Superman fans have wanted the big blue boy scout to get a proper video game adaptation for a very long time. That's not to say that there haven't been Superman games in the past, they just don't exactly have the best track record. Most of them have a very hard time balancing the sensational powers of the Man of Steel, and others don't quite nail the flying mechanics that are crucial for a proper adaptation. This has made it very difficult for gamers that are Superman fans, and they've recently had even more of a reason to pine for a Superman game.
In recent news, @DevSalvatrix on Twitter revealed details on a canceled Superman game from Factor 5 that was in development over ten years ago. She divulged various bits of information on the game's design, as well as concept art and some clips of gameplay. Judging from what she provided, the game looked like it might have been ready for publishing after another year or two of development. It's quickly become a sore spot for many Superman fans, and it's worth looking at what the game would have offered and reflect on what could have been.
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Superman has had dozens of different stories across the page and the screen, but few are as unanimously beloved as Justice League Unlimited. Although it didn't strictly focus on the Man of Steel, Superman had some standout moments through the show's multiple seasons. The canceled Superman game would have used the show as its main point of reference for multiple things, from Superman's appearance to the game's combat. The latter would have focused on giving players control of Superman's full suite of powers, along with destructible environments to throw enemies through just like the show often featured.
Working hand in hand with the game's combat, the canceled Superman title would have featured the heaviest hitters in Superman's rogue gallery. From Darkseid to Doomsday, the game didn't want players to feel weak by falling victim to Kryptonite or fighting simple robots. One of the clips that @DevSalvatrix appeared to be a fully rendered sequence with Superman and Doomsday, where Superman fought the monster in the Metropolis streets. It looked like something right out of the Superman comics, and it gave a sense of the kind of game that Factor 5 was going for.
While the canceled Superman game appeared to prioritize a single-player story akin to the Batman: Arkham series, it also surprisingly had a multiplayer feature. This mode would have been an online fighting mode where players could fight against one another as characters from the game. The tweets only implied that Superman and General Zod would have been available as fighters, but other characters like Supergirl were planned to appear, so there could have been more. It may sound odd as an additional mode in an already ambitious single-player game, but on paper, it could have had a lot of potential.
Unfortunately, there have been few solid rumors on a Superman game since this one from Factor 5 was canceled. The Man of Steel has been featured in games like Injustice to a respectable degree, but there are still many fans that want a true single-player Superman experience. With Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League giving Superman a feature for what seems like the first in forever for an adventure game, fans will just have to wait and see if he gets his dedicated game sometime in the near future.
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