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10 Superhero Games We Need

10 Superhero Games We Need

In the wake of The Avengers: Age of Ultron , it becomes painfully clear to me that there just aren’t enough superhero video games out there that are actually worth playing. There have been many attempts. Some were great successes, like the Arkham series of Batman titles. Even DC Universe Online wasn’t a total failure and if you had friends to play it with it could actually be enjoyable. Beenox did a decent job representing Spiderman on the last-gen systems, but where are all the superhero titles now? We have these amazing new-gen technologies and we haven’t had one solid superhero game yet. Well, that needs to change, and here are ten superhero franchises that would be great to see as games.

Daredevil

Daredevil

You had to see this one coming. With the insanely great show on Netflix and the following it’s gathering, it would be the perfect time for the Man Without Fear to get his own gaming gig. Now I am absolutely not talking about a game that follows the show. I am talking about giving Daredevil a real shot at glory in his own, stand-alone video game. Fresh story, different art direction than the show, but they can still bring in the cast for voices, which would be pretty cool. Think about it. A Batman: Arkham style game featuring Daredevil, with a story written by people who actually care about the character? How could that not be awesome?

The Defenders

The Defenders

While we’re on the subject of Daredevil, he could even be used as a catalyst for ringing in the Defenders. So rather than just having one beat-em-up badass, you’d get a whole crew of them. Each level, you could take control of a different team member and play out their part in an over-arching story that involves them all. Hell, you could even bring Daredevil into it for a cameo. Each of the characters would be able to play through levels that would cater to their strengths. Power Man could punch in some faces, Iron fist could handle subversion and stealth, Daredevil could do what he does and then Jessica Jones could handle the flying and super strength stuff. I think it could be very cool.

Stormwatch

Stormwatch

Jim Lee’s super team, assembled to keep superheroes and villains in check, would make a great game as well. It would need to be a little more subdued, like a Mass Effect style game, though. These guys are tacticians as well as superheroes. They police their own kind, but maintain a very low profile while doing so. They tackle very tough missions but are to maintain their cover and societal invisibility at all costs, so there are several things about this crew that could make for a great game. First and foremost, you get to break out of the goody-goody superhero mythos and go out and track down super-powered peeps that are doing it wrong. There’s a cast of strong characters to choose from, so it wouldn’t be very hard to create a tactical or action RPG with this franchise.

The Fantastic Four

The Fantastic Four

I am including this franchise out of sympathy. As a child, I loved reading about Reed Richards and his crew of weirdos as they went out and did what they could to keep Earth safe. When I heard they were making a movie, I got excited. But then I saw the movie… good actors trying to polish up a horrible script and make the movie interesting. And now this new movie that’s coming out looks like they have screwed the entire idea of the Fantastic Four completely up. So I am putting the FF on the list because they really deserve a shot at greatness in the mainstream.

Spawn

Spawn

I realize that Spawn has had games in the past, but imagine if the crew from Dante’s inferno or even the folks at Vigil studios got ahold of this franchise, I believe they could make it an incredible title. You could do the origin story. Start the game off as Al Simmons and play through the events that led to his death and then the deal he struck with Malebolgia to live again. Then follow him through his transformation into Spawn and go after the people who killed him to make them suffer as he did. You could even bring in Angela or some of the other former co-stars for some fun.

The Justice League Dark

The Justice League Dark

One of the more interesting entries into the DC Universe is the Justice League Dark. This team of occult-dabbling misfits could become a very cool basis for a video game. John Constantine already has a great following and truly needs to be in a game anyway. In fact, I will go ahead and nominate Robin Atkin Downes for the voice of Constantine. Zatanna has also been one of my long-time faves. Not only is she incredibly sexy, she is one badass magician and can get the job done big time. Deadman rides the lines between our world and the afterlife, giving him a unique perspective on life and death. Sending this guy into the afterlife for specific missions that affect the here and now would be really cool. I am serious when I say that this could be a great game. It would have to be better than the Constantine show right now.

Iron Man

Iron Man

I love Iron Man. That’s no secret. He has been my favorite Marvel character for as long as I can remember. But why, oh why, have there only been a handful of throwaway games featuring the metal-clad master of technology? I’ll tell you why. Money. The movies did incredibly well at the box office and suddenly we have games that follow the movies…horribly. But Tony Stark and his legion of armored suits are much deeper and are more than worthy of a title that exploits the technology inherent in the franchise. You could go on missions, even ones with cameos of other Marvel characters, collecting parts and plans and other things to improve upgrade and customize your suits. Hell, make it to where you can post your suits online as well so others can see how you spec yours out. You’d grab all the Armored Core fans with that feature alone.

The Maxx

The Maxx

I have long said this this mind-melting comic book tale is long overdue for a video game. Sam Kieth’s brain-bending story has all that a great video game needs. Twists, turns, memorable characters, incredible backdrops, and wondrous places. All of this against a modern crime backdrop full of prostitutes, social workers, booze, drugs, violence, and mayhem. So basically it would be like a Grand Theft Auto game as it would exist if the world was split into two planes and you could walk between the two – only you’re not actually sure if one of the planes is even real or if it’s a hallucination induced by your copious amounts of drinking and drug use. Oh, and you live with your social worker… who is also a jungle warrior queen.

Hawkeye

Hawkeye

This bow-wielding Avenger needs his own game. I mean, everybody’s using bows these days. They even put a bow in the upcoming Call of Duty game. So now is the time, if there ever was a time, for Hawkeye to get his own game. It could be a cover-based shooter and you could split the story from the recent Age of Ultron bit where someone tells him that all the super-powered heroes need him, rather than him needing them. His expertise, experience and quippy dialogue would make for a game that would be at least on par with the Deadpool game. But it could be even better due to the archery dynamic and the complete character reversal from Deadpool’s flippant nature. Because unlike Deadpool, Hawkeye can die and he knows it…but he still has work to do.

Maximum Carnage Revisited

Maximum Carnage Revisited

Back in the day, there was a Spiderman game on the SNES called Maximum Carnage . It was basically an arcade-style, side-scrolling beat-em-up title that featured a soundtrack by the band Green Jelly (why that was such a big deal back then I’ll never know, I mean, where are they now?). But in addition to playing as Spidey, you could also play as Venom and team up with Spidey to take on Carnage. It was pretty badass. But I would really like to see them redo that game as a 3D, Infamous-style title where you could take control of either Spidey or Venom and attempt to contain the insanity that is Carnage by being either the most virtuous good guy ever or the biggest badass of them all. Are you listening, Beenox? You’ve made some marginally good Spidey titles so far. Time to reimagine a classic.

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