Why a Flash Video Game Will Never Work
The Flash is perhaps the most famous DC hero without his own video game. However, due to his own extreme power level, this is unlikely to change.
the flash is one of DC’s most famous superheroes, but it may not be possible to make a video game about him. Almost all the well-known members of the Justice League had its own video game, but not The Flash. When you consider how many other heroes have games while he doesn’t, there might be a good reason for that.
The Flash is one of DC’s main superheroes. A nickname shared by Jay Garrick, Barry Allen and Wally West, each iteration of the Flash has used their gift of superhuman speed to fight crime. The Flash has been involved in several significant events in DC history, including the Breaking point crossover which led to the creation of the New 52 continuity. However, although there have been many great superhero games such as the die hard-esque Batman: Arkham Assylightthe Flash never had one.
Superspeed looks like a pretty simple superpower. In reality, sonic the hedgehog, one of the most famous video game characters of all time, has this as his primary ability. However, there are significant differences between Sonic and Flash. While Sonic is incredibly fast, his games are platformers designed around his speed. In other words, it’s a platformer character that exists in a world meant to accommodate its primary attribute. Additionally, Sonic has other abilities besides just being fast, including his spindash and homing attack. While Flash’s speed allows him to perform many feats, including imitating all The Fantastic Four, super speed is still his only true ability. He is also forced to use it in the real world, which is not designed to use it, limiting his gameplay options.
Flash’s super speed would be hard to adapt to a game
Another issue is Flash’s speed scaling. While Sonic is “fast”, Flash’s speed is essentially a force of nature. In his comics, the Flash frequently solves problems and defeats enemies by moving at absurd speeds to imagine. The Flash even traveled back in time with his speed, as in the aforementioned case Breaking point. Essentially, The Flash is so fast that it would be extremely difficult to make a game that matched his level of speed. However, if the Flash’s speed were to be toned down for a game, it would remove the point of playing as a DC hero in the first place. Unlike the technology of Batman: Arkham games, Flash’s powers only become more mastered as they are explored.
The Flash has already appeared in video games, such as the Injustice series, but there’s always been something a little weird about his appearances in those games. Using Injustice for example, Flash should theoretically be able to dodge virtually any attack that comes its way. However, he only uses his speed sparingly. It almost feels like he actively avoids using his powers, which makes the game quite weird. One could argue that a fighting game might not be suitable for Flash, but that underscores a problem with its use in games in general. The absurd strength of his superpower would make him nearly impossible to balance without feeling intentionally underpowered. Even in Injusticewhere Flash joins the villainous Superman, he feels lacking.
The Flash has been a big hero in the comics and on TV, but his own video game probably isn’t in his future. The Flash unfortunately has a superpower that makes it very difficult to adapt to games while still feeling truly like himself. the flash is still a great superhero, but he might just have to settle for not having his own video game until someone figures out how it could be done.
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