Why Was There Never A Good Superman Game, Like Ever?

Tell us: what was the last truly "good" Superman game you've ever played? Can you search your memory and figure it out? 

Well, if you can't, you're not alone. That's because even if there have been a lot of games featuring DC's poster boy, they were never really... memorable at most. Even the so-called "best" Supes games were quite bad. But why is that? Surprisingly, the answers are quite simple - most of which will be covered in this article. So sit back, relax, and learn a thing or two. 

Not A Great Fit For Video Games In General

According to Screenrant, there is an almost-universal consensus that DC's Man of Steel is too powerful for video games. But that's not really the problem. The issue is the accurate, convincing portrayal of Supes' godly abilities in a video game that's supposed to be fun. 

The true last major game released on consoles starring Supes was Superman Returns, which came out for the Nintendo DS, PS2, the OG Xbox, and the Xbox 360 in the same year as the aforementioned TV game. It was based on the film of the same name and was never anything special, as mentioned in an old review by IGN.

Almost every single person talking about Superman games will say the same thing: Kal-El's powers are hard to portray in a fun and accurate way in a video game. Every single game basically shows Superman's abilities extremely nerfed. Flying mechanics were clunky, when they should feel graceful and elegant. Supe's strength have also made it hard for developers to portray it, meaning players never "feel" his power in-game. It's just not convincing at all. 

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Technological Limitations 

Let's go back to the olden days when Superman games still existed. That was a long, long time ago. Gaming hardware back then, while powerful for the time, still had limitations that once again made portraying the DC icon's powers unconvincing. Both the hardware (and software) just didn't allow game developers to go wild with their imaginations when it comes to showing just how powerful Supes is. 

This may change, however, with the release of Unreal Engine 5. A specific UE5 demo created by game developer Tyson Butler-Boschma used Epic Games' The Matrix Awakens demo to showcase a Superman open-world game prototype, and it might just be the most convincing video game portrayal of the Man of Steel yet.

The main reason why this demo seemed to look and feel good is because of the massive technological advancement that came with it. You can portray high-speed flight without worrying about buildings popping in. 

In another demo created by a different developer, super-strength was portrayed without resorting to tricks like throwing a horde of faceless enemies for Supes to just take down in one fell swoop. It just seems to work - and work well enough, all things considered.

Since gaming tech will only become more advanced with time, maybe there will come an age when the hardware can never limit Supes' insane abilities again. But until then, the aforementioned demos are the closes we could come to an actually "good" Superman game. 

Superman Isn't Good Solo 

There's a reason why Supes worked in the Injustice games: he just works way better when he's paired with other characters, writes SVG. They argue that he is better characterized when he has an opportunity to bounce off of other characters. He can be portrayed as some other person than just a standard hero in contrast to someone like, say, Batman, or even Wonder Woman - basically his Justice League peers. 

To cap things off, SVG also argues that there's not much of a hook to a Superman game aside from starring as the Man of Steel. Compare this to other games like the Batman: Arkham series, wherein you didn't just play as the Batman, but also played as the world's greatest detective and covert operations expert to name a few. When it comes to Supes, well, he's just... him. He saves people from baddies with his super strength. Now what? What else can he do? 

Looking Ahead 

It might still take some time before a truly good game starring the iconic DC Universe hero comes out. So until then, the spotlight will belong to his peers  from both his own universe and others. 

Related: This Unreal Engine 5 Demo Showcases What An Open-World Superman Game Could Look Like

Story posted on GameNGuide 

Written by RJ Pierce