Superman Returns

Superman Returns is one of the best superhero videogames available. EA was obviously influenced by Spider-Man 2, which was an incredibly good model for Superman. The game really makes you feel like you are Superman and all of the gameplay elements came together. Gaming doesn’t get much better than breaking the sound barrier through Metropolis’ skies.

Superman Returns is the best Superman game produced thus far. The developers at EA finally nailed down what it takes to create a fun Superman game. The only problem is that the game is really late (since it is a movie tie-in and the movie came out nearly six months ago) and the game can get really tedious. If EA can fix these problems in their next outing (if there is one), then they will have crafted a very fine game.

Zwei Stunden hatte ich mit Superman Returns richtig Spaß. Die technische Präsentation ist absolut gelungen, vor allem der kinoreife Score will mir nicht aus den Ohren gehen. Auch die gebotene Action und das Gameplay sind an sich recht ordentlich, allerdings mangelt es dem Spiel massiv an Abwechslung. Jede Mission läuft letztlich sehr sehr ähnlich ab, allein die gelegentlichen Boss-Kämpfe rechtfertigen überhaupt ein Weiterspielen. Das Preis-/Leistungsverhältnis stimmt daher leider nicht, schon nach 1-2 Stunden hat man fast alles im Spiel gesehen, die restlichen 6 Stunden Spielzeit schleppt man sich mehr durch den Heldenalltag.

I can recognize that Tiburon is definitely heading in the right direction and that a true next gen Superman game which isn’t created with the limitations of the current gen consoles at the forefront, may address all of these issues and more. What we are left with though is a fairly short game (artificial elongation of finding lost cats not withstanding) that can be beaten inside a day which offers little to no replayability – unless you’re content with just flying around at your leisure. With games like Radical’s The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction and Activision’s Spider-Man games, the free-roaming superhero bar has been raised pretty high. Superman Returns is definitely a renter for casual Superman fans and only those who want to fly around Metropolis at the end of a hard day should consider a purchase.

Proceed with caution when checking out of your local gaming store with a new copy of Superman Returns. On the surface Superman Returns is impressive and the actual act of playing flying around the city as Superman is fun, but the lack of any real story hurts the overall experience. If you're looking for anything more then a beat em' up styled Superman game then you'll have to wait for the next rendition Superman. Until then, Superman can warrant a weekend rental and hopefully the next Superman game comes inspired from the original content and not a Hollywood script.

Superman Returns for the Xbox 360 is a vast improvement on the current-generation version of the game. I was excited about the release of this game, and despite being disappointed with the current-gen, the Xbox 360 version comes close to living up to what I expected. If only the game were longer and had a greater variance of missions, I would recommend this. It may sound superficial, but the experience is improved just by the graphical capabilities of the 360. For those of you that are fans of the Man of Steel, Superman Returns brings Metropolis to life on the Xbox 360 and should not be passed up.

Beyond all the issues that Superman Returns has, it’s a decent enough game, but when you compare it to many other superhero games it just doesn’t offer enough gameplay. Repetitive action brings what would ultimately be a pretty good game down. Oddly enough the parts of the game that don’t have you fighting bots or bosses are possibly the best parts of the game. Beating down meteors, defending airships, and fending off twisters are surprisingly fun, whereas fighting a boss that requires the same pattern of attacks makes one rather want to turn off the game instead of seeing it through to the end. This is one that will mostly appeal to fans of Superman and not necessarily to action adventure gamers. At its best Superman is better than mediocre, but the incessant robot attacks make it border on unbearable for everyone except for diehard fans. Give it a rental or try the demo on the Xbox Live marketplace before spending a lot of money on a purchase.

The last couple of years have presented gamers with some surprisingly solid superhero titles. Most licensed games in the past featured terrible gameplay (Batman Forever, Superman 64), but lately we’ve seen quality in the form of Spiderman 2 and Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction. While it may not be nearly as unplayable as the 64 game (commonly referred to as “the worst videogame ever made”), it’s still a terribly repetitive and shallow experience. It has some redeeming values, especially in the humor department, but the gameplay is far too generic and repetitive to recommend Superman Returns.

The good news is that Superman Returns is identical on PS2, Xbox and Xbox 360, progressively better graphics being the only difference. The movie's cast members Brandon Routh, Kate Bosworth and Kevin Spacey (Superman, Lois Lane, and Lex Luthor) add their voices to the project, but they do little more than re-enact scenes from the movie that are largely irrelevant to the game. And Routh lifelessly dispensing cornball lines like "To the scrapheap with you, Metallo," while Superman is knocked on his ass just exemplifies Superman Returns ' wasted potential.

Superman Returns: The Videogame is clearly the most ambitious of the Superman releases that gamers have had a chance to play. There are some solid elements that development should key on if -- and when -- a sequel gets the OK. The flight aspect is absolutely nutty. There are few bigger trips than being able to weave through the streets and around the buildings of Metropolis at normal or high speed. The size of the city is another huge plus. Maybe next time, we'll actually be able to -- and be rewarded for -- exploring all of its corners. The shortcomings, though, eventually outweigh the innovations. An uneven difficulty level, not much variety in quests and battles, clunky and temperamental controls, and the lack of any type of multiplayer will all quickly frustrate you. In the end, it goes the way of its Superman-licensed videogame predecessors and becomes just another disc that you'll want to toss up, up, and away. Sorry. Couldn't resist.

As a game that manages to encapsulate the feeling of being Superman, Superman Returns does an excellent job. As an enjoyable title, it doesn't quite succeed as well. Far too short, with too few extra unlockables and a hefty $60 price tag, Superman Returns is a rental at best. Speaking as a Superman fan myself, I don't regret playing the game, but I would regret buying it. If you're willing to sit through the repetitive filler missions, however, there is fun to be had.

Those who watched the film and expect Superman Returns: The Videogame to be a faithful recreation will be disappointed, while those who wanted a game that will last a while will also be disappointed. However, those looking for a few hours of solid action might just find this to be the game for you. Tiburnon have at least put a lot of effort into making the game look good and fun to play, with no real problems with controls and no horribly difficult sections that make you want to scream - and sometimes that's all that matters. I'd rather play six hours of a good game than fifteen hours of a terrible one (or even one hour of a terrible one, for that matter!) As it is, they get enough right to make this a good choice for a new gamer, but for those looking for a challenge I'd look elsewhere, and with so many superhero games out there (Spider-man, Batman, X-Men and Hulk), you're already spoilt for choice.

As a game that manages to encapsulate the feeling of being Superman, Superman Returns does an excellent job. As an enjoyable title, it doesn't quite succeed as well. Far too short, with too few extra unlockables and a hefty $60 price tag, Superman Returns is a rental at best. Speaking as a Superman fan myself, I don't regret playing the game, but I would regret buying it. If you're willing to sit through the repetitive filler missions, however, there is fun to be had.

Though Superman is so many things to so many people, its unfortunate to see that to gamers, he's nothing more than a donkey in a cape. The things that you can do in Superman Returns: The Videogame hold so much potential for the future, but in the present, what we must do in order to get through the game is an example of mediocrity. The controls are great, but with nothing to do in terms of content, things ultimately fall short. I really hope that this is a prelude of what's to come, as EA could have something special on its hands once they refine the Man of Steel's game content. Superman Returns may be worth a rental if you want to step into the shoes of the Last Son of Krypton for an hour or two, but if you're looking for something that does justice to a superhero, you'd best look elsewhere.

Although this could be called the best Superman game yet, Superman Returns is among the most disappointing. EA did very well with Superman’s powers, and flying and freezing and blowing and heating are each fun in their own way. But Superman is more than the sum of his powers; he is defined too by his alter ego Clark Kent, by his romance with Lois Lane, and by his archenemy Lex Luthor. All of these are absent in the gameplay of Superman Returns. That, coupled with mindless and monotonous action, as well as average graphics and sound are more damning blows to the world’s favorite superhero than ten tons of kryptonite. While the open world is supposed to let you do whatever you like, there just isn’t anything to do in Metropolis.

Superman Returns suffers from a myriad of problems and general feeling of mediocrity, but the story mode is mildly entertaining and lasts for a few hours of entertainment. Yet the absence of any multiplayer features and the simplicity of the achievements essentially annihilates any replay value the title may have had. Superman fanatics probably won’t mind shifting through the numerous, repetitive battles in order to complete the main story points, but everyone else with a 360 will be hopelessly bored within 20 minutes of gameplay. Regardless of any love for the character, I recommend leaving Superman Returns on the store shelf this holiday season.

Punching out bad guys becomes about as fun as taking out the garbage, and the “epic” battle between Superman and the forces of evil is as simple and dull as a day of chores. It could be argued that this game should be recommended to hardcore Superman fans, but it’s clear to me that those are the ones that will least enjoy this lackluster effort. EA was on to something in Superman Returns, but barely tapped the surface. The current-gen effort is an afterthought compared to the 360. Rent, if you must.

Superman's great at saving the world, but he sure hasn't had much success when it comes to video games. The disastrous Superman 64 was no doubt the low point in the Man of Steel's video game history, but even his highs haven't been all that high. Superman Returns: The Videogame was originally slated to release alongside the movie in June (which had its own tumultuous production saga), but it wasn't ready in time and the release date was pushed back to coincide with the DVD of the movie going on sale. Despite the delay, the game still doesn't seem to be ready, but that hasn't stopped it from being released. It's certainly not as bad as Superman 64, but it's still plenty bad. Superman Returns does do a few things well, and it does manage to be entertaining for the first hour or so, but it's all downhill from there.

It's hard to shake the feeling that EA viewed the movie's DVD release as the last chance to capitalize on the movie license and was going to ship this game finished or unfinished, good or bad. It looks as though they finally settled on unfinished and bad. Superman Returns doesn't have much to do with the movie of the same name; the plot is a bunch of nonsense; and the game just doesn't capture the essence of what has made Superman such an enduring icon. If you're an Xbox 360 owner who has played the Superman Returns demo, you've already played the best part of this game. It's fun to fly above the city and then zoom down at the speed of sound to zigzag among the buildings, and it's even fun to pound on robots for a short time. But the fun quickly ends courtesy of the bland graphics, lousy controls, boring combat, and repetitive objectives.

It's hard to shake the feeling that EA viewed the movie's DVD release as the last chance to capitalize on the movie license and was going to ship this game finished or unfinished, good or bad. It looks as though they finally settled on unfinished and bad. Superman Returns doesn't have much to do with the movie of the same name; the plot is a bunch of nonsense; and the game just doesn't capture the essence of what has made Superman such an enduring icon. If you're an Xbox 360 owner who has played the Superman Returns demo, you've already played the best part of this game. It's fun to fly above the city and then zoom down at the speed of sound to zigzag among the buildings, and it's even fun to pound on robots for a short time. But the fun quickly ends courtesy of the bland graphics, lousy controls, boring combat, and repetitive objectives.

Superman Returns heeft een free-roaming spelwereld als veelbelovende basis, maar helaas is vrijwel alles aan deze game zo ondermaats uitgewerkt, dan de ware potentie nooit gehaald wordt. De missies zijn eentonig, saai en voelen aan als vervelende klusjes in plaats van interessante uitdagingen. Samen met het slecht uitgewerkte verhaal, maakt dit dat je de game al uitzonderlijk snel aan de kant zult leggen.

Never has a game been more appropriately named than Superman Returns. Since the N64, the Superman name has been cursed with bad games. Some say the entire franchise, including movies and TV, is cursed as well, but for the purposes of this conversation, the games are all we're concerned about. But concerned is something we should not be. We all saw this coming. We knew it was going to happen. We said to ourselves "there's no way this game is going to avoid the curse." So why be concerned that those thoughts have come true? Because sure enough, Superman has returned -- in all of his boring, trite and ugly glory.

The list goes on. The camera swings around and often leaves you staring at cracks in the sidewalk, you can only lock onto enemies if they're already standing in front of you, switching between ranged powers is cumbersome, Superman runs as if he were wearing a full diaper, there's nothing to do outside of missions other than rescue kittens, etc. Oddly enough, the music sounds quite good, with orchestrated ditties that are downright inspiring. Too bad the rest of the game inspires nothing but an urge to power off your console.

So there you have it; an ugly, repetitive, broken mess that fails to deliver on every level. If you want a good movie tie-in, buy the Warriors. If you want a good open-world super hero title buy The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction. Whatever you do, don’t spend you hard earned on this, you might encourage Superman to return. Gamestyle doesn’t think we could stand it.

Superman Returns: The Videogame is an embarrassment to video games, not to mention the Superman franchise, and is a new low for the quality of movie tie-ins. It might have a mammoth city to fly around, the movie’s cast putting in half-arsed performances and straightforward controls, but there can be no excusing the game for being so badly designed, ham-fistedly developed and devoid of entertainment value. The game had so much potential that you can’t help feeling a better development studio could have finally done the man of steel justice. Is it so hard to make a Superman game that it has to be this bad?

But those moments are fleeting rafts in an ocean of terrible, terrible gameplay. Superman Returns isn’t as bad as Superman 64, but by Krypton at times you wonder if that was the benchmark because it comes dangerously close. Lex Luthor should take tips because it seems the videogame industry has the exclusive guaranteed method on how to make the man of steel look super feeble. 'Up up and away', indeed.

Superman Returns: The Videogame is an embarrassment to video games, not to mention the Superman franchise, and is a new low for the quality of movie tie-ins. It might have a mammoth city to fly around, the movie’s cast putting in half-arsed performances and straightforward controls, but there can be no excusing the game for being so badly designed, ham-fistedly developed and devoid of entertainment value. The game had so much potential that you can’t help feeling a better development studio could have finally done the man of steel justice. Is it so hard to make a Superman game that it has to be this bad?

Mal fichu et d'une pauvreté ludique et technique pour tout dire ridicule, ce Superman Returns troque la promesse du spectacle pour un gâchis considérable. Il y a un signe malheureux qui ne trompe pas quand on prend en main un jeu. Cette situation où vous ne cherchez plus à creuser un peu la substance du gameplay, où vous vous contentez de refaire les mêmes gestes encore et encore pour aller au plus direct, pour en finir. Le titre d'EA produit ce résultat à l'infini.

Mal fichu et d'une pauvreté ludique et technique pour tout dire ridicule, ce Superman Returns troque la promesse du spectacle pour un gâchis considérable. Il y a un signe malheureux qui ne trompe pas quand on prend en main un jeu. Cette situation où vous ne cherchez plus à creuser un peu la substance du gameplay, où vous vous contentez de refaire les mêmes gestes encore et encore pour aller au plus direct, pour en finir. Le titre d'EA produit ce résultat à l'infini.

For all intents and purposes, you'll have experienced the majority of what Superman has to offer within the first 20 minutes. Which is actually a significant portion of the playtime. Even with all the screwing around smashing cars, picking up their drivers, and dropping them down smokestacks (complete with their "Thank you, Superman! You saved me!"), we finished 50 percent of the game in less than two hours, and wrapped it all up, side stories and all, in no more than six. As far as we're concerned, though, its brevity is probably the game's best quality. Admittedly, that's more of a bonus if someone is paying you to play it than if you shell out 60 bucks yourself.

Overall, there's really nothing to redeem Superman Returns apart from the fact that it is playable on a very basic level and that bugs don't appear to be an issue. Yes, you can fly around Metropolis at supersonic speed, zap a few meaningless enemies with some basic superpowers, whack some robots with one button attacks and watch some reasonable (though unrelated) cut-scenes, but that's your lot. Superman Returns is so criminally lacking in any inspiration, though, and is such a dismal waste of the licence that you'll want to curl up and rock yourself into a trance. At least then your mind can entertain you with thoughts of what a good Superman game might be like.

Mal fichu et d'une pauvreté ludique et technique pour tout dire ridicule, ce Superman Returns troque la promesse du spectacle pour un gâchis considérable. Il y a un signe malheureux qui ne trompe pas quand on prend en main un jeu. Cette situation où vous ne cherchez plus à creuser un peu la substance du gameplay, où vous vous contentez de refaire les mêmes gestes encore et encore pour aller au plus direct, pour en finir. Le titre d'EA produit ce résultat à l'infini.

What's almost impressive about the whole thing is that such a travesty of a game was actually delayed for six months to get it up to scratch, the mind boggles at what kind mess would have been pushed onto shelves had the original release date been hit. It'd be nice to think that somewhere, eventually there will be a decent Superman game, his legions of fans deserve a game they can enjoy, but at the moment Superman Returns is really not the answer to their prayers.

The real joke, sadly, is the game - no one would be surprised to hear about a disappointing movie-game, but for such a high-quality attempt... well it’s still a damn shame. Bryan Singer built his movie around an emotional core; Superman Returns is an empty gaming experience that needs tuning, heroics and a conclusion worth fighting for.

Superman Returns är tveklöst ett av de mer obestridbara bottennapp som branschen lyckats frambringa det senaste året. Spelet visar inte bara Electronic Arts huvudlösa nonchalans för DC Comics främste superhjälte utan också för alla konsumenter som på förhand givit det sitt förtroende. I biofilmen frågar sig journalisten Lois Lane om världen verkligen behöver Superman. Själv funderar jag - givetvis i retoriska ordalag - om världen verkligen behöver Superman Returns: The Videogame. Svaret på frågan torde vara givet. Förbannelsen Superman har aldrig varit så uppenbar som den är idag.