Infamous Second Son
Delsin Rowe is a Conduit who can absorb other superhero abilities, while also being able to manipulate a range of materials such as smoke, neon, video, and concrete (look, we know neon and video aren’t materials but just roll with this one, okay?). Taking control of Delsin and watching his powers grow to absurd levels was as fascinating as it was cathartic. Speeding through streets, running up walls and launching unsuspecting enemies into the sky is exactly what we want from a superhero game. Having the choice to be able to simply apprehend targets or kill them was also a nice touch, while certain actions have visible consequences in later missions which helps keep the game feel fresh when replaying. However, at the end of the day it’s the awesome looking abilities and sheer power Delsin has that keeps us coming back to the third game in Sucker Punch’s series.
Spider-Man 2
Spider-Man 2 has long been heralded as one of the best superhero games and it certainly does a good job of capturing everyone’s favorite, web-slinging hero. The visuals may not look amazing by today’s standard, but Treyarch did a fantastic job of recreating a large-scale Manhattan that felt alive and lived in. The city was rife with a large variety of crimes and emergencies for you to intervene in, and the game made excellent use of Spider-Man's varied combat abilities. However, the most popular aspect was the web-swinging mechanic. In previous Spider-Man titles our wall-crawling hero simply shot his web into the sky, magically connecting to the heavens. Not so in Spider-Man 2 where players actually had to shoot his web at buildings if they wanted to maintain momentum. We hate to think how many hours we lost effortlessly swinging our way through those bustling streets, but the smorgasbord of comic book villains made it all worth it.
Crackdown
Super soldiers are big business in the hero industry, and Steve Rogers and his best buddy Bucky Barnes aren’t the only ones out fighting crime. Having superhero strength not only looks cool, it also creates some devastatingly brilliant ways to tackle blood-thirsty criminals. In Crackdown you controlled a biologically enhanced Agent tasked with defeating three crime lords and their organized syndicates that were wreaking havoc across Pacific City. Your abilities are similar to those of comic book superheroes, while the distinct, ink-like outlines of in-game character models really helped add to the memorable look. Facing and defeating Crackdown’s various gangs was extremely satisfying, as the game left you to tackle them in any way you saw fit. If you like the idea of having Hulk-like strength combined with Batman’s hand-to-hand combat prowess, then Crackdown would be a great addition your heroic collection.
