How a Superman game on Unreal Engine 5 takes the superhero games genre forward

Epic finally released the Unreal Engine 5 to the public this week and developers already love the world’s most advanced real-time 3D creation tool. With such a powerful and creative tool, creators have started venturing into the vast range of options it delivers.

Matrix Awakens is one of the most prominent tech demos that showcases the stunning capabilities of Unreal Engine 5. Recently, game developer Volod did some experiments on the Matrix Awakens demo and gave the character powers of Superman. The result looked so good that they are now considering building their own Superman game on Unreal Engine 5.

---

Can a Superman game on Unreal Engine 5 be the stepping stone for Superhero games?

Volod from Amber Studios got the idea of giving a generic character the powers of Superman when Epic released a City Sample on Unreal Engine 5 for developers to fiddle with it. While the generic character doesn’t look anything like Superman, he does have the same powers as flying around the city faster than bullets and superhuman strength.

In an interview with Kotaku, Volod said:

“The UE5 CitySample told me that it wants to turn into a Superman game when it grows up. If I can find an interesting gameplay loop that ties into the flight mechanic. I’d consider putting together a minimum viable product or demo and releasing it to the public. But obviously without the association to the Superman IP.”

Despite the character's particular movements and flying mechanics resembling more like Iron Man than the Man of Steel, the gameplay looks stunning. It portrays progress towards the upcoming era of superhero games. Volod even redesigned their city layout using Epic’s assets to make it more familiar with the Superman titles.

With the availability of the latest Unreal Engine, Volod has already showcased a glimpse of what a superhero game can look like built on Epic’s flagship tool. This marks a massive step for the upcoming superhero games and the gaming studios that are planning to build their game on Unreal Engine 5.

When it comes to Standalone Superman titles, most of the games were released over a decade ago. Games like Superman: The Man of Steel, Superman and Superman: The Game have been hits, but in terms of visuals, they all share 2D graphical representation.

Only games featuring Superman-like Injustice 2 and Infinite Crisis have 3D graphics but are far off from the exceptional visuals built on Epic's flagship game engine. A standalone Superman game based on Unreal Engine 5 will offer players the ability to experience the powers of Superman in a far more immersive manner.

There has always been a lack of good Superman games possessing the visuals and game mechanics of the modern era. It seems like we can finally see a top-of-the-line Superman game heading our way and act as a stepping stone for more upcoming superhero games on Epic's latest creation tool.

---

Disclaimer: This article reflects the opinions of the writer.