Superman: The Man of Steel

Step into the office of Eddie Berganza these days and you'll get a very positive vibe. Not only does the editor of the Superman books feel that Infogrames is on the right track with its upcoming PS2 game (see page ??), but Berganza himself is also playing an active role in consulting with the more comics-based The Man of Steel for Xbox--and he knows it's off to a damn good start.

With the help of Berganza and his fellow Super-folk, Circus Freak has plotted a veritable sequel to a popular Y2K storyline from a couple years back (see sidebar). This time, the evil, living supercomputer Brainiac 13 returns to Metropolis to reclaim the futuristic technology he left there, which was in turn stolen by Lex Luthor. Also factoring into the plot, Bizarro, Metallo, Cyborg, Mongul and Parasite only complicate matters, while allies like Steel, Lois and Jimmy help out the heroic man in tights.

"This thing is really accurate," enthuses Berganza. "It's great in that it actually follows our continuity. And everything in the game is huge'."

Is it ever. If the skyline in Spider-Man impressed you, just wait until you take on Bi3's attack droids high into the sky of a Metropolis that absolutely lives up to its name (including landmarks like the LexCorp building and Supes' golden statue). And, oh yeah...unlike Spider-Man, Steel actually lets you touch the ground. Even better, practically any superpower you've ever seen Superman use in the comics is at your disposal, all beautifully visualized through the likes of heat distortion for heat vision or a blue/red blur during flight. X-ray and telescopic vision, ice breath, superstrength and other powers should help justify Berganza's excitement to all who thought they'd never see a decent Superman game.

Infogrames first Xbox game starring the Last Son of Krypton bases itself directly on the comic-book series, taking a much less animated look than the PS2 outing. In fact, DC Comics has worked alongside developer Circus Freak Studios to create a story featuring Lex Luthor and Brainiac 13 as the main baddies. Comic fans should love using Supes powers in locations like the Phantom Zone. Look for it this fall.