With both The Dark Knight Rises and The Amazing Spider-man hitting local theatres (kind of) recently, there’s superhero fever everywhere. Now, we understand you can’t go running around town with your bed sheet on your back, so we give you the next best (and not to mention safest) option – video games.
Note: We’ve limited this feature to current-gen games only, which is why gems like The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction and The Punisher were not included.
Batman: Arkham Asylum (Xbox 360, PS3, PC)
A game capable of appealing to fans of The Dark Knight and gamers alike, Arkham Asylum gave players a glimpse into Batman’s twisted and tormented psyche, something no game had done before. Combining stealth and all out action with one of the best hand-to-hand combat systems to date, this is one game you cannot afford to miss, Batman fan or not.
Batman: Arkham City (Xbox 360, PS3, PC)
An extension of Arkham Asylum, Arkham City expanded upon everything fans loved about Arkham Asylum, while keeping the core gameplay mechanics intact. Players were now given unprecedented freedom within Arkham City as Batman to either follow the single-player campaign or indulge in a wide variety of side activities.
The Darkness II (Xbox 360, PS3, PC)
Based on the graphic Top Cow comic of the same name, The Darkness II follows the exploits of mob boss Jackie Estacado, who just so happens to sprout two demonic tentacles from his back, courtesy of a family curse. Using the powers of the Darkness along with a plethora of weapons, Jackie inflicts copious amounts of pain on those who stand in his way.
X-Men Origins: Wolverine (Xbox 360, PS3, PC, Wii, PSP)
While the Wolverine reboot sucked real hard, the game based on it from developer Raven thankfully didn’t. Unlike the movie, the game wasn’t afraid of taking the franchise into blood soaked territory, where Wolverine literally sliced and diced his opponents to bits, leaving a trail of dismembered bodies in his wake.
Spider-man: Shattered Dimensions (Xbox 360, PS3, PC, Wii)
After a spate of lacklustre Spider-man titles (this generation), developer Beenox gave the world its first worthwhile contender with Shattered Dimensions. In it, players control Spider-man from four different dimensions to recover an important artifact that will restore order back into the World. Each Spider-man brings his own distinct brand of gameplay to the table, offering a lot of variety from all out brawling to Arkham Asylum-inspired stealth.
Transformers: War for Cybertron (Xbox 360 PS3 PC)
A prequel of sorts to the Michael Bay movies, Transformers: WFC is a third-person action game developed by High Moon Studios, where players can step into the boots of their favourite Autobots or Decepticons. Besides a rather entertaining single-player campaign, the game offered players a cooperative horde mode as well as a surprisingly robust versus mode complete with unlocks, upgrades and a Call of Duty-esque levelling up system.
DC Universe Online (PC, PS3)
An MMORPG (massively multiplayer online role-playing game) that offers both premium and free-to-play models, DC Universe Online allows players to roam/fly around the ruined city of Metropolis as a superhero or super villain. You can then be mentored by Superman, Batman, The Joker or any other villain/hero depending on your play style. After that, party up with your mates to indulge in some PvP (player vs player) or PVE (player vs environment) action.
Prototype 2 (Xbox 360, PS3, PC)
After Alex mercer single-handedly messed New York City up big time, you now step into the boots of Sgt James Heller, a man whose family was destroyed by Mercer’s radical (pun intended) actions. Armed with a plethora of new mutated powers and a boatload of vengeance, Heller takes to New York to finish off his nemesis (and maker) once and for all.
Crackdown (Xbox 360)
As a genetically modified super cop, your job in Crackdown is to clean the mean streets of Pacific City up. Initially you’ll have to rely on guns to get the job done but as you level your agent up, you’ll unlock superhuman powers like the ability to scale entire buildings in a single leap or lob cars at enemies like they were made of cardboard. Cleaning up the streets never felt his good.
Infamous 2 (PS3)
As the world’s most electrifying courier, Cole McGrath now relocates to New Orleans-inspired New Marais (after decimating Empire City) to face his biggest challenge yet, a behemoth known only as The Beast. Using his unique brand of electric super powers (that include both old and new abilities), Cole is free to shape the fate of New Marais as he seems fit. Will he be the savior or harbinger of doom? You decide.
Major props go out to Amit Goyal (TAG) and Rishi Alwani (milo) for their inputs.