Most licensed games used to be rushed movie tie-ins. That changed. The best superhero and anime games now tell original stories, and several of them are as good as the comics they come from. Here are eight worth your money, and the book to read once the credits roll.
Check the platform before you buy. Each store listing shows which consoles a copy works on.
Marvel
Marvel's Spider-Man 2: the one to start with
Insomniac's 2023 sequel lets you swap between Peter Parker and Miles Morales in an open-world New York, with Kraven and Venom as the villains. It launched on PS5 and later came to PC. The swinging alone is worth the price. Marvel's Spider-Man 2
Read next: Ultimate Spider-Man Vol. 1: Power and Responsibility
Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy: the story pick
A single-player adventure from Eidos-Montréal, released in 2021. You play Star-Lord and give orders to the rest of the team. It has no multiplayer and no grind, just a funny, well-written road trip. Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy
Marvel's Midnight Suns: for strategy fans
Firaxis, the studio behind XCOM, built a card-based tactics game around Marvel's supernatural heroes. Blade, Doctor Strange, Wolverine and Spider-Man share one base. It is slower than the others here, and deeper. Marvel's Midnight Suns
Read next: Immortal Hulk for more Marvel horror.
DC
Batman: Arkham Collection: three classics in one box
Rocksteady's trilogy set the standard for superhero games: Arkham Asylum (2009), Arkham City (2011) and Arkham Knight (2015). The collection bundles all three. Play them in release order. Batman: Arkham Collection
Read next: Batman: Year One, then the rest of our DC starting guide.
Anime
Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero: the big roster
The 2024 arena fighter that revived the Budokai Tenkaichi series. It has a huge character list and battles that look like the anime at full volume. It is on PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC. Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero
Read next: Dragon Ball Z Complete Box Set
Naruto x Boruto Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections: the whole saga
Released in 2023, this entry collects fighters from across the Naruto and Boruto story into one game and retells the main rivalry in its history mode. It is a good pick if you want the full cast in one place. Naruto x Boruto Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections
Persona 5 Royal: the anime you play
Not based on a manga, but no game feels more like a great anime season. You are a high school student by day and a phantom thief by night. Set aside around 100 hours. Persona 5 Royal
Beyond the big three
Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition: Night City, complete
The Ultimate Edition bundles the base game with the Phantom Liberty expansion. It is set in the same Night City as the Edgerunners anime, and several locations from the show can be visited in the game. Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition
Read next: Cyberpunk: Edgerunners MADNESS Vol. 1 and our Edgerunners 2 release date guide.
Marvel's Spider-Man 2 (PS5)
Ultimate Spider-Man Vol. 1: Power & Responsibility
Immortal Hulk Vol. 1: Or Is He Both?
Batman: Year One