Marvel Vs DC: Which Games Are Better?
Marvel Games vs. DC Games
The 10 BEST Marvel Video Games
Who really puts the "super" in hero games? Welcome to WatchMojo and in this installment of Versus, we’ll be comparing Marvel and DC’s games to see which brand comes out on top. We’re evaluating a wide range of categories to determine the winner, and we’re considering a lot more than just who has released the highest-rated game.
Round 1: Variety
Throughout the '80s, Spider-Man, The Hulk, Howard the Duck, the Fantastic Four, Captain America, and the X-Men all got their own games. While not all classics, Marvel's debut decade in gaming highlighted the company's willingness to spread the love among its properties. Spidey does get way more solo outings than any other Marvel hero, but fans of other properties have not been completely starved for decent games. Deadpool, The Punisher, Hulk, Wolverine, Guardians of the Galaxy, Ghost Rider, and Iron Man have all starred in solid games since the turn of the century. DC's first decade in gaming was completely dominated by Superman and Batman. As the years drifted by, the Man of Steel's presence faded while the Dark Knight's portfolio ballooned. Single-player DC action games not starring the Caped Crusader are in very short supply, and the few that do break the mold tend to not be great. Superman and The Flash have not received solo games since 2006, while Aquaman's solitary adventure is generally considered one of the worst games of all time. Wonder Woman is still waiting to make her solo console debut, and Green Lantern's single game is about as enjoyable as the movie that inspired it. “The Wolf Among Us” was great though. As DC and Marvel have dozens upon dozens of properties, it's to be expected that the companies would focus on their most popular heroes. Spider-Man might hog the limelight, but Marvel has proven willing to throw a bone to other heroes, sometimes to respectable results. DC fans who happen to not be interested in Batman tend to be left wanting. ROUND WINNER: Marvel Games SCORE: Marvel Games 1 / DC Games 0
Round 2: Best Individual Superhero Games
Top 10 Superhero Video Games (That Aren't Batman or Spider-Man)
Going by Metacritic, "The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction" and "Marvel's Spider-Man" are the cream of Marvel's crop, although some of the Wall-Crawler's early 2000s games are also highly-rated. "Ultimate Destruction" might very well be the most inherently fun and cathartic superhero game of all time. With a bustling open-world and a revolutionary web-swinging mechanic, "Spider-Man 2" set a standard for movie tie-in games that few have been able to match, although "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" came pretty close. In many ways, Insomniac's Spider-Man games are spiritual successors to 2004's classic, and they are just as fantastic. Discussions revolving around DC's best modern solo superhero games start and end with Rocksteady's "Batman: Arkham'' trilogy. Launching with the tight and atmospheric "Arkham Asylum," Rocksteady perfectly blended narrative and gameplay to create an experience that rocked the gaming landscape. For the sequel, Rocksteady introduced an open-world, fine-tuned the combat, expanded Batman's gadgets, and dived deeper into DC's rogues gallery. The fact "Arkham Knight" is regarded as something of a disappointment speaks volumes to the quality of Rocksteady's trilogy. Marvel and DC have both released plenty of underwhelming games, but their greatest titles are something special. The best Marvel games are loving tributes to their icons, especially Spider-Man. As good as Marvel's games can get, none of them have left as big of an impact on the gaming industry as Rocksteady's "Arkham" trilogy. In fact, some of Marvel’s post-2010 releases seem to take a page or two from "Arkham's" playbook. ROUND WINNER: DC Games SCORE: Marvel Games 1 / DC Games 1
Round 3: Best Team Games
10 Easter Eggs in Lego Marvel Games You Totally Missed
Solo projects are all well and good, but like the comics, Marvel and DC's heroes must be able to deliver as a unit. Marvel's biggest teams are the Avengers and the X-Men, both of whom have received their share of games. In this category, Marvel's most consistent franchises are the "X-Men Legends" and "Marvel Ultimate Alliance" titles, RPGs with beat-’em-up combat that emphasize team synergy. Packed with fanservice, these games come with massive rosters, typically feature decent storylines, and are competently made. While 2020's "Marvel's Avengers" seemed set to be the biggest superhero team-up game on the market, it failed to meet expectations. The Justice League might be the most iconic superhero team of all time, although it’s difficult to tell as much from DC's games. Outside of Lego and fighting games, DC's legendary heroes seem rather reluctant to join forces, with their last significant console game being 2006's "Justice League Heroes." A dungeon crawler, "Heroes" is a solid enough game, especially on the PSP, but it’s nothing more than that. 2006's "Teen Titans" is a budget title that should entertain die-hard fans of the fantastic animated series, although the same cannot be said about 2013's "Young Justice: Legacy." Both Marvel and DC have yet to create an action game that is fully worthy of their legendary teams, but only one has come somewhat close. DC's "Lego Batman" sequels contain an impressive assortment of characters and are perhaps slightly more consistent than Marvel's equivalent titles, but the difference is ultimately negligible. While the series arguably peaked in its first entry, the "Marvel Ultimate Alliance" games manage to replicate the feel of those massive crossover events synonymous with the comics. X-Men fans can also turn to the "Legends" games and classics like 1994's "Clone Wars." ROUND WINNER: Marvel Games SCORE: Marvel Games 2 / DC Games 1
Round 4: Best Fighting Games
The 10 BEST PS2 Fighting Games
When done right, fighting games can be timeless, and no company knows that better than Capcom. Building upon earlier releases such as "X-Men vs. Street Fighter," "Marvel vs. Capcom 2" served as one of the final hurrahs for the arcade era and represents the fighting genre at its most gloriously over-the-top. Pitting Capcom's icons against Marvel's legends, this 2000 title prioritized authenticity over a level playing field, allowing these powerful heroes and villains to feel as broken as they should. Capcom's subsequent attempts to expand the crossover franchise have yielded mixed results, although "Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3" refined the core gameplay to near perfection. DC had to wait a long time to leave its stamp on the fighting game genre. For all its shortcomings, "Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe" did highlight the defining strength of DC's modern fighting games: they are cinematic experiences. Like the Elseworlds comics, the "Injustice" games take place in an alternate reality that significantly alters DC's main timeline. In this universe, Joker effectively breaks Superman, inspiring the Man of Tomorrow to forcibly take over the world and create a totalitarian regime. Naturally, the resistance is led by Batman. 2017's "Injustice 2" is an improvement over its predecessor in nearly every department, particularly its combat system and replayability. While DC and Marvel have both spawned games that are among the best in the fighting genre, they are quite different experiences. As arcade fighters, the "Marvel vs. Capcom" franchise prioritizes gameplay above everything else, with the standout entries not featuring much of a story outside of an ending cutscene. On the other hand, the "Injustice" series have far more robust and rewarding single-player campaigns, ones that recontextualize DC's iconic characters in fascinating ways. Ultimately, it comes down to which game has left the biggest impact on the industry, and "Marvel vs. Capcom 2's" legacy is untouchable. ROUND WINNER: Marvel Games SCORE: Marvel Games 3 / DC Games 1
Round 5: The Future
10 Things We Want to See in Marvel's Spider-Man 3
At the moment, Marvel has yet to announce any new projects. Insomniac has already created two thrilling Spider-Man games, so it should be only a matter of time before a new entry is announced. A sequel built upon "Marvel's Spider-Man's" rock-solid foundations will almost certainly be decent. As it follows a live-service model, Square Enix's "Marvel's Avengers" should continue to be supported for the foreseeable future, but it remains to be seen whether the game manages to pull off a "Destiny." The next few years are shaping up to be huge for DC games, with a couple of significant releases on the way. Rocksteady is set to return to the superhero genre with "Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League," which will feature four playable characters in the form of Harley Quinn, Deadshot, Captain Boomerang, and King Shark. WB Games Montréal is also developing "Gotham Knights," an open-world action RPG centering around the Bat Family. Outside of an inevitable Spider-Man game, Marvel's future is wide open, while most excitement surrounding Square Enix's Avengers title has mostly dissipated. In comparison, DC's future is very exciting. It’s not just that there are two massive projects in the works, but "Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League" and "Gotham Knights" look set to pick up the slack in two areas that DC has been lacking: team-ups and variety in character selection. ROUND WINNER: DC Games OVERALL SCORE: Marvel Games 3 / DC Games 2 It would seem that when it comes to games, Marvel just edges out DC with a tight victory of 3 to 2.
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