Why Are Superhero Video Games Almost Impossible To Pull Off?

To Infinity…

So what would we like to see in future releases that can put an end to the inconsistency exhibited in superhero-based video games until now?

Well, if the virtual reality implications for first-person shooters are anything to go by, there may soon come a time where we can actually be deemed worthy enough to wield Mjolnir or Wonder Woman's Lasso of Truth.

Imagine an arcade fighter like Injustice 2 where a player could feel as though they themselves were being hurtled through destructible environments and had to react accordingly, punching in combos while Superman’s laser eyes charged up three inches from one’s face.

But that’s way, way off. More realistically, open-world formats look most appetising as just about any super being with some level of flight or speed would require that kind of scale. Sadly, these games are significantly larger and take more time to make, but that’s perfectly fine with us.

Speaking of scale, imagination is another thing historically lacking in superhero games. Earthworm Jim might settle for a simple button basher, but comics fans want bigger, non-linear maps; vast wells of talent trees that properly illustrate a character’s innovation; functional game mechanics and fight systems that don’t glitch us to high heaven.

Is all that so hard to ask? Maybe so.

Thankfully, the rampant growth of comic book-based movies in recent years has led to a greater spotlight being cast on the genre and the powerful movement it represents among nerdy adults, geeky teens and grateful children, whom we’ll refer to here as “the motherload.”

Video game developers, like movie producers, are largely motivated by money, and where the cash goes, they tend to follow.

Thankfully, because the comic genre now has a much bigger dollar-sign hanging above its head due to the rise of its film popularity, there’s a chance more investment will be made to ensure their game equivalents are done right and thus yield a stronger return. Not a strong chance, because quantity doesn't always beget quality, but a chance nonetheless.

In an ideal world, these games would be treated akin to movies themselves. That’s what the comics have always represented in our minds, tapestries of the highest calibre that few other genres can match.

But we don't live in the ideal world. We live in a world where our fantasies, the fantasies we read about and then watch unfold on the big screen, will always be acres ahead of whatever we hope to play first-hand.

Do you feel as though developers are setting themselves up to fail when it comes to superhero video games? Or are fan expectations closer to being realised than ever before? Be sure to let us know in the comments below!