Fan-tasizing: The perfect Superman Videogame.

Fan-tasizing: The perfect Superman Videogame.

You are Superman. My idea for the perfect Superman Videogame...

By UltimaRex - Apr 09, 2015 09:04 AM EST
Filed Under: Fan Fic
Source: Gametrailers.com
I was watching a video of someone playing Superman Returns the Videogame on Gametrailers (link below) and I realized what the main problem facing a Superman videogame is.
 
Now, most people would say Superman is too overpowered, has nowhere to progress to or (and this might have been a legitimate hurdle until recently) that a Superman level character would feel "boxed-in" in an videogame world of loading screens and invisible walls.
 
Nope. None of that is the problem of a Superman game. 
 
Overpowered? As opposed to what? So many videogame characters are OP that when something like the Souls games come along it's a breath of fresh air. Throw Doomsday, Darkseid et al into the mix and suddenly Superman is the underdog.
 
Progression? Master Chief and Mario never progress in their games. And it's not like Superman doesn't have room to grow either:


 
Scale? Hello Games are BUILDING AN ENTIRE UNIVERSE in No Man's Sky.


 
No. None of those are the problem. This is:

Morality.

The gametrailers video exposes the fact that most people weren't raised by the Kents and there is no agency to be "good" in a videogame in the first place. And forcing morality isn't the answer as videogame are increasingly about choice.
 
I have the answer. You are Superman for PS4 and XB1.
 
The game opens with a character creation screen where you can mod a base Superman into any race, age or gender and even mod the suit. Because this is your Superman/boy/woman/girl.



Then you walk out of the fortress and the game goes from there. You can choose to be heroic, good, bad, indifferent or downright evil.



You can go anywhere on Earth or go to Apokolips, Daxam et al and not look back. You can wait for something to happen or go looking for trouble. All possible because gaming tech has finally reached the point where you can have a universe with full size planets without walls or loading screens. No Man's Sky is just the start.

And no matter what you do, the universe would adapt to you. Be a hero and found the League or be a villian and fight them.

In short, You are Superman.
 
Sound good? Let me know in the comments.
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ThedamnBatman
ThedamnBatman - 4/9/2015, 11:20 AM
Sounds great, exactly my kind of Superman game
Alphadog
Alphadog - 4/9/2015, 11:39 AM
I don't agree. I think we should only play as the true Superman and people don't mind a morality system that much.
UltimaRex
UltimaRex - 4/9/2015, 12:38 PM
@Alphadog. And you'd have that choice. I know I'd play the game right but again you have to have choice in videogames these days...
UltimaRex
UltimaRex - 4/9/2015, 12:44 PM
BTW, did Injustice get on your last nerve?
r3negade
r3negade - 4/9/2015, 1:31 PM
Seems like a really large-scaled Infamous. I like it!
AnthonyLantern
AnthonyLantern - 4/9/2015, 3:53 PM
I'd play it
Alphadog
Alphadog - 4/10/2015, 3:28 PM
@UltimaRex I haven't played Injustice yet but it's different anyway. It's an elseworlds thing. This would be like the Arkham series so it should be about the main mythos.
UltimaRex
UltimaRex - 4/10/2015, 5:56 PM
All right then, I'll give a little.

How exactly would you fit Superman's morality into a open world videogame without constraining the player? And don't say "like the Arkham series" because frankly, Batman can't knock down a building by breathing on it.
FlyntCoal
FlyntCoal - 4/11/2015, 7:28 AM
Amazing idea, dude.

I'd like a Superman game that is a progression of his life, so a majority of the game could take place during his vigilante, T-Shirt and jeans/no flight years.
AC1
AC1 - 4/11/2015, 8:23 AM
This sounds like a great idea, but first I'd rather see a game focusing on some version of the traditional Superman mythos which, like @Alphadog said, would essentially be Superman's equivalent of the Arkham series.

@UltimaRex as for how you could fit morality into the game without constraining the player and still focus on the true Superman - the morality aspect wouldn't need to be that huge in the game. In fact, it could be pretty simple - If Superman knocks down buildings, his public perception becomes less favourable, which in turn could give certain enemies, such as Lex Luthor or General Lane, more leverage to go up against him, with public support, and create weapons to fight him, like Metallo or simply giving the army Kryptonite weapons. So, rather than it simply being a choice between playing as good or evil, it could be a choice between playing carefully or recklessly, and how that affects Superman.

And then of course you could always progress it to the point that, if all of Metropolis turns on Superman due to maxing out the negative morality during gameplay, Superman could react negatively and become a villain. Perhaps that could be achieved by having General Zod also in the game, perhaps as the main antagonist - if you follow the good morality path, you're naturally against him and his plans to take over/destroy Earth, and if you follow the bad path, you begin to lean toward his ideologies, especially as humanity turns on you, and you eventually fight against him in order to rule Earth yourself.
Alphadog
Alphadog - 4/12/2015, 2:42 AM
@UltimaRex
1) AC1'S idea of making the enemies stronger if you act recklessly is a good one to star with.
2) There should be a lot of civillians in the city but we shouldn't be able to hurt them.
3) All of our behaviour should be measured by how much we let the enemies hurt the city.
4) We should have rewards for protecting the city. Not only points that we could use to discover new attacks/ ways to use our powers but also whole side missions should be unlocked if you protect the city.
5) If you let the city be hurt up to a level you would be forced to play a single level as either Jimmy Olsen or Clark Kent.
UltimaRex
UltimaRex - 4/12/2015, 12:33 PM
So in other words no, you can't fit Superman's morality into a open world videogame without constraining the player.

@AC1, even having a "negative morality" scale hews far closer to my original idea than having a "true" Superman game. Playing as the character negates the choice of negative morality as the character wouldn't even willingly do it to begin with.

Batman works well in videogames because all he does in the Arkham games is beat up/outwit bad guys. And it doesn't always work:



Superman, living in a world of slow moving cardboard as he does has far more freedom. Freedom means choice. Choice means options.
Alphadog
Alphadog - 4/15/2015, 10:35 AM
@UltimaRex Right, forgot that your question was without constraning. There's no problem with constraining the player though. Batman Arkham Knight doesn't let you destroy buildings with your batmobile but nobody complains. And you say that Batman worked because of what he does but that's exactly the same thing that Superman does. Superman doesn't kill people usually. Why do you feel that players should be given the option to destroy the city when no other game ever did that with a character that isn't supposed to do it.
Alphadog
Alphadog - 4/17/2015, 2:23 PM
@UltimaRex
I think that this is one of those things that in theory is a problem but when it comes right down to it it's really not. Have a story that makes people care about the city and create a city with a lot of things happening and powerful animations and situations with the people in the city and great city design, really cinematic world and challenges that make feel invested in the city would easly get you into it.
UltimaRex
UltimaRex - 4/17/2015, 5:27 PM
I kinda with you there. The story should make a compelling case for the player to act like the "true" Superman. But without choice we're back to constraining the player again.
UltimaRex
UltimaRex - 4/17/2015, 5:28 PM
*I kinda agree with you there.
Alphadog
Alphadog - 4/19/2015, 3:14 AM
@UltimaRex Yes I suppose. I guess that what it all comes down to is how we feel about constraining the player. I don't think it would be a big issue in practice don't it could seem so in theory.
UltimaRex
UltimaRex - 4/22/2015, 12:07 PM
Well, Superman is the one of the ultimate go-anywhere do-anything characters. In fact, "I'm Superman. I can do anything." is one of his catchphrases. So putting that in the hands of the player doesn't really leave the door open for constraints. Careful "nudging" sure but not an invisible wall around whatever the player is going for...
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