Superman Returns

Our x-ray vision can see through this one. Not quite super enough. [Christmas 2006, p.126]

Despite some satisfying leap-tall-buildings-in-a-single-bound moments above the skies of Metropolis and providing the best Superman adventure yet (again, not saying too much, if you examine the history of Superman games) with some moments of solid adventuring before getting too repetitively stale, Superman Returns just isn't that super.

The targeting system sucks, often sticking to the enemy you just knocked down (and therefore can't attack until he gets up again) while another is bashing you in the back. The final aggravation is the camera, which constantly gets stuck on things in the environment, so you can't always see your foe.

As it is, they get enough right to make this a good choice for a new gamer, but for those looking for a challenge I'd look elsewhere.

As a game that manages to encapsulate the feeling of being Superman, Superman Returns does an excellent job.

An uneven difficulty level, not much variety in quests and battles, clunky and temperamental controls, and the lack of any type of multiplayer will all quickly frustrate you.

Punching out bad guys becomes about as fun as taking out the garbage, and the "epic" battle between Superman and the forces of evil is as simple and dull as a day of chores.