DAR Games: 6 Comic Book Inspired Video Games

By @TrueGodImmortal

Comic book games aren't as plentiful in video gaming as one would think. While a majority of games come from original ideas, there are a select few that actually come from the comic world, for better or worse. Some of these games capture the essence of the comics, some change the vibe from the comics, but all of them are inspired or derived from them. Today, I wanted to look at 6 of those games. What games make the list? Let's take a look.

*Telltale's The Walking Dead 

-While the television show has begun to run its course, and the actual video game they attempted for the show just didn't work well, it would be this comic inspired version that truly takes the cake as my favorite comic book game (minus the superhero classics like Arkham Asylum). This game isn't perfect, but Telltale does a great job of taking elements we loved from the comic series and creating a new experience for Walking Dead fans. With the comic and the show, there are losses and twists that leave the viewers and readers feeling emotions, and this game manages to tug at those heartstrings as well. I enjoyed playing the seasons for this game and can only hope there is more to come for such a great series.

*Marvel: Ultimate Alliance

-There are some games that are pretty ambitious, and I would consider this to be one of those. While previous Marvel games served a purpose, the one thing that has always been a key to their success is the ability to utilize the roster of characters they have. The depth of their roster allows for them to make amazing co-op games, and Marvel: Ultimate Alliance fits into that category, utilizing obscure characters for the roster that the most diehard comic fans would have to appreciate.

*The Punisher 

-I was skeptical about this game when it came out. For one, the movie didn't connect with me as much as I expected and when this game released, I was unsure if I wanted to actually play it. I was told by a friend that the game mirrored the extremely violent style (I should have expected nothing less considering) that dominated the popular games of that time, and that this game might have been above and beyond the norm. That was one way to draw me in for sure and I would find myself intrigued by the mechanics and the overall gameplay. This was a game that felt like it did the comics justice, but also provided enough to make the non-comic fans interested and enjoy the experience.

*Scott Pilgrim vs The World

-I remember the movie and when it released, many people were excited about it. I was a bit confused by it all, as I knew very little about the comic book series, but the video game is a ton of fun that works well as an adaption. The graphics are pretty cool, with pixelated art that resembles the original art style in the comics. This is more of a beat-em up style game and in addition to the gameplay, the soundtrack adds to the experience as well.

*The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction 

-There aren't many games that involve the Incredible Hulk that I generally like, but I would be lying if I didn't acknowledge this solid game from the PS2/Xbox/Gamecube era. While it was far from a perfect game and reviews on it were mixed at the time of release, when I look back on it, it was exactly what I wanted out of a Hulk game. This game would benefit from utilizing the open world experience that became so popular during this period and having the Hulk at your disposal was a lot of fun with this open world environment. If you ever wanted to Hulk Smash everything in sight, this is the perfect game for you.

*Injustice: Gods Amongst Us

-I was a fan of this game when it first came out, but I actually feel the sequel was slightly better. Still, the first Injustice was special and essentially took the format that made Marvel vs Capcom so successful and tried to utilize it to a higher degree. We witnessed the Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe mashup before, but somehow that still managed to miss the mark that they needed to hit. Injustice however manages to successfully bridge the gap between comic book games and pure fighting games and does so with majority DC Universe fighters. The mechanics here are simply and the gameplay is very arcade like, and it works.

-True