Who hasn't wanted to be a superhero at some point? PLAYSTATION 3 gives you the means to fly, zap, teleport and so much more with its huge range of superhero games released in 2008.
Videogames give you the chance to step into the colourful boots of popular comic book mythology without having to worry about the dangers that come with secret identities, fighting villains and using incredible and intimidating powers. PLAYSTATION 3 is home to many superhero titles released over the course of 2008 - so why not try some true flights of fancy...
Up... up... and away...
Marvel Comics contains some of the biggest and most memorable superheroes created, so it's no surprise that two comic book giants splashed down on PLAYSTATION 3 this year in association with their well received big screen counterparts. The Incredible Hulk and Iron Man graced our screens allowing players a shot at the movie version of both heroes.
Iron Man blasted things off with a metal suit clad action adventure where you control the golden avenger in various missions against a number of supervillians and protect innocents - both through a combination of Iron Man's jet boot flight, repulsor rays and other hi-tech gadgets. Similarly, The Incredible Hulk expands on the film tie-in by throwing in new scenarios, enemies and missions that are unique to the game. Set in an open world where you can smash buildings, pick up cars and even terrorise civilians (although obviously that's not very heroic), The Incredible Hulk gives you free reign over the jade giant.
Blending bits from the films, comics and even the TV series, LEGO Batman: The Videogame is a lovely jumble of source material that delights thanks to strong gameplay and an even stronger sense of humour. Letting you control the caped crusader himself, Robin, and a slew of others, including villains such as the Joker, Catwoman and Scarecrow, the title follows the successful LEGO game formula with a mixture of action, adventure, combat and brick building.
Standing totally aside from the movies, Spider-Man: Web of Shadows brings the webslinger back into play with an open world adventure that lets you roam freely around New York City and tackle one of Spidey's most fearsome foes: Venom. For the first time in a Spider-Man game, Web of Shadows lets you choose from multiple paths, resulting in different endings for the superhero depending on your choices. Like the webbed wonder often says: "With great power comes great responsibility..."
Venturing even deeper into the shadows, Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe allows players to engage in something fans probably didn't think was possible, and watch the likes of Mortal Kombat fighters Scorpion and Sub Zero battle it out with DC Comics' icons Superman and Batman, as well as a number of other characters, heroes and villains alike. With the DC license in tow, the beat ‘em up does something that the typically gory Mortal Kombat games have never done before and carries a more inclusive age rating rather than an adult one.
"Mortal Kombat has never been used to having to fit within any kind of boundaries, it's always been about ripping limbs off and stuff like that," explains Hector M. Sanchez Jr., Producer for Midway. "Now we have a limited amount of violence that we can get away with, so we have to make sure we're using it specifically in the right way. But Mortal Kombat is all the A-level talent at Midway, so it's what can we think of versus what we can actually perform - if we can think of something, we can work to make it happen."
2008 may well be the year of the superhero - and 2009 is already looking like it will be an equally spectacular spandex-clad year as well with a number of titles due for release, such as the adult themed, gun-toting Wanted, which is based off the Universal Pictures film (which itself was based off the comic book of the same name) starring James McAvoy, Morgan Freeman and Angelina Jolie, Batman: Arkham Asylum offering a more detective styled action adventure take on DC's mainstay, while a videogame tie-in to the successful movie The Dark Knight is also in the works.
More of an anti hero than a superhero, The Punisher will be shooting up screens in 2009 as well, exclusively on PlayStation Network through The Punisher: No Mercy. Very little has been revealed so far about the Marvel character's latest foray into videogames, aside from its first person perspective multiplayer action, and a ton of grit and style from the vigilante's hard-boiled world. The Punisher: No Mercy is definitely one to keep in your cross-hairs as more information surfaces.
Two of 2009's biggest superhero titles will undoubtedly be inFamous and DC Universe Online, both exclusive to PLAYSTATION 3 and boasting something that will satisfy fans of dark, edgy superheroics and the traditional styling of DC Comics.
Developed by Sucker Punch Productions, inFamous is an evolution of the superhero genre, mixing third person perspective, open world gameplay with superpower dynamics, where you control lead protagonist Cole and his electricity based powers in a large city - and your decisions can ultimately make you famous... or truly infamous. "It lets you get the feeling of becoming a modern day superhero," explains Nate Fox, Game Director for Sucker Punch Productions. "You'll experience what it's like to suddenly develop powers. People would take notice of you, you would be on the news - so you would have the chance to become a very famous person in this world, or, if you're a jerk, you'd become infamous... a villain.
"What does becoming a modern day superhero mean? Well first and foremost, it probably means not wearing a giant cape and enormous belt buckle. It means creating a believable world with a population that's as responsive as a normal one might be. And that's what we've got here; a world that reacts to you. And things are happening all around you that maybe you're not an instigator of."
DC Universe Online offers a different experience that traditionalists will love. A massively multiplayer online role playing game, it lets you experience the thrills of living in a superhero comic book universe with all the icons you expect from publishing giant, DC Comics. Ever wanted to fight alongside the likes of Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman, Green Lantern, or even villains such as the Joker, Doomsday, Lex Luthor or Brainiac? DC Universe Online gives you that chance by letting you create your own superpowered hero or villain and placing you within their world, shared with other players, where you can interact, battle and more with over 90 DC Comics creations. With DC Universe Online you'll be able to see how you really measure up against some of the all-time greatest superheroes...
