There have been plenty of great superhero and comic book-based video games over the years. Insomniac’s Spider-Man games and Rocksteady’s Batman: Arkham series have been hailed as some of the greatest and most faithful video game adaptations of the modern day, with the commercial success to back up these claims.
However, not all heroes are recognized for their efforts, and there are some good superhero games that, for one reason or another, aren’t regularly talked about like Marvel’s Spider-Man or Batman: Arkham City. These games are still worth checking out if you have the means, even if they have been largely overshadowed by more recent ventures in the superhero genre.
Marvel’s Guardians Of The Galaxy Hits The Right Notes
Crystal Dynamics’ Marvel’s Avengers left much to be desired, but the Eidos Montreal-developed Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy delivered plenty of sci-fi thrills when it was released in late 2021. Unfortunately, the game underperformed at launch, and it’s since faded from the public mind despite a brief resurgence on Xbox Game Pass.
This is a shame, as Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy is a solid action title that combines the charm of the MCU Guardians movies with some fun team-wrangling gameplay and a rocking 80s-inspired soundtrack. Commanding the Guardians as Star-Lord is satisfying, as is seeing the rag-tag space heroes come together through the “Team Huddle” mechanic.
Infamous: Second Son Deserves A Comeback
Before taking players to ancient Japan in Ghost of Tsushima, developer Sucker Punch honed its open-world craft in the Infamous series. The first two games focused on the lightning-powered Cole MacGrath, while 2014’s Infamous: Second Son shifted the spotlight to a young street artist named Delsin Rowe.
While Cole was primarily limited to electric powers, Delsin’s abilities are themed around smoke, neon, video, and concrete. Using these powers to navigate the open world of Seattle and battle the corrupt Department of Unified Protection is immensely satisfying, and the skill tree unlocks new skills based on the player’s moral actions.
Sadly, the Infamous series has fallen by the wayside as Sucker Punch focuses on its Ghost of Tsushima series. Fans are still hoping for a new Infamous game, one that either continues Delsin’s story or introduces yet another superhuman protagonist.
Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 Is All About Teamwork
Developer Raven Software took what it learned from the X-Men Legends games and built on them with the Marvel Ultimate Alliance series, action RPGs that allow players to build their own superhero teams and combine their special abilities to save the day. 2009’s Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 refined that teamwork-focused mentality with a plot based on the Civil War storyline.
Just like in the comics and later Captain America: Civil War movie, Earth’s heroes are divided into two groups fighting over government regulation of superbeings —and the player can choose which side to fight for. Team-up attacks add some flair to the proceedings by letting heroes combine their powers in wave-clearing super moves.
Prototype 2 Delivers A Great Sandbox
While Infamous provided PlayStation owners with an exclusive superhero epic starring a more straightforward hero, Radical Entertainment crafted a darker tale across all platforms. This tale was Prototype, a 2009 action title that gave players a wide range of Symbiote-like abilities and a large sandbox to unleash mayhem on.
Although this effort resulted in mixed reviews, Prototype 2 refined the destructive gameplay and grizzly plotline of its predecessor. It also switched up the protagonist from the amnesiac Alex Mercer to James Heller, a former U.S. Marine who finds himself unwillingly mutated by the virus Mercer unleashes on Manhattan.
Gotham Knights Is Underrated
While Rocksteady seemingly wrapped up its Batman: Arkham saga with 2015’s Batman: Arkham Knight, WB Montreal looked to continue the Dark Knight’s gaming legacy with a different title set in a new universe. The result was 2022’s Gotham Knights, an action game that shifted the spotlight toward the rest of the fabled Bat Family following Batman’s death.
The comparisons to the Batman: Arkham series were inevitable, but while Gotham Knights‘ combat and transversal gameplay aren’t as tight as Rocksteady’s games, it is still fun to navigate the streets of Gotham and deliver justice. Sadly, Gotham Knights underperformed at launch, and the game has fallen under the shadow of Rocksteady’s more iconic take on the Caped Crusader.
Ultimate Spider-Man Gives Spidey Style
Fresh off the success of 2004’s excellent Spider-Man 2 tie-in game, future Call of Duty developer Treyarch took its open-world framework to the Ultimate Marvel comics in 2005’s Ultimate Spider-Man. This classic allowed players to alternate between Spider-Man and Venom in a story that explored the Ultimate take on the latter’s origin.
The web-swinging mechanics are more simplified than those of Spider-Man 2 or the later Insomniac games, but patrolling the streets of New York is still a fun time. Getting to cut loose as Venom is also a treat, and the game’s cel-shaded graphics give it a stylized look that truly makes it feel like a comic book come to life.
Batman: Arkham Origins Is A Solid Arkham Entry
Before Gotham Knights, WB Montreal stepped into the seedy underbelly of the DC Universe with 2013’s Batman: Arkham Origins, a prequel story set years before Rocksteady’s Batman: Arkham trilogy. It’s Christmastime in Gotham, and Batman finds himself faced with a new threat in the form of the evil crime boss Black Mask and his eight hired assassins.
While the overall gameplay and presentation of Batman: Arkham Origins aren’t quite as refined as the Rocksteady entries, everything fans love about those games is present and accounted for. It’s just a shame that this dark prequel often ends up lost in the shuffle amid the rest of the Arkhamverse.
Spider-Man 2: Enter Electro Set The Stage
The old PlayStation Spider-Man titles helped pave the way for the Spider-Man 2 movie tie-in and Insomniac’s series, but they are often left out of the conversation of great superhero games. This rings especially true for Spider-Man 2: Enter Electro, the 2001 follow-up that sees Spidey face off against a conspiracy of villains from taking over New York.
Gameplay is nearly identical to the first Spider-Man PS1 game, with players running and swinging their way through linear levels as they battle criminals, robots, and supervillains. Spidey has a few new tricks up his sleeve, namely the ice and taser power-ups that add special effects to his trademark webbing.
X-Men Origins: Wolverine Is A Great Tie-In
Movie tie-in games rarely surpass the film they are based on, but 2009’s X-Men Origins: Wolverine proved to be the exception to the rule. While the game mostly retold the story of the movie (including the disaster that was the film’s take on Deadpool), Raven Software more than made up for it with delightfully brutal combat.
Borrowing heavily from God of War, X-Men Origins: Wolverine allows fans to truly slice their way through hordes of enemies as Marvel’s iconic mutant berserker by unleashing devastating slashes and combos. Logan’s healing factor is also depicted accurately, highlighting how Wolverine can shake off even the most gruesome of injuries. As a bonus, Hugh Jackman reprises his role as Logan.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 Has Left The Conversation
All of Insomniac’s Spider-Man games have been critical and commercial successes, and sure enough Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 sparked plenty of discourse when it launched on the PS5 in the fall of 2023. However, it seems most of the discussion surrounding the game has died down in the years since, while its two predecessors are talked about more frequently.
While the game’s plot has divided fans, Spider-Man 2‘s gameplay is just as polished as ever. Peter and Miles still swing through New York City and take down criminals with all the acrobatic grace one would expect from a spider-themed superhero, and there are plenty of fun upgrades and alternate costumes to spice up the experience.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
10/10
- Released
-
October 20, 2023
- ESRB
-
T For Teen Due To Blood, Drug Reference, Mild Language, Violence
- Developer(s)
-
Insomniac Games
- Publisher(s)
-
Sony Interactive Entertainment
- Engine
-
Insomniac Engine v.4.0
- Cross-Platform Play
-
no
- Cross Save
-
no
