Superheroes are grateful material for a video game, and yet only a handful of comic book-based titles are truly worth recommending. Yes, there were interesting items, but it was Batman from Rocksteady who used the potential to the full. Insomniac later repeated the success, creating the best adaptation of Spider-Man’s adventures. Despite the noticeable differences, both productions have a lot in common. First of all, they show how games about masked avengers should be made.
Opposites attract
At first glance, it is not difficult to notice the different nature of Marvel and DC, both in movies, comics and games. The works from the DC stable are usually darker, and the stories more meaningful and aimed at a mature audience, due to the issues raised. In turn, Marvel focuses on colorful characters and humor, focusing on epic clashes with powerful enemies. Of course, there are exceptions in both cases, but I mean the general image of a given universe, especially for the less initiated.
The Arkham series showed how superhero games should be made
Gloomy and dirty Gotham contrasts strongly with sunny, bustling New York. The introverted Bruce Wayne is almost the exact opposite of Peter Parker’s full life. Importantly, Batman does not have supernatural abilities, while Spider-Man has been generously endowed with them. Nevertheless, contrary to appearances, they have a lot in common, which can also be observed in video games.
Both Insomniac Games and Rocksteady Studios showcase already shaped heroes with a lot of experience. We learn about their past during the game. Both experienced a severe loss at an early age, which left its mark on their future lives. For the sake of their cities and their inhabitants, they are ready to put their own lives at stake, while also trying not to deprive it of even the worst villains.
How to learn is from the best
The new Spider-Man clearly modeled on the Arkham series, primarily in terms of gameplay. Simply put, this is an action-oriented open world game that is full of side activities. In both cases, the core of the fun is fighting criminals and saving innocent citizens. Of course, there were also bosses in the form of iconic super villains, who are the greatest challenge, and during numerous skirmishes and exploration, use ingenious gadgets.
Insomniac has created the ultimate Spider Man adventure game
However, Spider-Man is distinguished by much greater dynamics. This is most evident in the combat system, which also took the best out of the Guardian Gotham games. While Batman puts more emphasis on stealth elements, Spidey even encourages effective clashes. All tasks also require more dexterity and are largely related to the use of a multitasking network.
The said network is used, among other things, to move around the city, which has been perfectly designed. Acrobatics performed between skyscrapers are a lot of fun. Traveling around the city is therefore more fun and varied than in the Rocksteady series, apart from the use of vehicles that we did not find in the Spider-Man game. It is worth mentioning that the first installment of Batman had a more closed structure à la metroidvania. Only in the following games it was decided to open the world.
A recipe for success?
Of course, there are more similarities, because the construction of both productions is similar. The Arachnid followed Batman to a large extent, and there is nothing wrong with that. If you get inspiration, come from the best. The Insomniac studio skilfully used the ideas of the Arkham series, adding a lot of each other, refreshing and improving the well-known formula. By carefully observing the compared titles, you can see a ready-made scheme for a good superhero game. This does not mean, of course, that this is the golden mean.
What will the future of superhero games look like?
Basically, these are specific elements that work well in this type of game. Therefore, other developers will be eager to reach for them. However, some talented game designer may in the future surprise you with a completely original idea to play with heroes in the background. As long as it has not been forgotten, it is equally important to reliably reproduce the climate of the comics in order not to disappoint fans of graphic novels.
So who’s next in line? Marvel’s Avenger looks pretty good, offering fun with the iconic Avengers. I would love to play decent games based on comics such as Preacher, The Boys or even Invincible. In my opinion, it is these characters that are less exploited in pop culture that have greater potential and room for maneuver in the context of the game. What do you think? What would your dream superhero game look like?