Superman is one video games’ longest running protagonist, and he even has the Guinness World Record to prove it. Despite this coveted distinction, the Man of Steel hasn’t had much luck headlining his own game. This fall will mark the 15th anniversary of the release of EA’s Superman Returns, the last console game to star the iconic character. Since then Superman has had two mobile games, both of which are now delisted, and made guest appearances in the LEGO and Injustice titles.
Superman’s absence from the console space hasn’t been from a lack of trying. During the seventh console generation, a now defunct publisher called Brash Entertainment had contracted Factor 5, the developers behind the Rogue Squadron series, to develop a Superman game under the codename “Blue Steel”. Brash, started in 2007, went under just a year later in 2008, with their Superman title being featured in a video produced by historian Liam Robertson.
Today, the Lead Designer on “Blue Steel”, Salvatrix, took to her Twitter account to talk about the game that could’ve been. The look and feel was to be heavily inspired by the beloved Superman: The Animated Series and the equally adored Justice League Unlimited.
As Superman, you would’ve been able to fight enemies in the air with your blows being strong enough to send enemies flying through buildings and across city blocks. The goal was to not rely on things like Kryptonite, but instead to provide threats to Superman worthy of his powers like Darkseid. Though the game was to be primarily set in Metropolis, a stop in Apokolips was also planned. Unlike Superman Returns, this game wouldn’t be an open world, instead featuring chapters with enough room to enjoy controlling Superman.
You can read Salvatrix’s fascinating thread at the link below.
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