The future of DC video games seems more uncertain now than ever before. After the lukewarm response to Gotham Knights and the disastrous reception of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, fans were pinning their hopes on Monolith’s Wonder Woman game. Described as a single-player, narrative-driven experience from a seasoned studio, it was seen as DC’s potential redemption. Unfortunately, the Wonder Woman project has been canceled, Monolith has been shut down, and recent reports suggest that Batman might be the company’s sole lifeline going forward.
In the wake of the Wonder Woman cancellation, Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier revealed that Rocksteady is once again focusing on the Dark Knight. A leaker named Lunatic Ignus hopped on Twitter to suggest that Rocksteady’s next Batman title is inspired by the 1999-2001 Batman Beyond animated series, along with its comic book successors. While a Batman Beyond game from Rocksteady holds a lot of promise, there’s a risk that relying on the familiar Arkham formula might feel like treading old ground for players today.
A Batman Beyond Game Can’t Repeat Itself
There’s a likelihood, even if neither Schreier’s report nor Lunatic Ignus’ leak mentioned it outright, that Rocksteady may stick to using Batman: Arkham’s familiar gameplay mechanics, particularly in light of how their attempt to switch to third-person shooting in Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League was received. However, if Rocksteady simply revives the Freeflow combat and Predator stealth mechanics from Arkham, the new Batman game might come across as repetitive and uninspired. This could be especially true if there’s a prolonged tutorial phase reintroducing these well-worn mechanics, which have been part of players’ toolkits since 2009. Fans need more than just a repackaged experience they’ve already been navigating for over a decade.
Rocksteady Shouldn’t Be Afraid to Throw Players In At The Deep End
While tutorials are undeniably essential in gaming, a prospective Batman Beyond adventure could benefit greatly from making them optional, enabling seasoned Arkham series players to dive directly into the thick of things. Minimizing the tutorial experience is crucial, and Rocksteady should be bold in throwing players straight into an action-packed world, complete with new gameplay mechanics right from the start.
To maintain the authentic feel of an Arkham successor, the general combat and stealth should remain intact. Yet, it’s imperative for Rocksteady to introduce a suite of fresh features that align with Batman Beyond’s futuristic theme, such as new gadgets, special takedowns, and innovative traversal methods. These features should ideally evolve and expand throughout the game, creating a skill set unique to this new iteration.
A Batman Beyond Game Needs to Subvert Story Expectations
While Batman’s rogue gallery is well-known, most iconic villains have already made appearances in some form during the Arkham saga. Consequently, much like its gameplay mechanics, a Batman Beyond story must stay true to the series’ core while shaking things up for die-hard fans.
The Neo-Gotham setting in Batman Beyond provides a natural opportunity to do exactly this. With its backdrop placed in the late 2030s, Batman Beyond introduces a brand new array of villains, offering Rocksteady a golden chance to surprise fans with a fresh and compelling narrative.
