he heroes of the DC universe have fought against gods, prevented alien invasions, and even found a way to replenish the fires of the sun. As mighty as they are, these heroes have been beaten senseless by the ominous video game industry. For Superman and Batman, video games have proven to be more of a nuisance than the Joker wearing a suit made of Kryptonite. It’s not that superheroes can’t thrive in the digital space. Rival comic book company Marvel has most of its heavy hitters appearing in top-tier games year in and year out.
Publisher Warner Bros. Interactive is determined to lead DC Comics down the same path that has turned Marvel into a household video game name. Quite literally, in fact. Justice League Heroes is basically X-Men Legends with a cape. The similarities in design that are shared between the two products are uncanny. Both games are mindless dungeon crawlers. Both games feature light RPG elements. And more blatantly, both games utilize the exact same combat interface, respawn system, camera, and map. This game is born of similar DNA, but it’s by no means as mighty. It only offers two-player offline cooperative play. Enemy types and environmental architecture are highly recycled. The plot reads like a kindergartner’s first attempt at writing.
On the plus side, this is the first game that successfully makes Superman a fun character to play. Justice League Heroes’ greatest strength lies within its diverse cast of characters and the developer’s ability to make each of these heroes feel different from one other. Green Arrow is a great ranged character. Flash’s lightning quick movement is used to create some truly amazing combos. Green Lantern’s ring can provide much needed protection. Every one of these leaguers is handled with great care.
It’s a shame that the rest of the game doesn’t embody the same quality – which is quite shocking given developer Snowblind Studios’ pedigree with this genre and games like Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance. Justice League Heroes won’t set the world on fire, but it does show that there’s great video game potential emanating from the DC universe. Not even the strongest man on earth can save a mediocre game.