Superman Returns

"EA=Kryptonite"

Introduction

Superman Returns is the first Superman game to hit next generation systems. The game can be found for Gamecube, PS2, Xbox, and Xbox 360. This is the first game developed on the Man of Steel since EA Games bought the rights to the franchise. With Superman Returns being a hot summer blockbuster, one would expect the game to live up to the expectations of the movie. That is where you make your first mistake. Being a fanatic since the age of 2, expectations were high as I looked forward to the best Superman game ever. Since Superman 64 got a score of 1.3, nobody ever expected a good Superman game to come along.

Years went by and Superman: Shadow of Apokolips, the game based on the WB animated series, came along. Getting a 6.4 helped promote the Superman Saga. Then Superman Returns was released. Thinking the game would push that 6.4 a little farther, was a mistake. This game turned out to be not so super and more like Kryptonite.

Gameplay

When the game starts off and you are taking control of Superman, it feels like you're the Man of Steel himself. Being able to fly at incredible speeds makes you not want to put the controller down. When the game actually starts to develop, the opposite occurs. The main problem with the game is the lack of things to do. With Metropolis being the largest free roam area in a game, one would expect many things to do. That is another misconception. The game is basically flying around, waiting for Metallo's bots, Dragons, or other miscellaneous things to appear. You get rid of them without the city's health meter going down. If, in fact, the health meter does decline to nothing, it's game over. Since Superman is invincible, besides being effected to Kryptonite, you don't have a health meter.

The controlling of the game is very user friendly. Anybody can pick up the pad and start flying around. The only problem with the controls is when going at Super Speed, you end up crashing into buildings and other miscellaneous objects. Besides that, the controls are on the spot.


Story

This is the area where the game takes a downfall. Being broken up into chapters, after beating up waves of enemies, a video is shown. The clips are used to explain what is going on in the movie. After the video is shown, the game play has nothing to do with what went on in the clip. It seems like random parts of the movie where thrown in fill up space. Without spoiling the game, you shouldn't expect an epic boss battle at the end.

Graphics/Sound

For a 360 game, the graphics are no where near next generation worthy. The only thing that looks great is the Superman model. Besides that, everything else is kind of dull. The buildings and objects look good up close but far away look washed out. An unrealistic thing is that when flying, no clouds or sun rays are apparent. As for sound the effects, Superman's high speed flying sounds awesome.

Play Time/Replayability

The game can be beat in around 5 hours which makes this Superman adventure very short. If you try to do all the Bizzaro missions and timed races, it would take an additional 3-4 hours to complete. EA Games promised a 30 hour adventure buy last I checked 9 does not equal 30. With miles upon miles of free roam and not one bank robbery in site, the replayability of this game is very low

Final Recommendation

This game is a rental at best. Being the fanatic I am, I bought it without reading a review first. After playing and getting bored with it. I traded it back 2 days later and got half of my money back. Go ahead and spend the 5 bucks to rent it and enjoy it for the short time that you do.

Final Score

4/10

Reviewer's Score: 4/10, Originally Posted: 12/21/06