Highlights

  • Batman's gadgets, such as the Bat Beacon and cloaking device, could offer unique and diverse gameplay options in future games.
  • Batarangs, a staple of Batman's arsenal, have countless variations that could be introduced in the next Batman game, expanding the gameplay possibilities.
  • To add a touch of nostalgia and humor, incorporating the Bat-Shark Repellent gadget from the campy Batman TV show would make the next Batman game stand out.

There are a ton of reasons to love Batman. Over the last eight decades, the character of Batman has been given a great deal of depth, with countless comic runs and graphic novels spending pages and pages exploring every inch of the Caped Crusader's psyche. And if Batman's fleshed-out character isn't what draws fans in, then his overall look and fighting style might be the thing that does it. Though it's altered in every iteration, Batman's look is almost always undeniably cool, and part of that look is the hero's countless gadgets, a staple of the character that's always fun to see - especially in video games like the Batman: Arkham series.

Over the course of four games, the Batman: Arkham series put over 10 iconic gadgets in players' hands, and put them to great use time and time again. From mainstays like Batman: Arkham Asylum's glide and Batarangs, to Arkham Origins' Shock Gloves, to Arkham Knight's Batmobile, the entire Batman: Arkham series set an extremely high bar for the next Batman game's gadgets. But there are still a few classic Batman gadgets that haven't been used just yet.

RELATED: Arkham Origins Deserves Its Own Batman Trilogy Leading Up to Arkham Asylum

Batman's Bat Beacon

A Fun Twist on Batman's Smoke Pellets

First seen in Frank Miller's seminal Batman: Year One graphic novel, and then later shown on-screen in Batman Begins, Batman's Bat Beacon is one of the hero's most underrated gadgets. By activating a specific ultrasonic frequency, Batman can call upon bats in the nearby area and get them to swarm a designated target. This is often used in Batman media as a method of escape, with the bats creating enough havoc to allow Batman to just slip by unnoticed. The Bat Beacon could easily be used in the next Batman game, potentially replacing his usual smoke pellets.

Batman's Cloaking Device

Batman Beyond Cloak

A High-Tech Get-Out-Of-Jail Free Card

A gadget that's only really been used in Batman Beyond, a cloaking device would be an interesting tool for the next Batman game to use. With the cloaking device being a more futuristic tool, it would only really make sense in a Batman game set in the near-future, like a direct Batman Beyond adaptation. In the game, the cloak could act as a quick and simple get-out-of-jail-free card, returning the player to stealth instantly and allowing them to retreat to safety, much like Miles Morales' cloak in Marvel's Spider-Man 2.

Batman's Countless Different Batarangs

batman holding two batarangs

There's More Than Fans Might Think

Arguably the most iconic gadget in Batman's extensive arsenal, Batarangs have been a part of the Batman: Arkham series since the very beginning, in several different forms. The Arkham series gives players a regular Batarang, a remote-controlled Batarang, an electrified Batarang, and sonic Batarangs, but even then, that's just scratching the surface. Over the last 84 years, Batman has had more Batarang types than fans could even imagine, meaning that there's still room for more in the next Batman game. The Magnetic Batarang, Flash-Bulb Batarang, Rope Batarang, Smoke Batarang, Hellfire Batarang, and more are all still up for grabs.

Batman's Jet-Wing

Batman Jet Wing

Adding a New Dimension to the Caped Crusader's Traversal

While the Batman: Arkham series did a great job of capturing the Caped Crusader's signature style of traversal, Arkham Knight probably took things as far as they could possibly go. So, for the next Batman game, it might be time to make some big additions to traversal, and that might include the Jet-Wing gadget. Only ever really seen in animated shows like Batman: The Animated Series, the Jet-Wing is exactly what it sounds like, acting as a small portable jetpack on the side of Batman's utility belt, aided by stiffer, usually armored wings.

Batman's Bat-Shark Repellent

Bat Shark Repellent

Adding a Bit of Levity to a Dark Hero

Nowadays, Batman is almost always portrayed as a dark and brooding superhero, watching from the shadows and striking fear into the hearts of his enemies. But that wasn't always the way. Back in the early days of Batman comics, and then later popularized by the Adam West Batman TV show, the Caped Crusader used to be much campier, and nowhere is that more evident than in the infamous Bat-Shark Repellent scene from the 1966 movie. One surefire way to make the next Batman game stand out is by hearkening back to the series' campier roots, and a Bat-Shark Repellent gadget would certainly do that.