Many games have tried to replicate the feeling of being a superhero with an awesome power, be it flight, super speed, telekinesis or spider powers. Many have tried, many have failed.
There are some games that nail this idea completely, however, and give humans a taste of what being a super-powered being would feel like. This takes creativity, well-tuned controls and the right framing to pull off, and the list below are some of the best examples of games that prioritize superpowers being super fun.
10Quantum Break
How a Speedster Should Feel
Quantum Break
Gettingtime stopping and super speed right has been toughfor many games out there, most famously with theSonic the Hedgehog franchise. One game that flies under the radar during these discussions, however, isQuantum Break, the spiritual successor to Alan Wake.
Protagonist Jack Joyce can manipulate time to speed forward, stop bullets and even use it for platforming elements of the game. These powers are addictive to use and work well to bring the player in while giving cool downs so the game does not become too easy. While not one of the greatest games of all time, the powers in this game were executed to perfection.
9Spider-Man 2
The First One to Get It Right
Spider-Man 2 (2004)
Spider-Man 2 (2004)is an older game, but it’s notable for getting one thing so right: Spidey’s web-swinging. Before better Spider-Man games were made, Spider-Man 2 was a stand-out for getting the feeling of swinging through New York just right.
Spidey felt strong and needed to charge up his long jumps, and with the right timing, players could get great speed going. The controls and design hold up to this day, being implemented in the newer Spider-Man games to great success.
8Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4
Less of a Ninja, More of a God
Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4
All Naruto fans know the slight disappointment that came with the series moving away from more ninja and stealth action to over-the-top Dragon Ball Z-like action. But with the shift came some awesome moments in the series andNaruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4isthe best of the gameswhen it comes to recreating these moments and feeling like a ninja god.
Being able to control Naruto’s Kurama link mode and go toe-to-toe with the other tailed beasts is awesome. Big moves feel big and powerful, and combos and powers feel great when landing on opponents. While it’s not your superpower fantasy, the way the superpowers of this cast work in the game is flawless.
7Crackdown
Just Be Strong
There are a lot of games that do powers well, but not everything works, like Venom inUltimate Spider-Manwith a great jump but not great attacks.Crackdown, released a few years later, is an example of powers done right for a character’s whole kit, as players control the agent, jumping from building to building, speeding around foes and taking them down, mixed with some gunplay.
Much like the other positive entries in this list, it’s an open-world game which is key to super-powered heroes, as most of the fun is getting a chance to experiment and play with those abilities. Freedom is one of the best parts of being super-powerful and Crackdown was an early great open-world game that laid the groundwork for others.
6Dishonored 2
First-person Paradise
Dishonored 2
Being Corvo and Emily inDishonored 2is such a power trip and it’s hard to understand how anything can stand in their way. In many films, we see super-powered heroes and villains flying across the screen mauling enemies effortlessly. Dishonored 2 makes the player feel that they can do the same, and the fluid controls and intuitive powers make all those action scenes that seemed so unrealistic somehow make sense.
Emily crawls across the floor in her shadow form, and the use of first-person perspective immerses the player, so those shadowy powers feel like yours. Anything feels possible with Corvo’s time-stop powers, and being an unstoppable, murdering time wizard is easy yet incredibly satisfying.
The Right Amount of Power
Not all super-powered people need to be gods. Sometimes, having a character struggling hard against the odds, even with some cool abilities, makes for a fun and rewarding experience.Controlis a perfect example of this, as protagonist Jesse Faden has cool, powerful telekinetic abilities, but never feels like she’s in complete control of every scenario.
Players barely grab debris in time to block bullets, Jesse pants as she strains to throw objects around, and the whole journey feels less like a power fantasy and more of a human story that happens to involve advanced telepathy. It still works beautifully and gives a gritty, realistic feel to supernatural abilities.
4Saints Row 4
Absolutely No Limits
Saints Row 4
Saints Row 4goes in the completely opposite direction to a game like Control. This is not reality, this is a video game, and Saints Row 4 knows nothing about boundaries. Jump over a building, fly an entire city scape, brainwash some dweebs. There are no limits to the superpowers the player can eventually have.
While the game is not the most polished of the series, let alone too polished in general, it’s fun, and superpowers should always be fun to use, accessible and give the player that sense of alternate reality, and this game delivers that.
3Psychonauts 2
Creativity in Abilities
Psychonauts 2
Raz is not a typical super-powered hero. The real beauty of the power system inPsychonauts 2is how creative and different psychic abilities are utilized by the player. Combat can feel tough in the game, but what Raz is tackling are strong problems that characters face, and summoning a 2D version of Raz to distract targets or see through enemies' eyes using telepathy.
This refreshing take on psychic powers is what makes Psychonauts 2 so memorable, and one of the best games demonstrating how unique and expressive superpowers can be.
2inFAMOUS 2
Another Legend of Superhero Traversal
inFAMOUS 2
Not every superpower Cole MacGrath can obtain is perfect and fluid, but when it comes to a game that applies superpowers to an average person and how they might use them, no gaming list would be complete without a mention of the popular series.
inFAMOUS 2slightly beats out its predecessor due to a better superpower system and great execution of the additional fire and ice abilities he unlocks. Ice launch is so awesome to use and traversing the city using your electric powers never gets old.
1Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
Gameplay is King
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
All the newest Marvel Spider-Man games are great and share a place on this list. But the game with the most polished and best-feeling controls and the use of the famous heroes' powers isMarvel’s Spider-Man 2.
The highs and lows of being one of the strongest superheroes in Marvel is apparent, as the player finds themselves completely devastating a few thugs mid-yawn while losing out in a massive brawl against the Lizard. Web-slinging is perfect, combat is expressive and only when the game gets turned off do players remember they are not Peter Parker or Miles Morales fighting everyone and themselves. Super-powered perfection.
