Superheroes That Should Be Games
- Thread starter Shamus Young
- Start date
The Punisher already had a video game, and it was pretty damn enjoyable.
Beyond that?
I don't see the NEED for an 'open world' game.
The Flash could work as a 'real world Sonic' side scroller.
Superman could work as a mission based 'trapped in magical realm X'.
-Remember, magic is one of his weaknesses.
Captain America could work as a sort of 'The Saboteur' or 'Remember Me', set behind enemy lines in WW2.
-With Logan (AKA: The Wolverine) as a side character with bone claws.
Beyond that?
I don't see the NEED for an 'open world' game.
The Flash could work as a 'real world Sonic' side scroller.
Superman could work as a mission based 'trapped in magical realm X'.
-Remember, magic is one of his weaknesses.
Captain America could work as a sort of 'The Saboteur' or 'Remember Me', set behind enemy lines in WW2.
-With Logan (AKA: The Wolverine) as a side character with bone claws.
Sadly, I think the odds of getting a "Doom Patrol" game are roughly equal to me getting any games based on the old "Wildstorm" comics universe... oddly my favorite universe (Wildcats, The Authority, Gen-13, various incarnations of Stormwatch, etc...).octafish said:
That said after I did my entire rant it occurred to me that nobody seems to have remembered Spawn, granted he's gotten several attempts at not-so-good games, but would work fairly well in a sandbox setting, especially one where stealth was encouraged but hardly required. He's got tons of power, but also some severe energy limits, needing to go to gloomy places to recharge his batteries (once he learns he can recharge that is).
All told though I do think the article writer was on the money with a "Judge Dredd" game being an awesome idea, though it would generally involved stopping criminals in a sandbox world, as opposed to being one.
obviously, we already have excellent Batman games, but Iron Man is probably the second most perfect superhero to base a game on... at least, gameplay-wise. there could be some great variety in gameplay, as Tony Stark doesnt actually have superpowers. a video game could be similar to Iron Man 3, in that parts of the game could have him without his suit, which could be stealth-oriented, and most of the game could have him in his IM suits.
also, since he is able to come up with so many inventions, the developers of the game wouldnt have to adhere to any specific abilities that he has. they can literally make stuff up and it would make perfect sense, as long as it is something that Tony Stark could develop.
also, since he is able to come up with so many inventions, the developers of the game wouldnt have to adhere to any specific abilities that he has. they can literally make stuff up and it would make perfect sense, as long as it is something that Tony Stark could develop.
One issue I have is that the comment about a superhero game having to be open world. Maybe a character that can fly or is heavily associated with a vehicle (someone like Ghost Rider for example) would probably need an open world game, but characters like Blade or Wolverine would probably work fine as a hack and slash type game. Others have mentioned other genres superheroes can go into (strategy/adventure). I think they should take a look at the character, see what elements of him/her they want to emphasize and see what genre fits.
In my opinion the greatest hurdle to most of these is the need to "fit" in the expected mook-smashing genre.
Superman, for example, could be perfectly doable (and by extension many others) if a big chunk of gameplay centered around Clark Kent. Maybe have it be a big sandbox game where you have objectives to fulfill using both personas, with different gameplay objectives and limitations (Say, working on the field with Jimmy Olsen by his side, something goes wrong and Clark must tackle the problem without Olsen ever seeing him use any powers).
Heck, superheroes do not always need to be about combat, there can be investigation, exploration, dialogue... But, as Shamus pointed out, no AAA publisher is going to tackle gameplay styles that aren't proven to be profitable. So bring on the mook-punchers.... Even though Saint's Row already beat all superhero games to the (nut) punch.
Superman, for example, could be perfectly doable (and by extension many others) if a big chunk of gameplay centered around Clark Kent. Maybe have it be a big sandbox game where you have objectives to fulfill using both personas, with different gameplay objectives and limitations (Say, working on the field with Jimmy Olsen by his side, something goes wrong and Clark must tackle the problem without Olsen ever seeing him use any powers).
Heck, superheroes do not always need to be about combat, there can be investigation, exploration, dialogue... But, as Shamus pointed out, no AAA publisher is going to tackle gameplay styles that aren't proven to be profitable. So bring on the mook-punchers.... Even though Saint's Row already beat all superhero games to the (nut) punch.
The article practically ignores her, so I can't really speak to the author's intentions when all that was really stated was "Her canon is crap so it's plausible that she's weak enough to fight mooks".ccdohl said:
However I would say that Wonder Woman is a far better choice than has been shown in the article. To create progression and weaken her you could say that something is draining the power of the gods, weakening them and thus her gifts greatly (For her classic origin wherein she's made of clay and is bestowed gifts by the gods and as such her powers are tied to theirs) or that the source of the gods power is being drained (for her current origin as a daughter of Zeus). Her power progression through the game is directly tied to restoring the power of the gods.
If you're going to go for a brawler like batman then you can easily do that, perhaps even better (although sans the stealth):
Wonder Woman has the lasso of truth, imagine all the cool combat options players could have with that.
She is proficient both in hand to hand combat and sword play.
Even though Wonder Woman can be as strong as Superman (although not the speed, although she is fast) she has a major weakness; "Sharp" objects. Hit Wonder Woman with a blunt object (a baseball bat, a crowbar, your fist) or an explosive (C4) and she'll be fine, but if you hit slice her or puncture her then she's in trouble (someone can stab her with a knife or get her with a sword, gunfire is a problem for Wonder Woman).
Remember those moments in the Arkham series where the mooks would have guns and you'd be in trouble? Well in those moments Wonder Woman has her wrist Braces/Vambraces/Shackles which she uses to deflect bullets, something she can do with a great deal of skill. Imagine a jedi who returns all the bullets fired at her with his lightsaber, except instead of a lightsaber it's wrist vambraces (never known the spelling for this word).
This would be a more valid complaint if the comics didn't already have exactly the same problem. Sure, in theory Green Lantern gives artists license to draw absolutely anything they can think of, but in practice there are an awful lot of big green fists involved. Maybe it would be more of a problem in a game, but given that it hasn't been a problem in any other medium so far I don't think it's a good reason not to try at all.Shamus Young said:
Yes. It was called Max Payne and it was made over a decade ago. Just come up with some comicy reason why he can't stay in bullet-time all the time (green rock stole powers, aliens, magic, just learning, etc.) and that kind of gameplay is a perfect fit for the Flash.
This... And I would go on to say that I don't think he needs an open world game... The punishers world revolves around gaining information and taking down gangsters. All activity he has outside of that (especially in the Marvel Events) doesn't fit him, and turns him into someone he isn't.Fanghawk said:
Mission based gameply works best for him, with clevely planned levels, and maybe an element of stealth to set up his attack/getaway bofore hand. Wondering around a city as the punisher would just lead to boring 'slot the mugger' events popping up all over the place... Yawn...
Also... If they do make a new Punisher, they need Tom Jane back... I don't care what anyone says, to me he IS the Punisher outside of print!
Nightcrawler!
It's all about mastering the the teleport mechanic! It has it all: Mobility, combat, or just plain messing about!
I wonder, does NC need line of sight for a new jump point?
It's all about mastering the the teleport mechanic! It has it all: Mobility, combat, or just plain messing about!
I wonder, does NC need line of sight for a new jump point?
A stealth game where you play as Mystique would be cool. You'd be able to beat people up, but you're not -that- strong, so you'd be screwed if someone started shooting at you, forcing you to rely on your shape-shifting ability. Of course, you have to touch someone before you can take their shape, and then dispose of their dead/unconscious body to avoid compromising your disguise.
I was going to mention that Volition already made a game based on the Punisher, but I see that's already been said. So instead, here's another idea for Frank's next game outing:
Take the mask off, and Hotline Miami would work pretty well as a Punisher game. Relying on your wits to take down hordes of mooks who would destroy you in a straight fight? Check. A level of violence bordering on the ridiculous? Check. The sneaking suspicion that the main character isn't exactly the cover model for "Sanity Fair"? Check. Of course, it'd take a little more than that to justify a AAA price tag, so here's my idea: combine it with the kind of fighting you see in the Sherlock Holmes movies: the top-down trial-and-error gameplay is all in Frank's brilliant tactical mind visualizing what he's going to do, and once he comes up with a plan of attack that works properly (i.e. the player clears the level successfully), he executes in full 3D in a first-person runthrough along the path used to clear it, possibly dotted with QTEs for some of the more violent bits.
Take the mask off, and Hotline Miami would work pretty well as a Punisher game. Relying on your wits to take down hordes of mooks who would destroy you in a straight fight? Check. A level of violence bordering on the ridiculous? Check. The sneaking suspicion that the main character isn't exactly the cover model for "Sanity Fair"? Check. Of course, it'd take a little more than that to justify a AAA price tag, so here's my idea: combine it with the kind of fighting you see in the Sherlock Holmes movies: the top-down trial-and-error gameplay is all in Frank's brilliant tactical mind visualizing what he's going to do, and once he comes up with a plan of attack that works properly (i.e. the player clears the level successfully), he executes in full 3D in a first-person runthrough along the path used to clear it, possibly dotted with QTEs for some of the more violent bits.
Punisher, Iron Man and Captain America all got games. Do we sense a pattern here?
Would definitely like to see a Wonder Woman game, but as you said her themes are sketchy and misinterpreted enough (people focusing on how bondage-obsessed the original creator was or considering her a straw feminist) that she just can't catch a break media-wise, even though her Justice League incarnation was unanimously awesome. Also I don't know if it would have much of an identity of its own mechanics-wise save for using the lasso of truth.
Aside from that I would envision a distaff counterpart to God of War with less gore and a more likeable and three-dimensional protagonist. Diana has shown expertise with every kind of old-school weapon out there. She has fought her way into and out of Hades at least as many times as Kratos. Of the DC power trio (which they seem to believe is now just a duo) she is the one least afraid to kill (possibly because most of her major enemies are Gods who will just come back later).
Would definitely like to see a Wonder Woman game, but as you said her themes are sketchy and misinterpreted enough (people focusing on how bondage-obsessed the original creator was or considering her a straw feminist) that she just can't catch a break media-wise, even though her Justice League incarnation was unanimously awesome. Also I don't know if it would have much of an identity of its own mechanics-wise save for using the lasso of truth.
Aside from that I would envision a distaff counterpart to God of War with less gore and a more likeable and three-dimensional protagonist. Diana has shown expertise with every kind of old-school weapon out there. She has fought her way into and out of Hades at least as many times as Kratos. Of the DC power trio (which they seem to believe is now just a duo) she is the one least afraid to kill (possibly because most of her major enemies are Gods who will just come back later).
To heck with that list. I say we need a game staring Wild Dog. He's like the Punisher, only with a more cheerful fashion sense and a pick-up truck. It would be great! Free-roam Quad Cities as the hockey masked vigilante, helping old ladies cross the street, getting cats out of trees, and shooting massive buckets of blood out of eccentrically dressed hyper-conservative terrorists bent on stopping the local community from seeing cleavage.
Wonderwoman is perhaps the worst character imagineable. From questionable background that is far more anti-feminist (come on, she was a bondage character with women getting spanked and tied up all over the place to Wonder Woman being the Justice League's secretary). Everything from her lasso of truth (formerly lasso of obedience, fyi) and her bullet repelling bracelets are stupid. Invisible plane? Oh how cool, I didn't know amazonians were pilots...
A complete rewrite of Diana would do wonders. Haha, wonders...
A complete rewrite of Diana would do wonders. Haha, wonders...