Mat Piscatella, US video games industry analyst, has posted a top 10 ranking of Superhero Games, which shows Marvel’s Spider-Man for the PlayStation 4 come out on top. The data is taken from the NPD Group and is based on physical and digital sales, measured in US dollars.
In the chart that Piscatella posted Twitter, there are no available sales figures. However, it is evident that the top 10 is basically a battle between Batman and Spider-Man.
Sony’s PS4 Spider-Man game comes in at number 1, followed by Batman: Arkham City then Batman: Arkham Knight. The caped crusader continues to dominate the top 5, with the fourth position being held by LEGO Batman.
Fifth place is held by LEGO Marvel Super Heroes, which features Spider-Man alongside other Avengers including Iron Man, Captain America, Thor and Black Widow. It also features characters from X-Men and Fantastic Four.
The second half of the chart is similarly dominated by the two popular superheroes. Activision Blizzard’s Spider-Man: The Movie and Spider-Man: The Movie 2, take up 6th and 7th place, respectively.
Injustice: Gods Among Us comes in at number 8. This is a fighting game from NetherRealm Studios, the developer of Mortal Kombat. It is set in an alternative Justice League universe and includes Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Green Arrow and Green Lantern.
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The game bucking the notion that superhero games are often destined be lackluster, Batman: Arkham Asylum, comes in at 9th place. Meanwhile, Injustice 2 caps off the list at number 10.
The final tally is four Batman games and two titles featuring Batman, as well as three Spider-Man games and one featuring Spider-Man. This would appear to give Batman the edge, but it doesn't quite grant him the top spot.
Marvel’s Spider-Man was developed by Insomniac games and published by Sony back in 2018. It’s a single-player action-adventure game, which racked up an impressive 87/100 on Metacritic. It was praised for its gameplay, graphics, narrative, and character development. However, some felt that the addition of a number of open-world tropes meant it lacked innovation.
The Batman: Arkham series, which is comprised of four main games—three of which appear on this list—was similarly praised. Batman Arkham: Asylum and Batman Arkham City both had Metacritc scores ranging in the 90's. Moreover, Batman: Arkham Knight scored 87 for the PS4 version.
The biggest takeaway from this list appears to be that if a superhero game is to see overwhelming success, it should have either Batman or Spider-Man in it. Now, it's just a matter of waiting to see them star in another video game.