bullets or whatever, but at that point why are you even making a Superman game
I think eg. Spider-Man's character lends itself to 'how stylishly can you win', but Superman is kinda dull so idk if it would be a good fit for him. I think for Superman the alternative would be can you prevent civilians dying around you / save cats from trees etc. while you are fighting, but making that fun to play might be difficult.
You could go the route of making Superman weak or give the enemies kryptonite bullets or whatever, but at that point why are you even making a Superman game
VulcanRaven
Member
There is also a PS2 game based on the animated series with some open-world elements. 4:25:
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digimaster7
Member
try playing prototype, or infamous 2 evil route
hemo memo
You can't die before your death
He's not though. Batman beat his ass in Batman v Superman.
Guardian Monkey
Member
There are plenty of ways to beat Superman. Dude lost his powers and been killed in the movies and comics. There are ways to weaken him throughout the game.
electricmastro
Member
Just like Kratos and Goku are too powerful as superpowered gods?
Holammer
Member
To be brutally honest, Superman is not really a bankable property. I don't think the regular Joe Shmoe know much about Superman and his regular rogue's gallery. Stuff gathered via osmosis or from movies. Compared with how well known Spiderman & Batman are.
DareDevil is obscure compared to Superman, but I think he would make for a much better Arkham style game protagonist without the over the top power levels.
DareDevil is obscure compared to Superman, but I think he would make for a much better Arkham style game protagonist without the over the top power levels.
electricmastro
Member
Much as I don't want to sound rude, in an industry where multiple supergod games have already been made and have been successful, people at that point are choosing to be quitters and make excuses too quickly at that point.
TerribleAtThisGame
Member
If you wanna see a jacked dude in spandex subjugate other men, just go on Pornhub like I do.
Wait...
Wait...
electricmastro
Member
"Barlog imagines that one way to make a Superman game work isn't to focus on everything Superman can do but instead on what he can't manage. Barlog explained:Cory barlog( the creative director for god of war 2018, And the one behind the god of war reboot), had given a pitch for making a superman game a few years back. It's pretty interesting and definitely doable. You just need a director who understands the character and a good studio like Sony santa monica.
The God of War Director Reveals His Insane Idea for a Superman Video Game
Cory Barlog reveals his ideas for making Superman work in a video game.screenrant.com
Very interesting take.
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electricmastro
Member
Craziest idea, how about you don't focus on all his powers all at once and instead focus on what he can't manage.
cireza
Member
This doesn't sound super fun though.
IDKFA
I am Become Bilbo Baggins
Superman is on another level. He can bench press the weight of the earth without breaking a sweat and can fly at least faster than the speed of sound.
The flight issue is the biggest problem. How can you keep him contained in one location? What is the explanation for him not being able to fly around the earth?
To make a realistic Superman game, you would need to accurately recreate every square inch of the planet. Every city, town, village, mountain, jungle, ocean floor etc, complete with NPCs, wildlife etc.
Also, as this is superman, every inch of the earth will need realistic destruction physics.
The technology doesn't exist to make a realistic superman game.
VulcanRaven
Member
In Superman Returns game the city is huge and him being just there makes sense. I never questioned it. Also his power level depends on the version.
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electricmastro
Member
Indeed. After setting many of the responses to this thread, I can conclude that people set way, way, WAY too many conditions for what a Superman game should be.
It's as if people want to make it much more troublesome for the devs to make a good Superman game, by piling 100 conditions on top of them.
electricmastro
Member
Considering it's from a guy who manages to make superpowered god games fun, I'm willing to believe him over others who've never made a game, which I'm also willing to guess is most people in this thread.
TerribleAtThisGame
Member
I'm still shellshocked from renting the N64 game with my sister that was like half a really shitty Pilotwings.
But I feel like they can make anything fun with the right intent. Insert random lore reasons. God Of War has grunts that take like three full combos and I didn't really question it. They're supernatural beings so...eh.
But I feel like they can make anything fun with the right intent. Insert random lore reasons. God Of War has grunts that take like three full combos and I didn't really question it. They're supernatural beings so...eh.
Chuck Berry
Gold Member
In some timeline I think Platinum would've been able to do a decent Superman
Wolzard
Member
Many are saying that it would be complicated because he is very strong, so how does the character work with so many comics and animated series on TV?
Personally, I think the problem lies deeper. Superman's plot revolves around being a super patriot, saving people, and being a good guy. The gaming industry hates that; they prefer villains, bad guys, antiheroes, dubious actions, etc.
Personally, I think the problem lies deeper. Superman's plot revolves around being a super patriot, saving people, and being a good guy. The gaming industry hates that; they prefer villains, bad guys, antiheroes, dubious actions, etc.
CrimsonTide
Member
Yep. Pretty much this.
You'd have to humanize him to a degree. Or it would be cool to see a "dark" take on Superman. Like he lost some of his powers and by the games end, he's good ole superman again. Maybe he starts out as legit just Clark Kent with no powers at all. I have no idea here lol
Just make a souls like Superman..... there we go...
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crackajack
Member
comics and TV stuff tends to be goofy af imho. The whole Clark Kent sidequest makes hardly sense for such a powerful being but is necessary to dial him down and humanise him. Playing as Clark in a superman game would be a lot worse than Mary Jane in Spiderman for most people.
Spiderman and the Avengers did not make billions? If there is money to make, there won't be a problem if there is something to actually do with the character. DC is usually darker okay, but not that obsessive about it that they ever made previous Supermans for TV or cinema other than raised in Murica, saving bunch of people and just good guy, occasionally even dorky, tragic past, but always hopeful, unless he is undead for some plot reason and he kinda lost his sanity. They made a kinda dark Superman, it was called Hancock. A Superman, that was not connected to humanity the same or at all. Imho such an approach just makes more sense, because it's a lot easier to establish and less cringe, than always require to kryptonite something on a well known character.
powder
Member
Superman in a wheelchair
Fbh
Member
I've always envisioned a Superman game as a more linear adventure that embraces the crazier and more over the top side of the comics.
Another Batman/Spiderman style game with a generic sandbox where you fly across metropolis fighting regular thugs and clearing enemy bases sounds boring.
I wasn't much into DC comics growing up but I remember having some Superman and Justice League comics with him taking part in big conflicts and taking on powerful enemies that could put up a fight
Stuff like this:
Another Batman/Spiderman style game with a generic sandbox where you fly across metropolis fighting regular thugs and clearing enemy bases sounds boring.
I wasn't much into DC comics growing up but I remember having some Superman and Justice League comics with him taking part in big conflicts and taking on powerful enemies that could put up a fight
Stuff like this:
DelireMan7
Member
I never understood how it's difficult to make a good superman game because he's too strong.
Makes no sense to me.
We had DBZ games, many super heroes game (Batman can be beat up by normal thug if you play bad, is it a problem ? No).
Plenty of threatening enemies can be up against Superman.
I could see the point for it's flying ability and might ne a problem to limit its area. But nowadays, not anymore.
Even before it wouldn't have been a problem to limit the game size.
Don't get why Superman has a different status compare to any other super beings in video game.
Makes no sense to me.
We had DBZ games, many super heroes game (Batman can be beat up by normal thug if you play bad, is it a problem ? No).
Plenty of threatening enemies can be up against Superman.
I could see the point for it's flying ability and might ne a problem to limit its area. But nowadays, not anymore.
Even before it wouldn't have been a problem to limit the game size.
Don't get why Superman has a different status compare to any other super beings in video game.
They can easily make a superman game work. Just have to make superman the antagonist kinda like in a injustice/og gow kind of way oh him getting revenge and destroying everything in his way despite any collateral damage. That would actually be more fun compared to a by the books good guy game.
IFireflyl
Gold Member
Here's a fictitious scene that I think would be awesome:
Scene: The shattered hull of one of Brainiac's world-ships floats in orbit around a dying star. Gravity fluctuates. Time distorts. Superman stands over a defeated (but not destroyed) Brainiac, who lies flickering, partially reforming, still calculating. Superman stares down at Brainiac. He's not shouting. He's not angry. He's past that. He speaks with the calm of someone who has already won. He speaks with the conviction of the indomitable.
This was inspired by the Superman/Darkseid "the world is made of cardboard" scene. It was also inspired by the excessive amount of Neil deGrasse Tyson and Brian Cox shorts I have been watching on YouTube lately. There are too many quantum mechanics and black hole thoughts running across my synapsis. But I am also a super nerd, and I love being able to find ways to explain superpowers without saying, "It's magic." This was my way of having a faster-than-light Superman who can still "see" when moving faster than the speed of light by giving him the ability to interpret quantum fields. (It was either quantum fields or tachyon vision, but tachyon vision comes with its own set of drawbacks that make tachyon "sight" unreliable.) Obviously, I am not explaining how the FTL part is possible as it absolutely isn't possible with any current understanding of physics. That's still, "It's magic."
Scene: The shattered hull of one of Brainiac's world-ships floats in orbit around a dying star. Gravity fluctuates. Time distorts. Superman stands over a defeated (but not destroyed) Brainiac, who lies flickering, partially reforming, still calculating. Superman stares down at Brainiac. He's not shouting. He's not angry. He's past that. He speaks with the calm of someone who has already won. He speaks with the conviction of the indomitable.
This was inspired by the Superman/Darkseid "the world is made of cardboard" scene. It was also inspired by the excessive amount of Neil deGrasse Tyson and Brian Cox shorts I have been watching on YouTube lately. There are too many quantum mechanics and black hole thoughts running across my synapsis. But I am also a super nerd, and I love being able to find ways to explain superpowers without saying, "It's magic." This was my way of having a faster-than-light Superman who can still "see" when moving faster than the speed of light by giving him the ability to interpret quantum fields. (It was either quantum fields or tachyon vision, but tachyon vision comes with its own set of drawbacks that make tachyon "sight" unreliable.) Obviously, I am not explaining how the FTL part is possible as it absolutely isn't possible with any current understanding of physics. That's still, "It's magic."
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Hawk The Slayer
Member
A Wonder Woman game would be way better.
March Climber
Member
It is as I've stated earlier, most people ITT just picture your basic punch/fly/laser game with a progression system and some cinematics.
Look at how many times people instantly went to Arkham, Infamous, etc. to use as their foundation for gameplay, then simply apply Superman to it, and then immediately say 'it wouldn't work' without taking a second to think outside of that box.
People are constantly thinking offensively, when Superman is a defensive hero.
IDKFA
I am Become Bilbo Baggins
What's the explanation in that game why Superman can't just fly off to Kenya or wreck Tokyo?
See. Impossible
EerieArcade
Member
I'd be interested if they went down a route similar to the Smallville TV show.
kiphalfton
Member
So you're basing your argument that a Superman game could work, on one game series with a weak demigod, several other superhero games where the characters aren't even close to invincible, and Goku who is strong but not that much stronger relative to other characters.
Makes perfect sense.
Makes perfect sense.
BlackTron
Member
The more I think about it, the cooler this could be. Maybe a game where the objective is to prevent the "crisis level" on any continent from entering the red zone, which becomes more challenging as the more fires you put out the more seem to spring up. Make it about Superman single-handedly saving Earth from a massive invasion, or something. This is how they can join the arcadey, score attack nature of the game with a story and critical events to see to.
Best part is, this is really a game about Superman. The player is handed the complete awe-inspiring power of Superman, yet is burdened and challenged to save all the people who need them in time. Where catching a building is a nuisance because it cost precious seconds and attention to place back down safely that Superman knows someone else somewhere didn't have, but oh well.
I'm arriving at this in-gameplay deconstruction of the superhero genre by accident just by thinking up a game about Superman. It reminds me of this Spiderman shot.
Best part is, this is really a game about Superman. The player is handed the complete awe-inspiring power of Superman, yet is burdened and challenged to save all the people who need them in time. Where catching a building is a nuisance because it cost precious seconds and attention to place back down safely that Superman knows someone else somewhere didn't have, but oh well.
I'm arriving at this in-gameplay deconstruction of the superhero genre by accident just by thinking up a game about Superman. It reminds me of this Spiderman shot.
