With that said, we’ve taken the time to round up the best superhero video games that are available right now. Some of these you’ve probably heard of or played recently while others are quite obscure. Either way, if you want to feel super, these are the best superhero video games to play today.
Injustice 2
Before Zack Snyder’s Justice League gave mainstream audiences a glimpse of just how scary a tyrannical Superman can be, NetherRealm Studios got there first with the Injustice video games. The Injustice series is set in a parallel DC universe where Superman had become a dictator following Joker’s successful attempt at proving that the popular boy scout is not all clean and good. In Injustice 2, the game’s immersive story campaign becomes even bigger. Superman is still evil, but the lines of good and evil are now even more blurred. The sequel also adds a bigger roster of superheroes to choose from and it introduces numerous ways for players to customize their favorite superheroes. With gameplay and execution just as tight as its blockbuster story campaign, Injustice 2 is easily the best one-on-one superhero fighter on the planet today.
Batman: Arkham Collection
Personally, we were thinking of including only Arkham City. The second title in Rocksteady Studios Batman: Arkham series was arguably where the franchise peaked. Arkham City expanded on the singular setting of Arkham Asylum without feeling too large and too ambitious. Meanwhile, Arkham Knight shot itself on the foot after raising sky-high expectations only to fall short due to a litany of bugs and issues that plagued the game for years. With that said, all the problems that Arkham Knight launched with are long gone. Although the tanky controls of the Batmobile are unfortunately still in Arkham Knight, it no longer detracts from the overall experience of the trilogy. Batman: Arkham Collection comes with the definitive versions of every Batman: Arkham game. This means that comes packaged with all the post-launched content for all three Arkham games. So, if you’ve ever fancied how it would feel like to play as the Caped Crusader up against the likes of Bane, Joker, and more, the Batman: Arkham Collection will give you three full games worth of Batman adventures.
Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered
2018’s Marvel’s Spider-Man proves just how much gamers have missed being able to play as everybody’s favorite friendly neighborhood superhero. But, unlike in his most recent MCU outings, Insomniac Games’ take on the bughead is a bit different. The game put players in the shoes of a more experienced Peter Parker who’s become quite adept at keeping New York City free of crime. Unfortunately, while Peter Parker’s become good at being Spider-Man, he kind of falls short at everything else. In the game, he struggles to find the balance between his personal life and career. At the same time, he also has to make sure that he takes care of New York. Enhanced and remastered for the PlayStation 5, 2018’s Marvel’s Spider-Man is easily one of the best superhero video games out right now. Its standalone sequel, 2020’s Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales, is also an excellent alternative with a younger protagonist that has a different but similar set of abilities.
Lego Marvel Super Heroes
If you asked us what the best Marvel’s Avengers game is, we wouldn’t say Crystal Dynamics’ Marvel’s Avengers. Although good, the game is far from what it could potentially have been and could still become. Meanwhile, Lego Marvel Super Heroes is exactly what you’d expect if you took some of the world’s mightiest superheroes and put them in a video game. The Lego franchise has almost always had video game offerings and lego Marvel Super Heroes was no exception. However, what made Lego Marvel Super Heroes really stand out was how it gave players a wide cast of characters from the Marvel universe to control and play as. There’s also co-op gameplay, which makes it a potentially fun family affair. With nearly 200 characters to play as and a surprisingly expansive story, Lego Marvel Super Heroes is a can’t-miss superhero video game that’s perfect for children and children at heart.
Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3
Marvel Vs Capcom: Infinite had a lot of things going against it at launch. Perhaps the biggest detractor was one of its predecessors, Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3. Although released in 2017, the more recent title felt older when compared to 2011’s Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3. In particular, fans hated how the 3D character models of Infinite looked vastly inferior compared to the cel-shaded fighters of Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3. Plus, everything Infinite did and attempted to do, Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3 already had done it and it did it better too. Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3 had nearly every notable Marvel character in its roster. This includes the X-Men, which weren’t around for Infinite due to licensing issues. More than the character models and roster, Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3 overall felt just like a better game. Then, when you add how it wasn’t afraid to add in the likes of Joker and Harley Quinn, as well as Saitama from One Punch Man, into the mix, and you’ve got yourself the best Marvel fighting game available today.
Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order
Although it takes place in a different universe, the first Marvel game published by Nintendo, Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order successfully improves upon the lackluster success of its predecessor while also living up to the legacy of the first game in the trilogy. The Black Order brings back the classic brawler combat with modern refinements. Plot-wise, The Black Order tells the all-too-familiar story of stopping Thanos from gathering all six Infinity Stones. The main difference is that it’s not just the Avengers and the Guardians of the Galaxy teaming up this time around. The X-Men are also there to provide some much-needed help against the mad titan. With such an engrossing story serving as its driving force, The Black Order keeps players interested with more than 35 playable characters and vast customization options. That’s not even factoring in the nearly dozen more characters available via the expansion pass. TLDR; The Black Order is an easy time-sink for Nintendo Switch owners.
Saints Row IV: Re-Elected
Weird doesn’t even begin to describe Saints Row IV. However, it’s also probably when the series reveled in its absurdity. Previously, the Saints Row franchise was known for being a more over-the-top GTA clone. But, in Saints Row IV, Deep Silver Volition cranks the absurdity way up high and puts players in control of the President of the United States. Rather, to be more exact, the former criminal gang, Saints, has since turned a new leaf and the boss, you, is now the Head of State of the United States. That doesn’t even begin to describe how things have taken a peculiar turn in Saints Row IV. Apparently, humanity’s been trapped by invading aliens inside a virtual open world. It is now up to you to free humanity by customizing your character and becoming, essentially, a superhero. With the Re-Elected edition, Saints Row IV gets two new story expansions as part of its 20+ DLC packs.
X-Men Origins: Wolverine
No. We’re not joking. We’re dead series when we say that X-Men Origins: Wolverine is one of the best superhero video games around. Sure, we know that its movie counterpart wasn’t exactly well-received. One might say that it’s down there as one of the worst superhero movies ever. However, its movie-tie video game was the exact opposite. Instead of the convoluted mess that culminated in a Deadpool with no mouth, X-Men Origins: Wolverine - The Game gave players a game tailor-made for Wolverine. Whereas any one of the Wolverine movies failed to capture the essence of what made Logan, well, Wolverine, the game does it perfectly. It shows us just how brutal Wolverine can be in his prime, hacking and slashing his way through enemies as if they were butter. This is best exemplified when Wolverine yanks a helicopter pilot out of his seat and cuts his head off using the still-running chopper’s blades. For some reason, that sort of creative brutality never made its way to any one of the single movies that Wolverine is in. Perhaps the best part about the movie tie-in video game is that Raven Software tries its best to stray away from the movie’s story. It even switches up the ending a bit and makes the silent Deadpool fun to fight against. All in all, X-Men Origins: Wolverine - The Game is worth playing. The only problem is if you can get your hands on a physical copy as it’s not available for sale digitally.
DC Universe Online
Getting a chance to create your own superhero feels a lot like something only an indie game would try to pull off. However, DC Universe Online is far from an indie title and it doesn’t feel like one either. The level of polish from DC Universe Online is insane, especially when you think about it initially released way back in 2011. Despite being on the market for a decade already, the game still manages to make everyone’s superhero dream a reality. In DC Universe Online, players can get a chance to create their own hero. Players can also choose which powers they’d like for the hero to have, and get to play with the likes of Superman and Batman, among others. Because it’s an MMO, you’ll get a chance to play with more than just established DC superheroes. You’ll also be able to participate in missions with other real-world players with their own customized superhero avatars. Plus, thanks to the constant support from the developers and a vibrant community, DC Online Universe remains just as fun to play today as it was when it first launched.
South Park: The Fractured but Whole
Is South Park a superhero franchise? No. It’s definitely not. However, South Park: The Fractured but Whole is undoubtedly a superhero game. Ubisoft’s latest South Park title takes the turn-based combat of The Stick of Truth. Only this time, instead of telling a satirical story based on fantasy films, The Fractured but Whole tells a satirical story based on common superhero tropes. The result is a superhero story that’s not afraid to take itself a lot less seriously than its more mainstream counterparts. What The Fractured but Whole does is essentially make fun of superhero movies while also being a fun superhero video game to play. The fact that Ubisoft managed to pull something like that off makes The Fractured but Whole well worth a try.
