One of the more persistent games industry rumors in recent months has been that celebrated Batman Arkham developers Rocksteady Studios is secretly working on a Superman project. That title, online chatter insisted, was destined to be announced in early December at the Game Awards. However, the company shot down said speculation shortly before the event kicked off.

The prospect of a Superman game on current, and possibly next-gen, consoles is ironic, considering the Man of Steel doesn't have a great track record when it comes to games. Superman 64 is still widely regarded as one of the worst games of all time. Those that have followed in its wake haven't fared much better, with the sole exception being Injustice, though its validity as a Superman game would be up for debate. Injustice, after all, isn't so much about Superman himself as it is about the world being affected by his fall from grace, and in both the original and last year's sequel, Injustice 2, he's more of a passive driver in what could be considered his own story

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It sounds like a small thing, but it's actually part of a bigger issue in recent years, which is that writers outside of comics don't seem to believe that Superman can be interesting on his own. Sure, the alleged World's Finest game hit the right hype notes of bringing in Batman and Robin, two allies he has a strong relationship with. At the same time, though, if Superman is the strongest hero in the DC Universe -- or close to it since, y'know, Wonder Woman -- shouldn't he be strong enough to headline his own game, afforded the opportunity to shine on his own, much like how Batman?

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Since the release of the hotly divisive film Man of Steel, it's beginning to feel more and more like Warner Bros. doesn't believe Superman can really carry anything on his own. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice was almost Man of Steel 2, but ended up being more about the Dark Knight. Supergirl only brings Tyler Hoechlin's version of the character out when they absolutely need to, and the animated Death of Superman and Reign of the Supermen films cannot wait to be about the Supers that emerge after his death.

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If there's anything to learn from this now shot-down rumor, it's that a Superman game would be something a lot of people would be interested in. For starters, it would go a long way towards redeeming the character as a good person, something that was under debate for a long time thanks to Injustice and the DC Extended Universe. Hyperbolic as it sounds, there is something to be said for playing as an unequivocally good person who just wants to do the right thing.

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The PlayStation 4's Spider-Man is all about people trying to be good and how they do that in their own ways. Look at where that game is now: It's Game of the Year material for multiple gaming sites and one of the best superhero games of all time. Superman is meant to be inspiring, and maybe playing as him for a dozen hours or so will help gaming with its toxicity problem, even just a little.

Outside of Nintendo, not a lot of AAA games really deal with someone who's good just because. They're either reluctant heroes or spurred into taking action because of destiny or a tragic event, but Superman is good simply because he was raised right. Some of the stronger moments in Superman history have not been when he's punching some costumed weirdo, but when he's just being a nice person and there for someone who needs it most. Those kinds of moments, where he consoles a suicidal woman or angrily confronts a wizard about forcing godhood on a boy, are what stick out much more than the fights against Lex Luthor.

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In order for a Superman game to really let the Boy Scout shine, though, he has to be alone for this one. Not alone in the sense that he has no one to turn to (it would be crazy if Lois Lane or his parents weren't there in the story with him), but he should certainly be the sole hero here. Interesting things can be done with him given the right creative team, as has been shown in the comics the last two years. It just requires the risk of taking a chance on the technically unknown factor of Supes on his own. The Man of Steel has had a rough couple of years, but a great game would certainly be what he needs to get out of his media slump.