The future of DC video games is more unclear than ever before. Following the middling reception toGotham Knightsand the disastrous reception toSuicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, many fans were hoping thatMonolith’s Wonder Woman gamewould be DC’s saving grace, being a single-player narrative-driven game from an experienced studio. But Wonder Woman has just been canceled, Monolith has just been shut down, and according to recent reports,Batmanmight be the company’s only way forward.
Following Wonder Woman’s cancelation, Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier reported that Rocksteady is giving the Caped Crusader another go. Leaker Lunatic Ignus then took to Twitter to claim that Rocksteady’s nextBatmangame would be based on the 1999-2001Batman Beyondanimated series and presumably its subsequent comic book spinoffs and sequels. There’s a lot of potential behind a RocksteadyBatman Beyondgame, but returning to the sameArkhamformula could end up being a bit of a double-edged sword all these years later.
A Batman Beyond Game Can’t Repeat Itself
A Return to Arkham’s Gameplay Formula Could Feel Like Retreading Old Ground
Though neither Schreier’s report nor Lunatic Ignus' leak mentioned the return ofBatman: Arkham’s gameplay formula for Rocksteady’s next Caped Crusader outing, it seems likely the studio would fall back on using the same mechanics present in theArkhamseries, given howSuicide Squad: Kill the Justice League’s switch to third-person shootingwas received.
But if Rocksteady brought backBatman: Arkham’s Freeflow combat and Predator stealth gameplay, its new Batman game could end up feeling a little repetitive and unoriginal. This would be especially apparent if the game featured a lengthy tutorial that introduced these mechanics one by one. Many fans have been using Freeflow combat and Predator stealth since their introduction in 2009, and simply giving players the same mechanical toolset they’ve been using for well over a decade won’t do much to excite them.
Rocksteady Shouldn’t Be Afraid to Throw Players In At The Deep End
While tutorials are a necessary feature of any game,Rocksteady’s rumoredBatman Beyondgamecould benefit from making it optional, allowing series veterans to jump straight to the action. Along with keeping the tutorial to a minimum, Rocksteady shouldn’t be afraid to throw players in at the deep end and provide them with a wealth of new gameplay mechanics from the outset.
Though the general combat and stealth mechanics should stay the same so that the game feels like an authenticArkhamsuccessor, long-time fans need to be presented with plenty of new features out of the gate, such as new gadgets, new special takedowns, and new methods of traversal, all fitting ofBatman Beyond’s futuristic setting. These new features should then be added to and evolved throughout the game, resulting in a set of skills that are wholly unique to this new entry.
A Batman Beyond Game Needs to Subvert Story Expectations
Batman has no shortage of iconic villains, but the vast majority of them have already appeared in some capacity during theArkhamsaga. Much like its gameplay, aBatman Beyondgame’s story would need to remain authentic to the series' core identity while offering something completely new for long-time fans of the franchise.
Thankfully,Batman Beyond’s Neo-Gotham settingpaves the way for that naturally. Set in the late 2030s,Batman Beyondintroduces an all-new rogue’s gallery, giving Rocksteady the opportunity to take fans by surprise and deliver a fresh narrative.
