You’d think that superhero video games would be a successful extension of the comic book universe: Players pretending to be their favorite heroes, conquering evil around every corner and saving the world. In reality, there are few successful superhero video games. According to the many video game message boards devoted to the topic, most of these games fail because developers spend the majority of their time and resources acquiring the license to produce the game in the first place.

And once the license is acquired, the general mentality is that the game will ‘sell itself’ because of its comic book reputation.

It seems that game developers find themselves infatuated with the major tenets of game design such as progression systems to move through levels and gameplay mechanics, such as health points, and restricted play-space, or the possibility of death in the game. The result cheapens the value of the game and sometimes deviate from the superhero’s plot entirely.

Games such as “Superman 64,” or “Iron Man’’ feature half-baked or just plain inaccurate movie tie-ins. For example, Superman can be defeated by any average alley-criminal; Tony Stark has to earn money to upgrade his suit by completing missions, and Batman, armed with more firepower than you’ll ever see in the comics, lays waste to any Gotham criminal that gets in his way.

Even still, after some research and chatting with a few video game enthusiasts, here are three, fairly successful superhero games of the decade.

Note: these aren’t listed in any particular order.

“Spider -Man”

This version of the Spider -Man video game franchise came out in September of 2018 and has been a smash hit since then. It was one of the best-selling superhero games of all time, actually surpassing “Batman Arkham City” (another game on our list).

Even though “Spider -Man” is only available for the PS4 game console, Joseph Yaden from Playstation Lifestyle claims: “It was the best-selling game during that month and earned the highest launch month dollar sales for any exclusive in PlayStation history. Physical versions of it even ended up selling out on Amazon during its launch month.”

What makes the game so good is it’s challenging but not frustrating gameplay, creative options for different types of combat, tons of collectibles and side quests, and a storyline that is gut-wrenching and true to traditional Spider Man folklore. “Spider Man” is full of twists and surprising turns, even featuring Avengers easter eggs and some surprising references to “Grand Theft Auto.”

With “Spider -Man,” expect to see a solid blend of originality and canonical nostalgia.

“Batman Arkham City”

This game picks up where “Batman Arkham Asylum” leaves off, developed by Rocksteady and released in 2011. The game really makes the player feel as if they’re Batman, traipsing through Arkham City, solving murders and crushing criminals and goons alike. True Batman fans will notice the voice of Kevin Conroy as Batman himself and Mark Hamhill portraying the Joker.

According to player and writer Greg Miller from IGN, the difficulty of the game is much harder than it’s the previous counterpart. Miller writes that in the game:

There are a dozen combat challenge maps (take out the four waves of bad guys) and a dozen Invisible Predator challenges (sneak around and silently eliminate all the bad guys) and each comes with three medals to earn. All that is standard, but Arkham City offers up Riddler Campaigns. These link three challenges together and apply gameplay modifiers like low health, time limits and so on.

Either way, this is a game that will keep your interest piqued, hone your skills and keep you playing.

“Infamous 2”

Perhaps not your standard superhero video game in the sense that it doesn’t pull from the Marvel or DC worlds, this game certainly packs a punch. “Infamous 2” is a deeply character -driven game with a twist of morality. The game was released in 2011 and developed by Sucker Punch Productions.

The incredibly character-driven game features character Cole and best friend Zeke. The story follows protagonist Cole on his quest to grow powerful enough to face his nemesis, the Beast. Cole has electricity-based powers that he uses against his enemies. The game lets you choose to be either the good guy or the villain, and each character has a unique superpower that unlocks new, more powerful attacks.

“Infamous 2” requires you to complete a multitude of main missions and side quests. As you complete each quest, the city becomes increasingly safer. The interesting twist lies in the game’s karma system. The decisions Cole makes affect when certain powers are available, how the city responds to character Cole, and the arc of the story as a whole.

The visual and sound effects are superb, which contributes to a game that is a thrilling, multisensory experience.

While some of these video games are an extension of Marvel and DC comics world, it seems that the most successful games are character -driven, allowing players to escape to a different world and live out their fantasies, swinging from rooftop to rooftop, or clobbering faceless garden-variety criminals.

However, some video games that aren’t of the Marvel/DC brand are equally successful because of the comic book tropes that they evoke, the moral dilemma of good versus evil, the threat of ultimate world destruction, humble beginnings featuring a scrappy but lovable protagonist.