Grab A Look at Canceled "The Flash" Superhero Game

[John Funk]

Grab A Look at Canceled "The Flash" Superhero Game

This game based on DC's superhero The Flash may never have seen the light of day, but at least you can see what the title looked like six months into development thanks to this rough early footage.


There's no denying that the above footage - posted on superannuation [http://supererogatory.tumblr.com/post/207028599/this-is-early-game-footage-from-the-cancelled] by a BottleRocket employee - is incredibly rough, but you know what? Let's be lenient for a moment: After all, the title was reportedly only a third into development (six months, with "about a year" remaining) when the publisher, Brash Entertainment, went under.

So for a game six months into development, there's potential here. Granted, I don't think any developer could ever illustrate the true capabilities of The Flash in a game (like running around the world in a fraction of a second to punch someone in the face) but the BottleRocket team apparently had a good grasp on how to give the player a good sense of speed, even in this early rough footage. The combat looks pretty cool, too - bullet time taken to its absurd extreme, anybody?

There are some solid ideas under the hood, and it's a shame we won't ever get to see them in action. Alas and alack.

(via Joystiq [http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/08/see-the-flash-superhero-game-in-action-before-it-disappeare/])

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[SamSmith]

Kinda looks like a 3D Sonic game, and we all know how those turned out. Which sucks, because The Flash is the best superhero out there.

 

[Krakyn]

I wonder if they would've incorporated Flash's ability to move every atom of himself so fast that he could phase through walls. That would be awesome.

 

[Captain Pancake]

it reminds me a little of sonic...

 

[Trivun]

It's just a case of seeing how the fact that The Flash has super speed would be incorporated into the game without it being a game breaker:

Granted, I don't think any developer could ever illustrate the true capabilities of The Flash in a game (like running around the world in a fraction of a second to punch someone in the face) but the BottleRocket team apparently had a good grasp on how to give the player a good sense of speed, even in this early rough footage. The combat looks pretty cool, too - bullet time taken to its absurd extreme, anybody?

Exactly this. But still it's pretty cool seeing the actual footage even if this game won't ever end up being made. Shame, I guess. Still, at least we have the likes of Arkham Asylum to tide us over until the next superhero movie/game tie-in...

 

[LavaLampBamboo]

It's a little bit like Spiderman Eeb of Shadows meets Mirror's Edge... With speed.

 

[TheNumber1Zero]

Well, it seems interesting, would of been murder getting used to the speed though.

 

[TheTygerfire]

I think Flash could have done what Sonic couldn't after all these years: Not suck.

 

[HardRockSamurai]

Actually, the footage reminds me a lot of the Superman Returns game, which really isn't a good thing. Still, it's a shame it got canceled.

 

[Dr.Poisonfreak]

That is a shame, it looks like a laugh, spider man style game play on speed, would have been awesome if it had continued the way it was going.

 

[Aura Guardian]

It looked pretty good. But if it was under Brash, it was bound to suck.

 

[Woodsey]

Don't like the idea at all.

I want to leap 100's of feet into the air before landing and chasing someone across rooftops. Jumping and rolling onto each surface.

Not run around a city. Even if you can run up buildings.

 

[Gaderael]

The combat reminded me of the Spiderman games, which got pretty boring after a while. Their concept of open world would probably have been like Spiderman as well. Run around, find baddies to beat up, go to an icon to follow the story, or go do a racing/fighting/obstacle challenge.

 

[Katherine Kerensky]

Looks like a laugh, but not my thing at all. Strangly it reminds me of GTA3, duno why.

ever used the Raise Speed cheat?
You run pretty fast if you use it...

well, that's why it reminds me of GTA3. or San Andreas. but mostly 3.

 

[Archemetis]

Granting it that it is nothing but a rough draft of what it could have potentially been, I would hope that had they more time to develop it that they'd have done away with the grinding and assisted ramp jumps.

They look like they really break flow.

Sure, have ramps somewhere, but don't let them be "Press button in time to use" ramps, just have a ramp that you can run and then jump from.

And grinding? in a game about speed? Surely people have learned from the Sonic games, right?

I won't deny that despite that, the rest looks really, very impressive for something that's entirely unfinished.

I can only hope that some other company picks up the project, the Flash deserves a game in honesty.

 

[Monshroud]

It looks like it could have had some good potential. Looks like the Combat was based on single button presses and enemies always had a "A" "B" "X" "Y" above their head. That could make combat very repeatative. Although, knows where it could have gone.

It's too bad we won't get to see a finished product.

 

[scotth266]

It's a real pity that this game will never see the light of day.

 

[DeadAccountMoveAlong]

It seems like Spiderman 2 where nearly half the fun comes just from exploring your surroundings... and with the Flash your surroundings are only limited to space and the depths of the ocean.
Why'd you show us this? Now I'm bummed from not having a game like this.

 

[Zerbye]

It's a little bit like Spiderman Eeb of Shadows meets Mirror's Edge... With speed.

I saw a lot of overlap with Mirror's Edge as well...the art style and the emphasis on running. In fact, it almost looked like an expansion pack for Mirror's Edge.