Open world marvel game: ‘MARVEL Future Revolution’ Marks Marvel’s First Open World RPG on Mobile

20/20 Spider-Man 2 (2004)

PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube, PC, and more

Spider-Man was an adaptation of the live-action movie that was released on consoles like Xbox, PS2 and GameCube in 2002 from Treyarch and Activision. The game quickly gained recognition as the first open-world superhero game which was followed up by the fan-favorite Spider-Man 2 in 2004 that was similarly tied to the live-action movie franchise.

Players were able to play through an altered and expanded story from the movie while also freely swinging through the city of New York with all the powers of Spider-Man in a game that helped reinvigorate the open-world superhero genre and kicked off a long and successful partnership with superhero games.

19/20 Saints Row The Third (2011)

PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Nintendo Switch, PC

Saints Row started as a foil to Grand Theft Auto but found its own identity with Saints Row The Third. By one hundred percent completing the game, players eventually unlock infinite ammo for all of their weapons and become virtually invincible, among numerous other powers.

Saints Row IV takes things even a step further by giving players incredible abilities that allow them to leap across the entire map in the blink of an eye. Being able to play as a gang member with superpowers elevated the Saints Row franchise above other open-world games like GTA.

18/20 Undefeated (2019)

PC

The indie game Undefeated was created by a group of students from Vantan Game Academy and made a splash on social media before it was finally completed and made available on Steam for PC gamers.

Undefeated is a minimalist open-world game that puts players in the shoes of their very own superhero as he upgrades his various abilities in order to save his city. The free-to-play game is admittedly very short and somewhat limited but the game mechanics managed to capture the feeling of being a superhero in a way that comic book video games have failed to do for years.

17/20 Megaton Rainfall (2017)

PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC

Players step into the powerful body of an intergalactic being attempting to protect the Earth from an invading alien armada in Pentadimensional Games’ 2017 hidden gem Megaton Rainfall. The unique spin on superheroes and the open-world game makes Megaton Rainfall an unforgettable experience.

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The unique open-universe design of the game allows fans to not only freely explore Earth as they fly around the mostly destructible cityscapes of the planet to battle alien invaders, but also leave the planet and fly through the galaxy in first-person.

16/20 DC Universe Online (2011)

PlayStation 3, 4, & 5, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC

Dimensional Ink Games released the popular MMO DC Universe Online in 2011, and fans were able to celebrate the 10th anniversary together as the game is free-to-play and still receiving additional content – making it the perfect choice for players looking to explore new games with superpowers.

Players were able to step into the world of the comics as their own superpowered characters and interact with the most popular heroes and villains of the DC Comics universe. While only the iconic cities of Metropolis and Gotham City are truly open-world, there are still a number of accessible locations for players to run or fly through in between superhero or villain missions.

15/20 Prey (2017)

PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC

2017’s Prey from Arkane Studios is set aboard a massive space station tasked with experimenting on a powerful alien race. They soon escape and threaten to bring down the space station while players use stolen alien abilities to fight back and try to escape.

Prey isn’t initially open-world as players have to systematically unlock the various sections of the ship while experimenting with neuromods to gain new psionic alien abilities. But once the full station is unlocked, players have free reign to further explore and unlock new powers and skills.

14/20 Batman: Arkham Knight (2015)

PlayStation, Xbox One, PC

Batman: Arkham Asylum drew fans into the hit trilogy when it launched in 2009. The game series expanded with the fan-favorite Arkham City, which introduced a small open-world map that was closed off by barb wire-covered concrete walls.

Arkham Knight closed out the trilogy with a larger map that players could finally drive through with the Batmobile. While Batman himself doesn’t have any special abilities, the various devices, gadgets and weapons that can be used by the caped crusader more than makeup for his lack of powers.

13/20 Agents Of Mayhem (2017)

PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC

Volition followed up the hit Saints Row and Red Faction franchises with the fun and chaotic Agents of Mayhem which was released on PC, PS4, and Xbox One in 2017. The game featured multiple trios of characters that each featured special abilities and weapons and could be interchanged to produce a unique team for each player.

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Agents of Mayhem was inspired by blockbuster superhero movies and Saturday morning cartoons which also carried on storylines and characters established in other Volition games. Players were able to control selected characters from their chosen team while building up points to use powerful superhero powers and attacks that differed between each type of character.

12/20 Sunset Overdrive (2014)

Xbox One, PC

While Insomniac Games is mostly known for making PlayStation exclusives and was recently bought by Sony, one of their most celebrated titles of the past ten years was the Microsoft exclusive Sunset Overdrive.

One of its major innovations was the smooth method of traversing through the environment by riding rails, an experience that would help them when making 2018’s Marvel’s Spider-Man. Sunset Overdrive did not sell well, though the company is still interested in continuing the series if the opportunity presents itself.

11/20 LEGO Marvel Super Heroes (2013)

PlayStation 3 & 4, Xbox 360 & One, Wii U, and PC

There are quite a few different LEGO games based on comic book properties that give players the chance to play with superpowers, though LEGO Marvel Super Heroes is one of the best. Much like other LEGO games, players jump into popular characters’ LEGO brick forms to explore their favorite worlds from pop culture.

LEGO Marvel Super Heroes features a huge roster of playable characters who each have their own powers and abilities. Players can explore Manhattan on the streets or in the skies as they deal with a family-friendly plot from Doctor Doom and Loki that features the usual comedy of the LEGO games.

10/20 Superman Returns (2006)

Nintendo DS, PlayStation 2, Xbox & Xbox 360

While Superman Returns delivered on the open-world promise and featured innovative ideas like city health instead of player health, the story was repetitive and lacking. Many were hoping Rocksteady would make a Superman game after the Arkham games, but fans are still waiting after news of the Suicide Squad game featuring the Man of Steel.

The game featured unparalleled flight mechanics that made Superman Returns stand out, as players could finally fly across the cityscape of Metropolis. However, the lack of a captivating story as well as forgettable boss battles made Superman Returns a forgettable entry in the Man of Steel’s long history of video games.

9/20 Gravity Rush (2012)

PlayStation Vita

The first Gravity Rush was a PS Vita exclusive until a remaster was brought to the PS4. The sequel, Gravity Rush 2, takes full advantage of the console. Some took issue with the large world which felt empty and inorganic, but anybody who looks past these design shortcomings will find immense joy traversing through the world by manipulating gravity.

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Throwing oneself and objects in the environment never grows old, and the fantasy world is endlessly charming as players can use their gravity manipulation powers to travel not just through their world but also the numerous floating cities and environments that can only be reached with their unique powers and abilities.

8/20 Crackdown (2007)

Xbox 360

In a time before Grand Theft Auto hit the Xbox 360 and PS3, a couple of open-world games came to fill the void. One of the most celebrated of these was Crackdown in 2007, an Xbox 360 exclusive. The game does not focus on traditional missions, instead of having a sandbox approach, letting players tackle objectives in any order they desire.

Through character progression players eventually gain superhuman powers like super strength and the ability to leap incredibly high. Sadly, the two sequels did not fare as well as the debut entry. However, they expanded on the superheroic premise over the decades that followed the original game story.

7/20 Mass Effect (2007)

PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC

While BioWare’s hit Mass Effect franchise featured more linear maps than most open-world games, it did feature a mechanic that allowed players to move across the galaxy to visit different planets using the sleek Normandy spaceship.

Powerful guns of all kinds are used throughout the series as well, though players were also enhanced by Mass Effect 2 to the point where they were able to use special biotic mods to gain powerful abilities. Powers like Telekinesis or energy-based abilities gave players an extra edge as they worked through the open-universe of the Mass Effect franchise.

6/20 Control (2019)

PlayStation 4 & 5, Xbox One & Series X/S, PC, and cloud streaming services

Another game that doesn’t necessarily fit the usual definition of open-world games is Remedy Entertainment’s Control, which takes place inside a massive government facility dealing with a supernatural invasion.

As the new Director of a secretive government agency, players attempt to bring their headquarters under control while dealing with increasingly paranormal threats. Control starts players off in a typical shooter, though they are quickly forced to learn how to control a wide selection of unpredictable new supernatural abilities.

5/20 Prototype (2009)

PlayStation 3 & 4, Xbox 360 & One, PC

An amnesiac protagonist is nothing new for video games, but Prototype manages to make it work by giving the main character superpowers after a deadly government virus is released that further drives the mystery of the game as the player discovers his new abilities to become an open-world superhero.

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Not only does the player have all the typical tools of a super-powered human’s arsenal – super strength, agility, and durability – but the protagonist can also merge with people and absorb all their memories. Prototype 2 switches things up by making the first game’s protagonist the antagonist and further upgrading the powerful shape-shifting abilities.

4/20 Marvel’s Spider-Man (2018)

PlayStation 4 & 5, PC

Insomniac Games gave the Arkham franchise a serious competitor when it came to the best superpower games with 2018’s Marvel’s Spider-Man. From the web-slinging to the narrative and the main character’s often cringe-inducing sense of humor, every element of the PS4 exclusive perfectly captures the iconic hero.

More impressive is how compelling the game still is when Peter Parker steps out of the suit and interacts with the world, providing a number of different game modes to explore. However, it’s the large selection of comics-accurate abilities and advanced web gadgets that really made Spider-Man one of the most successful superhero games.

3/20 Infamous (2009)

PlayStation 3

Before Sucker Punch Productions crafted their Ghost of Tsushima samurai epic, they created their own games with superpowers in Infamous. The first two titles follow Cole as he inadvertently finds himself with electricity-based superpowers.

Players then explored multiple cities in preparation for Cole’s battle with a prophesied threat known as The Beast. The third game, Second Son, switches protagonists to someone who manipulates various materials throughout the world, including smoke and concrete. An expansion introduced yet another protagonist with even more powerful abilities to choose from.

2/20 Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction (2005)

PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube

Bruce Banner has not gotten a lot of love in the gaming medium, nor in films, given that he has not starred in a solo film since 2008’s Incredible Hulk. However, he did have a well-received open-world superhero game in 2005 called Ultimate Destruction. It certainly shows its age revisiting it today, but it is the best fans of the Hulk have for now.

The Hulkcan effortlessly toss cars and busses around or move around the city by grabbing chunks of concrete and running across the sides of buildings to cause massive destruction in the early superhero open-world game.