While they haven't landed all of their recent cinematic punches, DC Comics still has plenty of sway in the current popular zeitgeist. Superhero properties are hotter than ever, with the Marvel Cinematic Universe consistently making billions and grittier shows like The Boys using the genre to subvert expectations in an entertaining way. But there is one medium that the superhero genre hasn't dominated just yet: video games.
While the Batman: Arkham series is widely considered to be the pinnacle of superhero games, with its innovative traversal mechanics, its simple but thrilling comic book narrative, and its wonderfully satisfying free-flowing combat, it's been a while since DC has made a name for themselves in the video game market. And with Marvel gearing up to release Spider-Man 2 and Wolverine sometime in the near future, DC might want to put all hands on deck and finally give some popular DC characters the video game treatment.
Teen Titans
The Teen Titans should be DC's first port of call when it comes to a co-op, team-based game. The upcoming Gotham Knights and Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League look like they're going to focus very heavily on 4-player co-op gameplay, so the groundwork would already be there for a Teen Titans game.
But one big fear of Gotham Knights is that the characters may play a little too similar to one another, but this wouldn't be the case with a Teen Titans game. While Robin could use similar gameplay mechanics to his appearance in the Arkham games, Raven, Starfire, Beast Boy, and Cyborg are all pretty different from one another, which could lead to some very varied gameplay.
For instance, Raven could use a host of ranged magic attacks, Cyborg could use a slew of gadgets and high-tech weapons, and Beast Boy could change into a variety of animals, each with their own unique abilities. On top of the gameplay variation, a Teen Titans game could also have a slightly different tone and visual style than some other DC games, appearing a bit more colorful and having a more light-hearted tone than their current slate of games.
Aquaman
He might not be many people's favorite Justice League member, but Aquaman would make a pretty great video game character. With super strength and a proficiency in hand-to-hand and melee combat, Aquaman would make for a pretty great melee-focused game.
With intricate combat mechanics like For Honor, an Aquaman game could cement itself as a truly unique fighting game. Aquaman's underwater setting would also make for a unique gameplay experience, as many players aren't used to seeing varied underwater locations for longer than a level or two. Similarly, underwater fighting and movement animations aren't often seen in contemporary video games, so at the minimum, an Aquaman game would have a unique visual style.
The Flash
The Flash is a superhero who's had his fair share of canceled video game projects. Just as one seems to get off the ground, it's canceled before it can reach any real speed. One of the main reasons for this is that The Flash is a pretty difficult hero to get right. Translating super speed to video games has always been tricky, and a whole game centered around the mechanic is likely very difficult to get right.
But if a game did manage to get the super speed mechanic right, then The Flash could have one of the most innovative video game experiences out there. Aside from the core mechanic, a Flash game has plenty of inspiration to draw from. An expansive rogues gallery that ranges from the absurd to the menacing, and story arcs that take place throughout time and space could easily make a Flash game memorable.
Green Arrow
Green Arrow is one of the more grounded members of the Justice League, which could lead to a potential video game feeling fairly similar to the Arkham series, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. Rather than dance around its influences, a Green Arrow game could wear them on its green sleeve, and lean heavily into Arkham's freeflow combat.
On top of the improved free-flow combat, Green Arrow could also have a range of gadgets and trick arrows that could assist in both combat and puzzles. Rope arrows, fire arrows, ice arrows, even the iconic boxing glove arrow could all appear in the game, adding a bit of variety to the standard hand-to-hand combat mechanics.
Green Lantern
Green Lantern is another tricky character to adapt in video game format, with powers that center around creativity and limitless options. No matter how many animations and abilities are present, there's no real way to match the creativity of the character (who can create anything using his Power Ring) as there will always be a limit on what the player can do.
While it wouldn't fix all of those gameplay concerns, putting a Green Lantern game in VR might help to bridge the gap between limitless creativity and inevitable gameplay limitations. A player holding their hand out and lifting objects with the Power Ring, or selecting a construct to manually launch at opponents would likely feel much more immersive and engaging than just pressing a button on a controller and watching the action unfold on-screen.
Supergirl
Superman has had a few video game appearances over the years, but none have really delivered on the promise of unlimited power, speed, and strength. But rather than give Superman another go, his super-powered cousin, Supergirl, may make for the better video game character nowadays.
Generally speaking, it's not too likely that many gamers will have knowledge of Supergirl. Even those who have played Injustice 2, where Kara Zor-El is one of the main characters, might not remember too much about the character's backstory or personal motivations. This makes Supergirl the perfect character for a solo video game, as the developers could focus on making the game a character-driven, narrative-focused adventure.
Regarding the gameplay, a Supergirl game would scratch that Superman itch, with her having many of the same powers. Frost breath, heat vision, super strength, and flight are all among Supergirl's arsenal of superhuman abilities, and all would make for an engrossing power trip of a game.