Superman: The Man of Steel
Superman can save all of Metropolis, but he can?t seem to save himself from a cruel video fate.
Superman?s Xbox debut follows the Spider-Man formula this time around?fly around the skyscrapers and smite evil?but the big blue Boy Scout simply can?t inspire the giddy thrill of soaring around the buildings the way Peter Parker did. You eventually escape the city and tool around the Phantom Zone fighting the forces of Lex Luthor and Brainiac 13, but you?re basically the Metropolis messenger boy, switching between repetitive tasks (you?ll smash an awful lot of robots). The graphics don?t inspire you to want to explore?they?re detailed (Supes? cape flows nicely and his ice breath looks keen) but soulless. The inane voice-acting doesn?t work as modern narration or retro kitsch, and the tepid synthesizer score lacks appropriate majesty. The controls don?t make flying as much fun or intuitive as it could be?it?s easy to get caught on a building, trying to circle-strafe around it?and on land, the pokey walk animation makes Supes quite a bit slower than a speeding bullet.
Ultimately, no matter how many bonuses are unlocked or how many special guests show up, the core gameplay of Superman: The Man of Steel is boring. Up, up, and away with it.
