The Batman: Arkham series contains some of the most successful DC titles to date, and with Monolith Productions now working on a Wonder Woman game as well, it only makes sense for Superman to be next so that all of DC's Trinity will have had their own seminal titles. The Man of Steel presents an interesting dilemma to the DC world, as his immense power and near-invincibility towards (most) known weaponry could introduce some balancing issues. Thankfully, DC frequently adjusts Kryptonians' power levels all the time, which means developers could get creative to make the Man of Steel more vulnerable. While it could be challenging to integrate Superman into the medium - as numerous previous failed attempts have demonstrated - Batman: Arkham's gameplay and design have provided a perfect starting point. Additionally, the Wonder Woman game could implement some changes that would suit Superman's character and abilities.
Batman: Arkham Knight's ending left the Batman: Arkham series on a cliffhanger, leaving Batman's fate questionable. However, the series' game design provided an authentic experience throughout Gotham City as the Caped Crusader. Combat and exploration captured Batman's abilities extremely accurately, providing players with an authentic Dark Knight story straight out of a comic book. Monolith Productions' Wonder Woman announcement trailer didn't reveal any gameplay, but it's confirmed to feature Middle-earth: Shadow of War and Shadow of Mordor's Nemesis System. In regards to Wonder Woman specifically, strength and stamina combined with flight and the Lasso of Truth could be the first step towards accurately implementing superpowered characters as protagonists in DC games.
Superman's destructive power and invincibility make him overpowered against common foes, which could make an actual game less challenging. While Batman: Arkham's Batman commits many crimes in his games, Superman frequently takes a less brutal approach with his crimefighting methods. The Man of Steel's super strength and super speed could easily obliterate most villains in his path, but resolving conflicts so quickly may not translate well to an actual video game. Thankfully, any prospective Superman game has plenty of inspiration to take from other successful comic book titles, namely Rocksteady's Batman: Arkham series.
Batman: Arkham's Open World Could Inspire Superman's
The Batman: Arkham series shifted towards an open-world design following Batman: Arkham Asylum. Batman: Arkham Knight completed this transition by featuring an impressive map area and encouraging players to explore to their heart's content with acrobatics or the Batmobile. The design proved so popular that the upcoming Gotham Knights' open-world utilizes a similar style, crafting a world that changes with story progression. Metropolis could share a similar design and scope given its size, notable buildings and landmarks, and its position as a coastal city. However, given Superman's powers, Metropolis would likely have to be significantly bigger to ensure players have ample space with supersonic flight. Crossing the map in a few seconds could present some issues and make Metropolis seem far smaller than it is. However, Batman: Arkham also provided level designs that could work well.
Batman: Arkham missions often span throughout the world's immediate area, with some Most Wanted missions spawning randomly throughout the world and others maintaining their position until Batman approaches. A Superman game could adopt a similar approach, limiting players' eagerness to go directly from objective to objective and redirecting them to various side missions. Clearly, many Superman villains could become evil threats in-game, including Lex Luthor, Metallo, Parasite, Ultra-Humanite, and more that don't encompass world-ending threats. These enemies could inhabit Metropolis in unique ways that ensure Superman won't effortlessly defeat them nor warrant calling in the Justice League. Wonder Woman also offers features for a potential Superman title to make the most of its villains.
Wonder Woman's Nemesis System Could Also Work For Superman
Since Wonder Woman features the Nemesis System from Shadow of War and Shadow of Mordor, it's possible other DC games could gain this feature too. For those who aren't aware, the Nemesis System generates static and randomized enemies with unique statistics (weaknesses, strengths, weapons, personalities, appearances, etc.) that appear worldwide. Each shared unique relationships with one another and could carry out the player's plans. Players spent hours hunting down the perfect orc to add to their orc army in Middle-earth Shadow of War, utilizing the Fighting Pits to empower their ranks. However, the Nemesis System also introduced unique encounters where soldiers could turn against the player character and become deadly threats. Superman's reputation as a 'Boy Scout' could give the character many opportunities to offer redemption to his villains, utilizing the Nemesis System as a means of creating his own team of anti-heroes, perhaps similar to the recent Superman and the Authority by Grant Morrison and Mikel Janin.
However, the Nemesis System isn't the only feature a Superman game could mirror from Monolith Productions' Wonder Woman. Since both Diana Prince and Clark Kent have flight and super strength, Monolith could implement some gameplay mechanics to balance a superpowered character like Superman. The greatest challenge to implementing Superman as a player character would be appropriately scaling his power, and ensuring his battles don't level the city. Balancing Wonder Woman's strength in similar settings could provide developers with a benchmark of where to begin with the Man of Steel.
Superman Needs His Heroic DC Game Debut
Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League's villain is Superman (under Brainiac's control) alongside other Justice League members. Similarly, Injustice: Gods Among Us uses a villainous Superman that conquers the world with a ruthless Regime and turns against the Justice League. However, Superman is overdue for a heroic debut and should be represented as a hero in a video game. His immense power is fitting of an unstoppable antagonist, but most media depicts him as a selfless hero who uses his powers sparingly to minimize damage and fatalities. The evolution of Superman's character over recent years provides game developers and writers with the perfect starting point for a game based in Smallville, Metropolis, or both.
With WB Games' assets and DC licenses currently occupied with multiple projects, it's unlikely for fans to expect a Superman game at any point soon. DC has many projects currently in development, including Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, Wonder Woman, and Gotham Knights. The first two titles are scheduled for a 2023 release, while Gotham Knights' release date is scheduled for October 25, 2022. It's possible that Superman could come next, however, and hopefully this time as a superhero in a game as good as Batman: Arkham.