Highlights
- A new Batman game should explore a lesser-known story like "The War of Jokes and Riddles" to stand out from previous games.
- The story's early timeline and city-wide war setting would provide an opportunity for fresh versions of classic characters and intense boss fights.
- A multiplayer mode inspired by the story could be a hero shooter like Overwatch, allowing players to control Gotham's villains and potentially play as Batman as well.
As far as comic book characters are concerned, few, if any, have the legacy of Batman. Perhaps only Spider-Man comes close, as Batman has managed to thrive in animation, live action, and video games. Obviously, comic books are another area of strength for the World’s Greatest Detective, and several stories likely come to mind when thinking of his best moments. The Dark Knight Returns, The Long Halloween, The Killing Joke, Hush - the list goes on and on. However, to truly stand out, the next Batman game should put its spin on a story that is not as well known.
With Rocksteady’s excellent Batman: Arkham games setting a very high bar for the character, whatever comes next has to shake things up. Fans have suggested ways to do this, like a Batman Beyond game that allows players to fight through Neo-Gotham or a game centered around a different character becoming the Caped Crusader, such as Dick Grayson. However, the most intriguing option may be a version of The War of Jokes and Riddles, written by Tom King, as it could lead to a quality multiplayer and singleplayer experience.
Why The War of Jokes and Riddles Would Work as a Batman Game
While the Arkham franchise took inspiration from classic storylines like A Death in the Family and Under the Red Hood, Batman games have started to embrace some modern classics as well. For example, Gotham Knights heavily featured the Court of Owls, which did not debut until Scott Snyder’s run in 2012. As such, pulling from Tom King’s 2016 run is not out of the realm of possibility. While there are many great things to borrow from it, such as the relationship between Batman and Catwoman, The War of Jokes and Riddles is a natural fit for a video game.
On the singleplayer end of things, the story would be a natural place to start a new Batman video game franchise. This is because it takes place early in Bruce Wayne’s vigilante career, allowing gamers to skip by his earliest fights and take control of a slightly experienced Dark Knight. If it serves as a starting point, newcomers could get invested in fresh versions of classic characters - something the story certainly had with its murderous Riddler and a Joker that was unable to laugh.
Like the name suggests, the story focuses on a city-wide war between the Ridder and Joker, with nearly all the supervillains picking a side and Gotham being a warzone for months. This would enable tons of boss fights, as Batman could be tasked with stopping threats on both sides, with a war-torn Gotham being a setting that could feel distinct from the one seen in Arkham Knight. With one of the few criticisms of this comic arc being that fans did not see enough of the damage caused by the war - with only a few moments like the battle between Deathstroke and Deadshot being depicted - a game could fully dive into the conflicts and show how they impact Batman.
A singleplayer mode could focus on Batman stopping the Riddler and Joker from destroying his city, while also showing some of his first encounters with members of his rogues’ gallery, a Batman game based on The War of Jokes and Riddles could add a multiplayer mode to truly stand out. While the Arkham franchise failed to deliver this, as Batman: Arkham Origins’ multiplayer mode did not catch on at all, it is worth another chance. After all, games like Gotham City Imposters showed potential, and multiplayer titles are bigger than ever nowadays.
While the ill-fated Gotham City Imposters could serve as one possible inspiration, with the mode being an FPS where players pick a side and dress their characters as a Joker or Riddler gang member, there is a more interesting opportunity to consider. A game based on this particular Batman story could take the form of a hero shooter like Overwatch. Players could control the villains of Gotham City, wielding Poison Ivy’s plants or transforming like Clayface. With Batman himself briefly picking a side in the conflict, he could be playable in the multiplayer as well. With an adaptation of The War of Jokes and Riddles having the potential to work in both multiplayer and singleplayer, hopefully a Batman game inspired by the comic becomes a reality one day.