8 superhero games we wish were made (and who could develop them)

Superhero fans have had no shortage of video game releases over the years. Both DC and Marvel have ventured into the gaming world with acclaimed titles such as Marvel's Spider-Man 2, Batman: Arkham Knight, Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy, Injustice: Gods Among Us, and more. However, there have also been some missteps over the last decade that players worldwide would like to forget. Recently, Rocksteady failed to impress with Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, just like Crystal Dynamics dropped the ball with its underwhelming Marvel's Avengers title.

Most of the time, it comes down to how "ideal" a developer is to develop a franchise centered around a specific hero. Rocksteady is the perfect example since the studio was more than suited to tackle a Batman saga but failed to gain the same amount of praise with a Suicide Squad adaptation. So with that in mind, it's time to look at 8 superhero video games we wish were made, and what studio could make them achieve their true potential.

1. Doctor Strange - Remedy Entertainment

Leave it up to Remedy to make strange, dark, and mind-blowing games with unique gameplay mechanics. Out of every developer out there, they are perhaps the most willing to take risks and do unique things aside from Kojima Productions. That's perfectly showcased in award-winning titles such as Alan Wake and, of course, Control. If you've played the latter, you know how much of a match made in heaven it would be for Remedy to work on a Doctor Strange game.

In Control, players step into the shoes of Jesse Faden; the director of a government agency in charge of containing supernatural phenomena. In order to face the many unknown horrors that constantly threaten Earth, Jesse has a unique set of powers that give her the upper hand even in the most dreadful situations. She can levitate, create shields made of objects surrounding her, use telekinesis to throw projectiles at enemies, and dash to evade attacks. So all Remedy has to do is change the ability to dash with short-range teleportation, the option to create a shield from objects by making them out of a physical form of magic, and swap the term "telekinesis" with "magic". That's it. That's all it would take to make an amazing Doctor Strange game, but it doesn't have to stop there.

Remedy could implement a long-range teleportation mechanic a la Portal. Besides, they could also allow players to rewind or slow time just like they did in Quantum Break. And if they successfully create a creepy and dark atmosphere in a Doctor Strange title like they did in Alan Wake, then we'd be looking at a contender for Game of the Year without a doubt. Come on Marvel, let this one happen.

2. Flash - Sucker Punch Productions

Sucker Punch Productions is no stranger to making superhero video games or collaborating with DC comics. That record alone would make them a pretty good fit for working on a Flash video game. However, their work on the InFamous franchise is what truly sets them apart for this task. After all, those titles prove they could easily achieve the impossible by creating smooth gameplay mechanics fit for the Scarlet Speedster.

Let's take InFamous: Second Son as an example. In it, players take control of Delsin Rowe - a man with four different sets of superpowers, one of which is the manipulation of neon light. When using this ability, Delsin can move at great speeds much like DC's iconic hero. Granted, the "superspeed" in that game wasn't fast enough to be worthy of Fastest Man Alive (and it was a little bit hard to control mid-air). But considering InFamous: Second Son was released for a last-generation console in March 2014 - more than ten years ago - it'd be easy for Sucker Punch to revamp this mechanic. Besides, there was also a "smoke" power which allowed Delsin to traverse through some solid materials. And do you know who else can vibrate fast enough to do the same? That's right, the Flash himself.

Additionally, InFamous: Second Son had great destructible environments that would be fit for any superhero game - let alone one set in the DC universe. And if Ghost of Tsushima proves anything is that Sucker Punch is capable of creating beautiful optimized open-world games that can handle multiple particle effects at the same time. That would also come in handy when designing a game around the Flash. So with all of that in mind, this pairing seems like a no-brainer.

3. Thor - Santa Monica Studio

Okay, I know, this entry feels like cheating. After all, Santa Monica Studio already has two amazing games that heavily rely on Norse mythology and even feature Thor himself. Besides, both God of War and God of War: Ragnarok allow players to control the Leviathan Axe - a weapon that can be thrown and recalled on command much like Mjolnir. Finally, Kratos (God of War's protagonist) can deal elemental damage like fire through the use of his weapons. So if you were to swap the fire with lightning, the Leviathan axe with Thor's hammer, and give players the ability to fly; then you'd have an amazing Marvel game featuring everyone's favorite Odinson.

It's no secret that the last two God of War games have been critically acclaimed. The first one even went as far as winning Game of the Year back in 2018. So the same formula that made those titles so successful could be easily applied to a Thor game. Granted, it may come at the cost of feeling a little derivative of Santa Monica Studio's previous work. However, they could always look to shake things off a little by giving players an open world to explore, making Loki a truly despicable villain (unlike the God of War iteration of the character), and filling the map with a lot of NPCs to make it feel more "alive". Besides, instead of creating a "mythologically correct" Asgard - as was the case in God of War: Ragnarok - Santa Monica Studio could make a more inventive and creative version of that realm.

This time we could even face Ragnarok itself in battle, righting one of the (few) wrongs of the latest God of War game. Speaking of which, the set pieces that made Santa Monica Studio's games so successful should be back in a potential Thor project as well. Facing frost giants in an explosive battle as the God of Thunder? Count. Us. In.

4. Supeman - Rocksteady

Let's be honest, Rocksteady isn't in the greatest of places right now due to the lackluster reception of their latest title: Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. But that doesn't take away from the fact they once created one of the industry's most acclaimed superhero trilogies in the form of the Batman: Arkham saga. So what better way for them to return to their old form than with a Superman game?

Most problems with Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League come from the very identity of the game. It seems the project was doomed once Rocksteady decided it would heavily rely on live-service mechanics in an attempt to bring players back with episodic releases. But that's a mistake they shouldn't repeat twice. If the acclaimed developer were to focus on creating a single-player experience with no microtransactions, then they could very well shatter our expectations once again. Besides, if Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League proves something is that Rocksteady handles character mobility amazingly well.

Traversing the city as either Captain Boomerang, Deadshot, King Shark, or Harly Quinn feels seamless, responsive, and fast. Those characteristics need to be present the day players take control of Superman and fly across the sky. Besides, the map of Metropolis itself was extremely well made in Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. Granted, there were no important side activities in it, but Rocksteady could once again incorporate the secondary missions that captivated us in the Batman Arkham Saga on a future Superman title.

Let's face it: we've lived long enough without a great game featuring the Man of Steel, so it's time to finally rectify that mistake. But in case you don't believe Rocksteady could create another good superhero experience, there's another developer that could very well take their place and successfully complete this task.

5. Daredevil - Hundred Star Games

"What happened to the old Rocksteady?" I hear you ask. Well, their founders left the company to found a new studio called Hundred Star Games. Many believe their departure came because they didn't trust Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League would be a success before its release, so they decided to jump ship instead of sinking with it. Regardless of the truthfulness of that theory, Sefton Hill and Jamie Walker now have a new studio that employs many of Rocksteady's veterans. Unfortunately, Hundred Star Games can't work on the Batman: Arkham Saga anymore since they don't have the licensing rights. But what if they were able to work on another beloved IP?

Fans have been eagerly awaiting a Daredevil game for quite some time now. Most of us believed that title would come from Insomniac Games, but they are too busy developing their Spider-Man and Wolverine franchises to focus on a new Marvel hero. So that opportunity should be given to another studio whose developers can create titles with great stealth mechanics and flawless combat. And wouldn't you know it, that's where Hundred Star Games comes in.

Just imagine for a moment a dark and gritty Daredevil game created by the same people that once led the development of the Batman: Arkham Saga. The investigative work that the Dark Knight used to do in his franchise can now be adopted by Matt Murdock when trying to solve a legal case. Additionally, Batman's detective vision could be replaced with a "sonar" mode that allows us to see the world as Daredevil does. Players could detect enemies far away just by the sound of their footsteps. Besides, The Man Without Fear could benefit from a "freeflow" combat mechanic like the one used in the DC title. All while we explore a grim Hell's Kitchen with an art style similar to that of Gotham City. Wouldn't it be perfect?

6. X-Men - Eidos-Montréal

First of all, it's important to clarify Insomniac Games is already working on a Wolverine game. However, chances are the highly-anticipated title will only let us play as Logan himself (and maybe one more X-Men, just like Marvel's Spider-Man 2 surprisingly let us take control of Venom). But if Marvel ever wanted to develop a game where multiple X-Men are playable, then Eidos-Montréal should be their go-to option.

Edios-Montréal's work in the Tomb Rider franchise is enough to hold them highly amongst other developers. Besides, the studio also worked in Marvel's Avengers, meaning they probably have experience creating systems to control multiple playable characters. Of course, we all know the reception to Earth's Mightiest Heroes debut game was... lackluster, to say the least. However, it's worth pointing out that Crystal Dynamics was the lead studio on that game - making the creative decisions - and not Eidos-Montréal. Instead, they just aided in development. If you want to know what the Canadian studio is capable of when taking the lead development on a superhero franchise, then look no further than Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy.

Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy is a fantastic game with great art direction, a deep story, and no shortage of funny dialog. However, perhaps its biggest strength is its complex combat system that allows players to fight as Star-Lord while giving the rest of the guardians orders mid-battle. Mastering this gameplay mechanic was key when taking on hordes of enemies. Otherwise, things could go wrong very fast.

If Eidos-Montréal were to implement that same combat system in an X-Men title while also letting us switch characters, it would make for an amazing experience. Besides, the Canadian studio already proved they are fantastic when working in a beloved Marvel IP comprised of a group of heroes. So why don't let them have a go at it again?

7. Punisher - Naughty Dog

Aside from constantly remastering its games, Naughty Dog is well known for two reasons: their work on the Uncharted franchise and the creation of The Last of Us. The former is acclaimed for its over-the-top shooting action and thrill-inducing moments, while the latter has taken the world by storm with its gritty realism and strong depiction of violence. So if you were to mix both franchises and get them to meet somewhere in the middle, then you'd have an amazing Punisher Game.

Frank Castle's stories are - more often than not -tragic and violent, which fits the ideology behind The Last of Us franchise. However, he's also a one-man army capable of taking on anything or anyone - much like Nathan Drake in the Uncharted series. It's hard to find a studio that manages to capture the best of both worlds, but Naughty Dog has proved to be more than capable of doing so. With that in mind, they'd be the perfect choice to work on a Punisher video game.

Such a title has the added benefit of not needing to be as huge in scope as other superhero games. Players wouldn't need a big open world or crazy traversal mechanics. Instead, Naughty Dog could focus on creating somewhat linear levels (just like in The Last of Us franchise) with a heavy emphasis on environmental destruction. They should also let players decide how to approach any encounter.

Want to use a sniper rifle and noise suppressors to stealth your way through levels? By all means you should be able to. But what if you preferred to go all-in with an arsenal of guns and loudly shoot every bad guy on sight? Well, that should be an option as well. The game could even give Frank hand-to-hand combat mechanics for when he runs out of bullets. All while telling a mature and tragic story about the Punisher's many losses - including that of his own humanity. If there's any developer that could nail that game down, it would be Naughty Dog without a doubt.

8. Venom - Insomniac Games

Spoilers for Marvel's Spider-Man 2 will follow.

If you've played Marvel's Spider-Man 2, then you know about that mission. Yes, the one where you take control of Venom and absolutely wreak havoc on Oscorp industries, killing everyone who dared cross your path. As if it wasn't enough, that sequence ends with one of the game's best boss fights against Kraven the Hunter. Villain versus villain fighting right in the heart of New York City until one of them finally bites the dust. It was an unforgettable that, unfortunately, ended as quickly as it began. After completing that mission, players weren't able to play as Venom again throughout the campaign. But what if that were all to change?

Just two years after the release of Marvel's Spider-Man for PS4, Insomniac surprised us with the release of Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales. A smaller title that capitalized on all of its predecessor's strengths. So why don't capture lightning in a bottle once again and release a Venom stand-alone game set using the same engine, map, and technology of Marvel's Spider-Man 2? It could once again be a shorter story, but one that takes the saga in a whole new direction filled with blood and violence. After all, it's all but confirmed that Carnage will be a villain in future instalments. So why don't let him be the villain of a Venom game?

Now that Harry is in a coma and seemingly out of the picture as the Lethal Protector, it would be the perfect time for Insomniac to introduce us to Eddie Brock. He would be the protagonist of his own story, and he can be set up as a future villain who'll go toe to toe with Spider-Man in future projects. Especially when taking into account the symbiote now has a strong reason to hate Peter Parker.

The game could let us destroy New York City, feed off of the heads of villains, and also earn the title of the Lethal Protector by defeating Carnage. So with all of that in mind, need a release date for this hypothetical title ASAP.