12 years after the release of the firstBatman: Arkhamgame, the series still stands as arguably the most iconic superhero video game franchise ever. Although Insomniac’sSpider-Manhas made waves in the scene recently, titles likeBatman: Arkham Citystill hold a lot of nostalgia for many gamers. It’s not a surprise to see interest resurging in the franchise right now, with many fans reminiscing on their favorite moments throughout the series. With the huge increase in interest in the genre thanks to Insomniac’s new titles, now could be a brilliant time to return to theBatman: Arkhamseries.
There are plenty of reasons that gamers might want to return to theBatman:Arkhamseries around now. Not only hasMarvel’s Spider-Manrevitalized the genre somewhat, but a lot of recent DC media is building plenty of hype behind the caped crusader. Robert Pattinson’s upcoming performance inThe Batmanis a great motivator to pick up some of the game series' darker entries, and replaying the games is a perfect way of filling the time between entries ofMarvel’s Spider-Man.Interest in the series spiked recently in part due to a Reddit poll discussing the bestBatman: Arkhamgame, and a lot of the answers to this poll also indicate why the series might be worth revisiting right now.
Get A Taste Of Superheroics Before Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
In terms of popular appeal, it is impossible to deny thatMarvel’s Spider-Manis incredibly successful. Insomniac’s superhero franchise certainly modernized elements of theArkhamgames, while also capitalizing on the resurgence inSpider-Maninterest thanks toInto The Spider-Verseand the widerMCU. In fact, many could argue thatMarvel’s Spider-Manimproved on theBatman: Arkhamseries, and that it’s elevated superhero games to an entirely new level. The future looks incredibly bright for superhero games, too, with franchises likeGuardians of the Galaxyalso getting very ambitious upcoming video game adaptations.
In fact,gamers have spent thousands of years inSpider-Man: Miles Morales, according to some stunning statistics shared by Insomniac. Alongside demonstrating just how good Insomniac’sSpider-Manseries is, these numbers also show how hungry gamers are for a good superhero game right now. Thankfully, theBatman: Arkhamseries is just the thing to satiate that appetite. One benefit of replaying these games now is that it will fulfil that desire for a city-sprawling superhero adventure across countless hours of gameplay, with more than enough content available to keep players engaged.
It’s A Perfect Series For A World Without A Consistent Batman
In the past several years, the character of Batman has been in flux in pop culture. The 2010s saw the end of the Christopher NolanDark Knightmovie era, the rise of shows likeGotham, the reimagining of Batman’s enemies inSuicide SquadandJoker, and an unsuccessful attempt at launching a grittier, older version of the character in the controversialDCEUmultiverse. With Robert Pattinson set to don the cowl inThe Batman, the character’s popular perception has never been more up in the air.
However, throughout that entire time, there was one depiction of Batman that stayed steady. AlthoughBatman:Arkham Knight’s deadly Batmobiledid cause some raised eyebrows among fans in 2015, the Arkhamverse version of the character has stayed relatively consistent throughout the games. This made the dynamic bombast of Batman’s rogues' gallery stand out even more as they giggled, froze, and riddled their way throughout Gotham. In the Reddit post evaluating theBatman: Arkhamfranchise, the justifications given for each game focused on specific parts of the Batman character that were portrayed well.
For example,Arkham Knightreally allows players to utilize Batman’s entire arsenal of gadgets, weaponry, and the iconic Batmobile. On the other hand, earlier titles likeOriginshoned in on the character’s “world’s greatest detective” moniker. Arkham Cityaimed at simulating Batman’s aerial travel around a Gotham cityscape. The first game,Asylum, while being much smaller in scope than its successors, embodies the feeling and tone of a classic Batman comic story like no other. Ultimately, theBatman: Arkhamseries fundamentally understands the character, and that level of understanding is perhaps missing right now in wider media.
Prepare For The Batman Movie With The Batman: Arkham Series
Batman’s morality is a huge point of contention among the character’s fans. In the RocksteadyArkhamseries, the developer tries to keep him to his moral code as much as possible, while Christopher Nolan’sBatman Beginsshowed the crusader bend his moral framework in fascinating and contradictory ways. Of course,Ben Affleck’s scrappedBatmanmoviewould have gone even darker, with the character killing plenty of opponents with little-to-no remorse in his other DCEU appearances.
Everything we know aboutThe Batmanso far indicates it will be adopting a rather dark and morally dubious tone. For example, it is likely thatThe Batman’s Riddler is based on the Zodiac Killer. This ties the character to some very real, and very grisly murders, transforming the often flamboyant Edward Nigma into a much more realistic and terrifying threat. It makes sense, as the Zodiac Killer ran rings around Northern Californian police forces for years, playing games akin to the Riddler’s. In fact, the Riddler ofArkham Cityconstantly taunts Batman in a similar fashion to the Zodiac Killer, and is nearly as elusive.
Thesource material for Reeves’The BatmanisEgo: A Psychotic Slide Into the Heart of Darkness.This particular story breaks apart the very psyche of the character and builds it back up from first principles. While not quite as dramatic as this, the earlyBatman: Arkhamgames employ a similar tactic.Arkham Asylumhas players journey,Heart of Darknessstyle, into the defining characteristic of Batman: the villains he chooses to face. As such,Batman: Arkhamserves as a great franchise to get gamers ready forThe Batmanin 2022, adding to the list of reasons why it is worth replaying.
Batman: Arkham Knightis available now on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
MORE:Games to Play If You Like the Batman: Arkham Series
