Rocksteady's Superman: 8 Things We Need To See

London-based studio Rocksteady, famous for producing the acclaimed Batman: Arkham trilogy, is heavily rumoured to be developing a Superman game. The Arkham series revolutionised both the superhero and the action/adventure genre, with many other studios introducing similar game mechanics in an attempt to replicate Rocksteady's success.

Adapting Superman across any medium has always been a challenge since Christopher Reeve's iconic performance in the 1970s. The Man of Steel has had a poor track record in video games. Gameplay has been a clear challenge, most notably displayed in Superman 64's notorious flight mechanics.

Rocksteady's Batman games were heavily inspired by Bruce Timm's Batman: The Animated Series, and as a result they characterised the Dark Knight perfectly, with many original cast members returning from The Animated Series for the trilogy. If the studio can produce an adaptation true to the Man of Steel, backed up with a gripping storyline and diverse gameplay, the new Superman game is well on its way to being a huge success.

After fleeting appearances in LEGO games and the Injustice series, it's time for the Man of Steel to have his time in the limelight.

The bar was raised dramatically in 2009, with Rocksteady's release of Batman: Arkham Asylum. The Arkham trilogy's combat system was revolutionary, and if Rocksteady could come up with another groundbreaking combat mode, this new Superman game could well surpass the success of the Arkham series.

Superman's powers could be used creatively in takedowns similar to the 'fear takedowns' in Arkham Knight, but using the Man of Steel's unique abilities to knock out enemies.

Timing is key - without making timing an integral part of the combat system, it quickly descends into button-mashing mayhem. Fast-moving targets, stunned enemies and combos are the typical solution deployed in the action genre. Another direction would be carefully timing the power of attacks to avoid killing human enemies (who are fragile targets compared to a fully-powered Kryptonian).

The Arkham games broke up generic fist fighting using stealth mode, where Batman would take down armed guards silently to avoid attracting attention. As an all powerful Kryptonian who is impervious to bullets, this clearly won't do. Superman's powers are another route to varied gameplay - as his wide array of abilities could be utilised in combos that promote varied play.