“Superman Returns” for the Xbox 360 may be the best Superman game of all time, but that’s like saying “you’re the least diseased member of the leprosy colony.”
“Superman Returns” by EA Games, shows a lot of promise, and I really wanted to enjoy and have fun with it. However, its glaring technical problems were just too much to overcome. “Superman Returns” is based on the summer movie of the same name. That’s the first problem the player encounters: When a game is based on a lousy movie, there’s going to be a lousy game. It’s been five years since Superman left Earth to find out if his home planet of Krypton was destroyed. After finding out that it was, he returns to Earth to find out that the planet has moved on to the point that the question of whether or not he is still needed arises. During the game you will encounter and sometimes battle a variety of classic Superman foes like Lex Luthor, Metallo, Mongul, and the impish Mr. Mxyzptlk. While those characters appear in the game, the main thing you’ll be fighting is a horrendous camera system. Seldom have I seen a camera this bad in a game before, and I’ve played a lot of games throughout the years. Whether you’re flying, running, or just battling it out on the city streets, the camera tends to put you in the worst viewing angle possible. Another big problem with this game is the hit detection. Superman can throw a punch six feet away from a villain and still somehow make it connect. I’ve seen wrestling matches that were more believable than this.
Also the biggest gripe I have against “Superman Returns” is that the game kept freezing up on me. It’s one thing to be defeated by superior firepower, or a really tough boss, but to be defeated by poor programming is unacceptable. I have to really wonder if there was any beta testing on “Superman Returns”, and if there were, that the testers were distracted by playing better games. Also, I’m astounded by the developers’ choice for the final boss. It’s not any of the super baddies I mentioned earlier but a tornado. Yes, you read correctly, a tornado. Having Superman fight a weather pattern is kind of like having Aquaman fight coastal erosion.
For all of Superman’s problems (which believe me are many), the game does rarely have its moment of fun. For instance, it allows you to fly above the sprawling city of Metropolis or run along the city streets at super speed. This can be a lot of fun when the camera behaves itself.
So in conclusion, “Superman Returns” is, for all intents and purposes, a waste of time and money. I hope for the day when a Superman game will do the character justice. “Superman Returns” for the Xbox 360 gets a 2 out of 10.