Superman Returns...To More Criticism [360 Review]

[torrefaction]

TeamXbox (http://www.teamxbox.com) has released their review of Superman Returns (http://reviews.teamxbox.com/xbox-360/1258/Superman-Returns-The-Videogame/p1/). They scored it as a 6.7.

There are fun moments to be had when playing Superman Returns: The Videogame, but I never really felt that I was playing a complete game during my time with it. I’m guessing the team ran under some time constraints and had to push Superman Returns: The Videogame out the door before it was fully optimized.

In terms of actual gameplay features, the sprawling city is amazing, but there’s little else to rave about here. If you are a huge fan of Superman, then by all means pick this one up ASAP. Those looking for a comic book game in the third-person style will want to check out either of the Spider-Man games first, or The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction. These are better games overall than Superman Returns: The Videogame, and deserve a look before taking flight with the Man of Steel.

I think that I'm going to pick this up regardless. The impressions from the demo here where good, and I just really want this game. Hopefully other reviews have a different perspective. But considering TeamXbox usually isn't hypercritical of 360 games, we'll have to see.

[Heretic Machine]

Meh, I loved the demo. If that is any indication of the rest of the game, then I'd give it an 8.

[karak]

Strange I thought the demo was awesome too. But I will rent it now.

[ilian]

I thought the demo was absolutely terrible.

[Zeal]

This game fucking owns. Best believe it.

::Krypton explodes:: (http://www.fileden.com/files/22976/John%20Ottman%20-%20Krypton%20Destroyed.mp3)

[flinxz]

I thought the demo was absolutely terrible.

I agree. It felt like one of those games that would get very old after 30 minutes of playing and then another 15 minutes of screwing around.

[Bishop]

I didn't think the demo was all that good. I found that the controls were a bit wonky plus I was hoping for it to be more like Hulk: Ultimate Destruction, in the way that everything was destructible. I was hoping to fly Superman through a building and have him come out the other side or super run down the street and demolish everything in his path. I know he's not The Hulk but he is probably the strongest character in the DC world, so I figure when he starts flying or running nothing is going to stop him. Just my opinion though.

[digitalErich]

This game was on the same level as Spider-Man 2 for me. The combat is servicable, but not great. The travel and locomotion, however, is what makes the game for me. I know this game is a solid 7 or 8 at best, but I'm still picking it up.

[GrinR]

I have to say, that review really sounds like it' written by someone who doesn't like Superman. Most of the complaints were about small technicalities, and there wasn't a single mention of the rush of weilding Superman's awesome power. Hell, I got that out of the demo, and everyone I've shown the demo to has had the same visceral reaction - GREAT CEASARS GHOST I can throw an enemy miles away!!!

I guess it's one of those "if you don't like the source material, why bother reviewing the product" situations.

[Heretic Machine]

I have to say, that review really sounds like it' written by someone who doesn't like Superman. Most of the complaints were about small technicalities, and there wasn't a single mention of the rush of weilding Superman's awesome power. Hell, I got that out of the demo, and everyone I've shown the demo to has had the same visceral reaction - GREAT CEASARS GHOST I can throw an enemy miles away!!!

I guess it's one of those "if you don't like the source material, why bother reviewing the product" situations.

One of the coolest things I did was uppercut Metallo into the air, and then use my super-breath to send him flying into the clouds. That is, quite simply, awesome. Dynamic combat in a cityscape is cool with me.

[CrashCart]

Bah. I want to like this game as a big fan of the open world approach to superhero games. I especially liked Spiderman 2 and could spend a stupid amount of time just swinging. But flying in the demo didn't really do it for me. The controls weren't quite what I like for flight. I kind of had a bit of trouble with minor altitude adjustments to make the flight experience as smooth as I'd hoped it would be. The lack of a jump while on the ground kind of bothered me, too. I just wanted to be able to hop the edge of a building and hit the ground running.

The voiceovers were waaay too frequent (and annoying) during the boss fight as well, but I'm hoping that's not the case in the full version. The controls for combat were a bit of a pain the first time I played until I discovered the lockon features. While I'm not usually a big fan of targetting systems like that, it made things a lot easier to handle. Overall, it could be a decent game but I'm not sure I could roam the city endlessly in Superman like I did with Spiderman 2 which is a shame. I may still get it though.

[agentgray]

I am on the fence with the demo. The city didn't really feel all that immersive. I also felt all the characters were out of scale in relation to the size of the buildings and vehicles. Of course, this isn't the heart of Metropolis, but still...

[digitalErich]

The one complaint I have about this game is that I think the 360 version was held back due to making it for the Xbox and PS2. I am thinking if this was made for only the PS3 and 360 from the ground up, the graphics/textures would have been much better.

But this is really a complaint about EA's development process than the game itself.

[agentgray]

Overall, it could be a decent game but I'm not sure I could roam the city endlessly in Superman like I did with Spiderman 2 which is a shame. I may still get it though.

You need to play Hulk:Ultimate Destruction. The roaming there is fun. Why?

"Hulk smash."

That's why.

[Bishop]

You need to play Hulk:Ultimate Destruction. The roaming there is fun. Why?

"Hulk smash."

That's why.

I agree, like I posted earlier, it should have been more like Ulitmate Destruction. I really wanted to fly Superman through a building or throw a baddie through one, but it wasn't so.

[askheaves]

When I first loaded up the demo, I couldn't stop laughing. I said, "are you fucking serious?" It's expansive, for sure, but ugly.

On the plus side, you can be a real dick as Superman. I was throwing all kinds of people's SUVs into the ocean. However, it's ugly as sin, the controls are a bitch, the enemies don't take traffic into account with their pathfinding (saw those motorcycle guys getting wedged behind cars that whole fight), and there's no semblance of persistence. If I carry a beautiful lady to the ambulance from the scene of a huge battle (injured everywhere), by the time I get back all the cars are driving normal and nobody is hurt anymore.

[Deadend]

When I first loaded up the demo, I couldn't stop laughing. I said, "are you fucking serious?" It's expansive, for sure, but ugly.

On the plus side, you can be a real dick as Superman. I was throwing all kinds of people's SUVs into the ocean. However, it's ugly as sin, the controls are a bitch, the enemies don't take traffic into account with their pathfinding (saw those motorcycle guys getting wedged behind cars that whole fight), and there's no semblance of persistence. If I carry a beautiful lady to the ambulance from the scene of a huge battle (injured everywhere), by the time I get back all the cars are driving normal and nobody is hurt anymore.
Yep, and the city lifebar is still missing a huge chunk.

The thing that bugs me most about the controls is how switching from ground to flight is not fluid, I either end up just never landing, but then the melee attacks in air are much weaker and slower, even if they SOUND better and my feet are clipping through the ground...

Mainly... I was hoping it would have been a little bit like the recent Dragonball Z games, as they do a good job of mixing up flight and ground combat. Oh well, considering it's that studio's first non sports game, fairly good job.

[CrashCart]

You need to play Hulk:Ultimate Destruction. The roaming there is fun. Why?

"Hulk smash."

That's why.
I played it for a while, but I stopped before I finished it. Not sure why. Must have been another release that distracted me. Maybe I should go back and finish that one up. The police kept getting in the way of my fun, though, which was kind of a nuisance but what're you going to do? Not everybody can get away with their antics like Spiderman and Superman, I guess. It was fun, but wasn't the city fairly small? And the desert really wasn't all that much fun to run around in.

[Royal Fool]

I thought the demo was terrible.

[sonysyndicate]

C'mon people we all knew this game was going to be terrible.

[Sandman]

From playing the demo I kind of get that Madden 06 on the 360 fealing. It's like there's a good game somewhere in there, and the core gameplay of it's good but they just need a few more seasons (or in this case Superman movies) to get it right. I don't think this game was rushed though....wasn't it originally sapposed to come with the movie but they delayed it then since it wasn't ready?

[GrinR]

C'mon people we all knew this game was going to be terrible.

We also "all knew" the PS3 was going to be a flop.


oh wait

[Savok]

Honestly, they got the most important aspect down perfectly, the core design of it is FINALLY Superman, and not a 3rd person game that just happens to involve Superman. It can only get better from here, while in 5 years this is going to be total shit, it's a vital milestone for Superman games. We all hate EA, but they've finally done something good for gaming here.

[jBusy]

I know of 4 divorces that happened to people on the superman team while it was in development these past 6 months. :(

[LilAbner]

No way is this game a purchase. A worthy rental, though.

Anyone who drops $60 on this game--unless you're a complete Superman nut--needs their head checked.

[Anthony W]

I think this is the first good superman game.

Good..not great.

[Heretic Machine]

I don't get the people who say this game is ugly. What is ugly about it, exactly? Because it looks perfectly fine to me.

[MSUStud911]

I absolutely loved the demo. I'm a huge Superman fan, so I'm getting the game regardless. I think the TeamXbox score was more accurate than the IGN score of 5.5. The great controls, huge city, and competent fighting should outweigh weak voice acting and a tacked on story, at least to the tune of a 6.5 to 7.0 score.

[EGO]

It's a good game and the reviewer as usual is biased and hasn't done their homework. The fact that they say the game is based on the movie completely invalidates the rest of the review.

I don't remember metalic robots running around and forming a GIGANTIC building smashing robot, do you?

The combat is pretty weak, even weaker than Spiderman's, which I thought was pants, but it's serviceable. The main fun is just flying around or even doing your best immitation of Flash and running at super speed. The ability to do combos with melee and superpowers is great and the city is IMMENSE!

I give it a 7 and that's after me figuring it would be crap, especially after the huge delay.

[GrinR]

It's funny, all the reviews I've read so far are mediocre... yet the USER scores are around 8/10. Why have people review this game who don't like Superman?