Summary
Getting lost inan immersive, finely detailed worldis one of the best draws to engaging with video games as a medium. Whether imagined, fantastical worlds or highly detailed recreations of real-world locations, exploration and immersion are the name of the game, even when taking on the role of something as far from reality as asuperhero.
But what’s the best way to explore the world as a hero? Should players slowly wander through the lands, taking their time to explore each detail? Or should they venture to the highest vantage point and see everything laid out before them, looking out for crimes to stop (or commit)? Whileflightis more oftenused in platformersor other games with an emphasis on verticality, there are somefantastic superhero games that let players fulfill their fantasy of taking to the skies.
This incredibly fast-paced game flew under the radar, but players who pick it up will be able to fly above huge, sprawling, and fully destructible environments to stop an alien invasion. The combination of alien intervention that grants the protagonist their powers, and the gift of flight, gives someheavy Superman vibesin the best way possible.
Megaton Rainfallreally hits the right notes when it comes to flight, with the rush of wind and motion blur truly indicating the sheer destructive speeds at which the player can hurtle through the air.
This much-loved series hasremained dormant in recent years, with a return to form for the once-maligned superhero genre meaning that big hitters from Marvel and DC Comics have now taken center stage. For those with access to the right consoles, however,InFAMOUS 2and its previous title offer a super-powered experience that’s truly unique.
Flight in this game is a later development, coming towards the end of protagonist Cole MacGrath’s culmination of powers. While both evil and good powers get some variation on flight, the benevolent side is closer to gliding, while the evil side gets something more akin to true flight.
X-Men: Destinyremains obscure even as theX-Menseries of movies and comics have sustained their popularity, due in no small part to the fact that the game’s development was rushed, and the overall product was left with a vague, insubstantial feeling as a result. Putting that aside, however, this is still an excellent way for players to work alongside their favorite mutants.
Flight is the final ability offered by Northstar’s batch of abilities, and though this means not every mutant will get to fly, the option is there for those who want short but substantial bursts of flight to outpace their enemies and stay above the ground.
More anti-hero than superhero, Alex Mercer brought delight to players over 15 years ago as the protagonist ofPrototype,a dark, gritty open-world title that still stands today as anexemplar of the gaming power fantasy.Mercer is a living, breathing super-weapon, and every attack or maneuver has the potential to fling dozens of enemies at a time, or hurtle Alex himself across the city, crushing anything in his way and scattering civilians in the process.
Flight is just one of the many powers that the protagonist gains as he continues to deepen his connection to the Blacklight virus, but getting up high only to come crashing down to Earth at Mach speed is an intense bout of catharsis that’s hard to beat.
LEGOgames are as much a staple as the line of toys they’re based on, and whilenot all their titles are hits, especially as the games distance themselves from that classic, silent-comedy-esque humor that made the firstLEGO Star Warsgames so iconic, theLEGOMarvel Superheroesgames have always had a good level of attention and detail granted to them.
From Iron Man to Starlord, any character with flight can take to the skies in these games, whether that’s during the individual levels that make up the more linear parts of the campaign, or in the expansive, free-roaming hub world where players are free to experiment with the sandbox as much as they’d like.
While the gamedoes have its issues, there isn’t anotherLEGOgame with the same kind of flair asLEGO DC Super-Villains, complete with a sardonic, unusual cast and a surprisingly in-depth character creator that lets players build the supervillain of their wildest, darkest dreams… providing they don’t mind said supervillain being made out of plastic.
Similar toLEGOMarvel Superheroes, flight in this game is an option for any who could achieve such a feat in the comics or other mediums, and soaring from the bright, idyllic Metropolis to the hilariously contrasted dour streets of Gotham is a fun treat for players looking to experience some blocky comic-book goodness. For the pedantic reader, this game does still technically feature flying, playable superheroes as well as villains, such as Superman, so this title definitely warrants a spot on this list.
