It shouldn't be hard to make a good Superman game especially when games like God of War exist.

Superman is overpowered but he can still fail. He could fail to rescue someone in time. Or he could fail to find something he is looking for. The losing condition doesn't have to be him getting killed or hurt. But even that seems possible since kryptonite is a thing.
 
nkarafo said:
Superman is overpowered but he can still fail. He could fail to rescue someone in time. Or he could fail to find something he is looking for. The losing condition doesn't have to be him getting killed or hurt. But even that seems possible since kryptonite is a thing.
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Yep, people can easily think of how "gods" like Kratos and Goku can fail, so Superman should be no different.
 
It would only make sense if he loses his power like in a Metroid game at the beginning. Then he slowly gets them back through game because by default Superman as a game character makes zero sense.
 
electricmastro said:
If Superman has to be transported to a mythological universe in order to achieve a good game, then screw having him on Earth and so be it.
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well, if in order to make a good superman game you have to remove everything from the superman universe except superman himself, i suppose the next obvious question'd be, why even bother having superman, then?...
 
might be more fun as a villain, trying to carry out your plans while avoiding superman and other villains

but a fully destructible everything as superman would be fun
 
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This thread made me think a Musou game featuring Superman could be very cool.

It's already got the ground laid out for mass enemy destruction, feeling like a god, super moves everywhere, flying around, timed areas where you need to hurry up to save others, destruction of environments, etc.
 
I have to disagree. Superman is a tough concept to adapt into a game. He's just too powerful — super strength, flight, speed, near invincibility — it's hard to present all that in a way that feels faithful without compromise the gameplay.
 
cinnamonandgravy said:
might be more fun as a villain, trying to carry out your plans while avoiding superman and other villains

but a fully destructible everything as superman would be fun
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Actually in Superman Returns game its possible to play as Bizarro for a short while and the goal is to cause destruction. In that game Superman doesn't have a health bar but the city has.
 
Ev1L AuRoN said:
I have to disagree. Superman is a tough concept to adapt into a game. He's just too powerful — super strength, flight, speed, near invincibility — it's hard to present all that in a way that feels faithful without compromise the gameplay.
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They can do a dark injustice type superman story game where hes portayed as the villain seeking out revenge destroying everything in his way to get vengence.

Now you don't have to worry about human casualties and destruction
You can fly from country to country fucking shit up as you find answers.
The army will be fodder enemies
Super heroes/villains will be mini bosses/bosses that will be in your way
Everyone will be infused with some sort of kryptonite or superman weakness to be able to hurt him to force some sort of game over.
 
I would redefine the problem - because beyond earth or our solar system most of Superman's invulnerability is lost outside the influence of our red sun, so: It is difficult to design a Superman game set on earth with the main character being Superman playing well and selling well while dealing with Earth level threats IMO - which are essential threats for big sales numbers because the subset of Superman/DC fans familiar with the bigger threats to Superman in the wider DC universe is tiny compared to the target market including myself largely being in the dark.

My opinion - and it has been for decades - is that the game should be about his real vulnerabilities - not in his alter ego Superman but as the refuge alien living as a regular human and his true persona - Clark.

You could completely mitigate the flying by using a linear old school Rocketeer game mechanic where fast travel is triggered on launch flying to avoid any need for UE5 matrix demo, MS flight Sim or No Man's Sky implementation requirements that would ultimately feel baren, and do that while still having game mechanics with localized flight that could bullet time his "faster than a Speeding bullet" (+300m/s) in MGS1 top down puzzles maze stealth puzzles mostly as Clark.

If a human can walk about <0.5m/s casually, and run at <10m/s straight line - pro footballer/athlete speed - or <2m/s with directional changes , in bullet time Clark's walk speed could be at <15m/s, and running with directional change at <60m/s giving plenty of scope for security systems, etc to stop the gamer succeeding to save hostages, etc especially if solving solutions in two opposite locations or more in the time limits while protecting Clark's secret identity, star fox/space harrier styled wide narrow gaming could also be used for less local flying game challenges.

It is very doable in design, but easier as a linkage of wide narrow sub game sections styles in the way how games were made in the 80/90s - but with today's advances in tech
 
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Make a game with failable time limits because everyone loves that mechanic. Nobody ever gets stressed out and complains that the game developer is literally trying to kill them by having a very generous time limit ticking down.

Just make a huge open world game, possibly covering the whole world, with time limits everywhere with a main character who can fly extremely fast, cannot be stopped by any object in the world, and is strong enough to pick up or break every object in the world. Should be easy. Oh yes he can fly into space as well so better simulate the whole solar system just to make people feel they are really playing the character.
 
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DCUO did a really good job of capturing flying, story, open world and events. Especially the initial levels of 1 to 30. . Uninqiue dungeons and classic boss fights, long arc stories, short arc stories, collectables, gear, feats. They did this all in 2011.

Point is, that game would be easy to convert into a single player experience. Great voice actors too.

Probably the best Superman experience you could find anywhere to be honest.

Don't get hung up on his power levels, that's part of the fun and can easily be navigated.
 
I'm not sure how God of War has anything to do with Super Man? God of War game is much ground based gameplay sure his is god but also he fights other gods who can kill him.
 
I used to think so but you can just download a mod for GTA 5 where you're him and it's boring af pretty quick. He's too powerful unless there is Kryptonite at every 7 Eleven in town.
 
Cakeboxer said:
It's hard to make a fun game with combat. Superman is just too strong. Without every enemy carrying kryptnite i can only imagine Mary Jane defeating him with her stun gun.
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Kratos is literally a god, but can be killed by tons of weaklings in Gow 2018 or Ragnarok

Same guy who can go 1-1 with Thor and killed all of the Olympus, can also die from a Nightmare (those floating eye balls thing)

Just say that some enemies from outer space came to earth and you are good to go. People won't care.

Insomnia made a flying Spider-Man work in Spider-Man 2. I could see a Man of Steel game with that same traversal mechanic.
 
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Paasei said:
I would like to be the evil guy for once. We could do that with InFamous and Prototype to an extend.
Same with the Star Wars Fallen Order and Jedi Survivor. Those were really fun games aside from the technical isssue's the latter has/had. It would've been even more fun if you could, for once, play as a Sith.
The Venom part in Spider-Man 2 felt so nice for that short period. Story was garbage, but the gameplay of these games were a lot of fun.

How I crave a game where I'm an OP character and the fate of the city/country/planet/universe is entirely in my hands.
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There is this where you're basically Superman, and it's in VR with you flying around

 
Not only do you not fly in GoW, you don't jump. Marking a Superman game is so hard. It has killed studios.

I know how respected Insomniac and Rockstedy are but you guys have to realize they were once in 25 years franchises. We do not appreciate it enough.
 
I'd imagine a Superman game for next gen (as in PS6) should have a really huge open world plus space traversal and allow him to go other planets or far away galaxies.

Supes has no shortage of antagonists who are just as OP as him or way more like Zod, Braniac, Mxyyzptlk, Doomsday, Superboy Prime, Darkseid to name a few.

I can only wish for a Superman game that allows players to literally tear powerful powerful enemies apart.
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You'd have to:
-Reinvent his core powers/lore/how strong he is so he isn't OP
-Make the game take place off Earth against enemies with kryptonite, and fight against boss like baddies like darkseid and other Kryptonians
-Just make a new Batman game cuz fuck supes

Edit: I do like the idea above where all the health is and failure is tied to other things around him. Protect Loise, save the bus fool of kids in time, don't let the daily planet be destroyed etc.

This allows for gameplay to still have failure or health bars to manage but not be a full blown escort mission game. Still option 3…

Those are your only 3 options. I vote 3.
 
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Duchess said:
The only way you could do this is to give Superman a reason for his loss of powers, that he needs to regain as the game goes on. Maybe the game could open with him fighting a powerful enemy, that causes him to become much weaker than he should be.
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Honestly, this is a great idea and the only way I can see a good Superman game being done. If everything is left intact, wtf are they going to do? You can't make a great game with him just as full powered Superman.
 
Paasei said:
Same with the Star Wars Fallen Order and Jedi Survivor. Those were really fun games aside from the technical isssue's the latter has/had. It would've been even more fun if you could, for once, play as a Sith.
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They did that in Star wars: The force unleashed.
 
Like how do you even make Superman game and force him to walk in certain path, "this is door is locked, you must find a key first'
 
The_hunter said:
They did that in Star wars: The force unleashed.
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They did, indeed. It was great! Especially for its time. I wish they'd do it again. Two different campaigns or more options to choose for the outcome. Better yet: Defined by your own actions, instead of set plot points.
With Jedi Academy you could train dark side force powers from the very start, but it's only after deciding to kill Rosh where you'll become truly evil.
 
I get the feeling it's more about the moveset. Superman is very powerful with a huge amount of powers at his disposal. Being able to turn many of them to gameplay can be difficult. Can a game that is capable pulling off the flight mechanic also pull of the brawling, the heat vision, the supersonic hearing, etc?

There are so many moving parts to making a Superman game good. If a studio can pull it off, I'm on board to give it a whirl. But I'm not convinced a team has cracked that formula yet.
 
I feel like they got the basics of the Superman Returns game right. Make the city his 'healthbar' so game over for him would be his inability to prevent catastrophic damage( think how Metropolis was destroyed in Man of Steel). Have some kind of dimension rift drop a bunch of high powered aliens into the mix where he can let loose with his power. Maybe even have the Justice league swoop in if you go 'Hulk Ultimate Destruction' mode and start fucking up shit( think the GTA meter where doing certain things alert the police). IMO flight in that older 360 title was pretty fun. Couple that with custom tracks and I would just fly around with the John Williams theme in the background. There are the bones of a decent idea in there that can be done better in the hands of a competent developer.

Otherwise, maybe a Telltale type game. Heavy doses of his life as Clark Kent at the planet, doing investigative reporting, and as Superman he has to make moral choices that shape the world around him. Like, there may be 3 disasters going on at once, but he can only get to 2. Make the game as much about what he can't do as much as he can. The idealism of Superman is what makes him great, not whether or not he can literally fix every single issue.
 
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March Climber said:
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.
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I actually agree with most of what you're saying, especially about people defaulting to punch/fly/laser templates. But that's why the whole 'not happening' talk bugs me

Like, sure, most people lack imagination but that doesn't mean it's impossible. Dismissing the entire idea outright just feels lazy, not insightful
 
I wouldn't be looking for the Superman game to be a slog-fest like God of War, but more similar to Batman Arkham, throw in some flight sections, as if you are in Ace Combat, to break up the on foot sections, and there you go you have the perfect recipe...
 
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The problem with many DC characters, are they are basically gods and can't get hurt easily. Plus, not really relatable as people.

Superman is pretty much unkillable unless there is Krypton around (and for some reason it seems to be everywhere).
 
The last Superman game i played was on the Atari 2600 around 1982.

I could do with a high speed Ariel battle with General Zod and his army right now.
 
HRK69 said:
I actually agree with most of what you're saying, especially about people defaulting to punch/fly/laser templates. But that's why the whole 'not happening' talk bugs me

Like, sure, most people lack imagination but that doesn't mean it's impossible. Dismissing the entire idea outright just feels lazy, not insightful
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Yes, people are taking modern Batman and Spiderman games and trying to fit him into the context of that type of game, when to me that's not the way you do a Superman game. It's alot easier to throw Spider-man into an open world and do it justice, as various games have shown. Superman, though, isn't just about lasers from his eyes or being able to throw a boulder into space. Superman is about the mortality of how he uses his powers( case in point and despite how shitty that movie is, in IV when he first refuses but ultimately decides to get rid of nuclear weapons). You need to put him in a game with diverging story branches based on the things he does and decisions he makes. Hence why I said earlier, while I think people want to fill their power fantasies through him, I think a character-driven Telltales type game is a good way to actually tell a proper Superman story. Otherwise you're running into the mindset of having to do things like neuter his powers in order to make him compelling in the same type of game you'd give Batman( Arkham).
 
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I've been saying similar things about Iron Man for years. The possibility for nearly any game mechanic could be used with him. Just need a dev to step up.
 
The ONLY way to make a good Superman game is...
Give it to Telltale Games
Lots of drama and good writing.
Every combat is a QTE.
All problems solved
 
I liked the idea behind the Xbox 360 game where you wete Superman and the city was vulnerable with a health meter.

The game sucked overall but it was still a good idea.
 
How the hell does Superman and God of war get linked together?

"It shouldn't be hard to make a good Fly Sim game especially when games like Horizon Zero Dawn exist"
 
I'm imagining a Superman game using something like the MS Flight Sim cloud tech. There are so many reasons why this couldn't happen, but I'm just throwing it out there.
 
mhirano said:
The ONLY way to make a good Superman game is...
Give it to Telltale Games
Lots of drama and good writing.
Every combat is a QTE.
All problems solved
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Talking of which I downloaded the first episode of the Batman game they did, (PS3 version..) they could quite easily make a great point and click Superman game..
 
In this day and age, appending 'man' to any title is gonna get blue haired screeches in yo face.

Best to call it something like

Superperson
The alien who could fly and was strong
 
R6Rider said:
Superman is a terrible superhero. The lack of good games proves it.

Only half joking.
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I loved Superman as a kid until they did the whole Death of Superman thing, and what came after that. I think I was 9 - 11 around that time? So, before the internet was widely available, and they made it such a big deal on the radio, in publications, etc. Then he "dies" only to come back and have other characters as well. I thought it was so lame that I hated Superman after that, lmao.

He really is just a "hey let's just give him everything" kind of super hero, which sounds cool on paper, but really isn't IMO, lol. I also feel like the older I/we've gotten he just continues to age poorly. I agree. For as big of a super hero Superman is, I think it is pretty telling when he doesn't have at least one great game.
 
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RAIDEN1 said:
Talking of which I downloaded the first episode of the Batman game they did, (PS3 version..) they could quite easily make a great point and click Superman game..
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The Telltale Batman games are amazing.
Their kind of gameplay would be perfect for Clark Kent sections being compelling
 
This title makes no sense.

"It shouldn't be hard to make a Ferrari, cars like Lamborghini exist"

Specifically on Superman though... Base it on krypton and not earth and they might have a chance at a decent game
 
alphachino said:
This title makes no sense.

"It shouldn't be hard to make a Ferrari, cars like Lamborghini exist"

Specifically on Superman though... Base it on krypton and not earth and they might have a chance at a decent game
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But does many want to play a Superman game set on other planet? I think most would be unhappy if you took Spider-Man or Batman away from their home cities.
 
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