Batman is one of the most popular characters; he’s had a cult following ever since Bob Kane created the character in Detective Comics #27. The Arkhamverse, which began with Arkham Asylum, propelled the Caped Crusader to another level for fans.
Despite the latest title addition to the games’ universe coming out as recently as February, it, per fans, died with the third entry in Rocksteady’s series. DC, however, doesn’t seem to understand it and seems hellbent on milking the series with its latest VR title, Arkham Shadow. Here are five reasons why it’s high time that the comic book company accepts this and begins a new epoch for the Dark Knight.
5. No One Asked for a Batman VR Game
Contrary to what some fans of the character and the games might believe, Arkham VR, released in 2016, was the series’ first VR title. It was a title set before the events of Arkham Knight.
Currently sitting at a ‘Mixed‘ verdict on Metacritic, the PS4 title is almost forgotten. Currently, not a lot is known about the upcoming VR title, apart from the teaser, which was released recently, but there are signs that it’s going to bomb.
The trailer video has most comments criticizing DC’s move, indicating its bleak future. The reason is that it’ll have to face the wrath of the Batfans subreddit and a niche market due to the cost of the Meta Quest VR headset. However, DC feels that a minority of Batfans who loved the trilogy will buy the game, which isn’t likely.
4. The Universe Doesn’t Make Sense Without Batman
Before moving on to why the Arkham universe is dead and should be buried respectfully, readers are warned of major spoilers from Arkhamverse games, including Kill the Justice League. The superhero’s fate is pathetic in Kill the Justice League (a title that stabbed the franchise’s heart).
In the game, the World’s Greatest Detective died at the hands of a psychopathic clown who took an acrobatics class and shot him at point-blank range. Unless the studio tracks back and pulls off a cheap narrative trick, he died a death that didn’t do justice to his greatness. And as per James Gunn, the Arkhamverse will not end with Kill the Justice League, which seems pointless without the Dark Knight.
This is the second time he has ‘died‘ in the series if one includes the Knightfall protocol in the last game of the trilogy.
3. Arkhamverse Was Amazing, but It Cannot Be Revived
The universe was built when the studio was vastly different from its present condition. This happened after two of the studio’s directors, Sefton Hill and Jamie Walker, left in 2022 and started a studio of their own.
With the direction in which the studio is going with its latest title and the absence of the two co-founders, we may never get a game close to the ones it released in its prime. The universe is dead, and DC should move on.
2. Other Batman Universes Need Game Adaptations
While the subheading may seem obvious, the trilogy boosted the character’s popularity among gamers. It even led to many people becoming fans of the superhero. But there’s no reason it cannot happen again in a different universe.
If one goes back in time and looks at the pages of some of the most excellent DC comics ever written, like The Dark Knight Returns and The Killing Joke, these are terrific works of art that don’t have games. If DC were to return to the drawing board, the superhero’s presence in gaming’d be much better.
1. The Corporate Greed Behind the State of the Arkham Universe Is Evident
Several titles are currently in development focusing on DC characters, like the upcoming Wonder Woman game. DC doesn’t have a lot of presence in the gaming industry. While all the other reasons focused on the fans’ perspective, this one focuses on DC’s.
It might make sense to continue the universe for some cash flow in the short term, but it’ll destroy DC’s reputation among fans in the long run. So much so that even if the company tries to do something novel later, it’ll be trodden upon by angry and skeptical fans.
So, to ensure that DC doesn’t ruin its reputation more than it already has while giving the fans what they want, it’s high time that it bid farewell to the universe. Would you agree with that? Let us know in the comments!
