While Marvel andDC Comicshave been battling it out for decades over who has the best line-up of superheroes, their respective rogue galleries have continued to expand and grow exponentially. Now, both companies have an extensive list of villains, many unknown, but many beloved. Many ofDC’s most popular villains still don’t have their own video game adaptations.
While the vast majority of DC villains were included in the latest LEGO game,LEGO DC Super Villains, getting a fully-fledged AAA video game all to oneself is no easy task. That being said, withSuicide Squad: Kill The Justice Leaguehopefully dropping soon, the gaming public might just be ready to experience a classic superhero game from the opposite perspective.
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Deathstroke
Deathstroke, A.K.A. Slade Wilson, is one of DC’s most popular mercenaries. First appearing as a villain for the Teen Titans, Deathstroke has gone on to appear in a range of Batman and Justice League stories over the years, as well as appearing inthe CW’sArrowshow as a main antagonist. Deathstroke became so popular, in fact, that Marvel’s own Deadpool (Wade Wilson) started life as a parody of DC’s elite assassin.
A potential Deathstroke game could go a number of ways. The game could be a simple third-person shooter, where players are tasked with clearing out unruly gangs for various DC crime bosses, or the game could be anArkhamspin-off, with the mechanics already being present inArkham Origins' Deathstroke DLC.
Alternatively, aHitman-style game may be more suited to Deathstroke. Players could be given a target at the start of a mission, starting withDC’s C-list heroesand working their way up to members of the Justice League at the end of the game. Each hero has their own weakness that the player needs to exploit, and each environment is distinct, allowing for a good deal of replayability. Different bullet types could be used for different enemies, like Kryptonite for Superman/Supergirl, and freezing bullets for speedsters like The Flash.
The Joker
Fans of theArkhamgames have already had a brief glimpse at what a potential Joker-centric game could be. A psychological horror seems like the only real choice for the insane Clown Prince of Crime.Arkham Knight’s closing moments sees players take control of Joker in a brief but terrifying first-person shooter segment in which Joker is navigating a maze filled with moving Batman statues, andArkham VRexperiments a little with first-person horror, putting the player in the shoes of Joker for just a split-second as Batman hallucinates.
A game focusing on The Joker could absolutely work, but it would need to fully embrace this psychological horror element present in previous games, and provide a mind-bending experience that is introspective, and haunting. In terms of gameplay, a simple “walking simulator” could suffice, as long as the narrative elements of the game were compelling.
Bizarro
A character that began life as aFrankensteinlove letter, Bizarro is essentially reverse Superman. When it comes to looks, Bizarro has the same outfit as Superman, but the design is inverted and the colors are changed. When it comes to powers, Bizarro has the exactopposite abilities of Superman. Instead of heat vision, Bizarro has freeze vision, instead of freeze breath, Bizarro has flame breath. While Superman can see through anything but lead, Bizarro can only see through lead.
While a good Superman game is still yet to come out, Bizarro could make for a pretty hilarious substitute. By firmly embracing an absurd and humorous tone, a Bizarro game could double down on the ridiculous nature of the character while still providing a lot of the gameplay that people still crave for from anon-existent Superman title.
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Doomsday
The villain most widely known for killing Superman, Doomsday would make a great fit for a game purely focused on destruction. By taking inspiration from the competition, a potential Doomsday game could bring the chaotic fun ofHulk: Ultimate Destructionto modern day consoles.
The plot wouldn’t have to be too deep, maybe even being as simple as opening with a Doomsday/Superman fight, resulting in a Superman-less Earth for players to leap across and destroy.Ultimate Destruction’s physics were impressive back in the day, somodern day enginesshould be able to blow players away with the amount of carnage they’re able to inflict.
Black Manta
Often considered to be Aquaman’s primary antagonist, Black Manta could make for an interesting action/adventure game. While he’s essentially just a mercenary,Black Manta’s wide range of gadgetsand weapons would make a good basis for a solid third-person action title. Black Manta’s grappling hooks and diving equipment could make for some interesting traversal mechanics, both on land and underwater.
Black Manta’s proficiency withhand-to-hand combatmight also make for pretty varied and engaging third-person combat. Tridents, spears, swords, and some ranged harpoon gadgets could all be used to spice up a potential game’s combat encounters, as could a variation of both human and Atlantean enemies, each with their own specific weaknesses.
Darkseid
The biggest bad of them all, Darkseid is widely considered to be the Justice League’s most dangerous foe, and his lack of video game appearances is rather surprising. Aside fromappearing inInjustice 2as a playable character and the aforementioned LEGO games, DC fans have never really gotten the opportunity to take control of the galaxy’s most powerful tyrant.
Darkseid has a host of powers and abilities that could make for one superb power-fantasy game. Being a New God,Darkseid is almost invulnerable, and has practically every power a player could want in a video game. Flight, telekinesis, super strength, energy manipulation, and dimensional travel are all part of Darkseid’s repertoire.
One of Darkseid’s most well-known abilities, his Omega Beams, would by themselves make for a pretty compelling video game.God of War’sLeviathan axe is still talked about two years laterfor being one of the most engaging and satisfying mechanics in a video game, eye beams that can be controlled by the player, if done right, could potentially feel even more satisfying to use. And with Darkseid’s army of Parademons, maybe a potential game could succeed whereBrutal Legendfailed, and give third-person action gameplay along with some real-time strategy and army-management elements.
