Highlights

  • A new Batman Beyond game could breathe fresh life into the DC gaming universe with a focus on a younger, reimagined caped crusader.
  • The game could introduce a new Batman with acrobatic combat and a cyberpunk futuristic Gotham setting for an exciting player experience.
  • Warner Bros. Games should consider developing a single-player Batman title to recapture the success of the Arkhamverse while pushing the boundaries of the property.

While the Arkhamverse is getting a new addition via Batman: Arkham Shadow, a VR-exclusive title likely isn't enough for DC games to bounce back after recent titles Gotham Knights and Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League largely failed to reach the standards established by the Arkham games. While there is speculation that other DC projects in the works could help repair DC’s gaming reputation, a much safer bet would be to rely on the character that got Rocksteady to the heights it achieved with the Arkhamverse, and the game wouldn’t even need Arkham in the title.

Batman Beyond is a beloved animated TV series that ambitiously departs from Bruce Wayne as the series’ Batman and instead finds its new superhero in teenager Terry McGinnis. The series brought an unconventional take on what a different Batman in a futuristic Gotham could be, and a Batman Beyond game could have exactly what’s needed to propel DC back to the top of the superhero games genre.

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What Makes Batman Beyond Compelling for a Video Game?

Stepping Away from Bruce Wayne

Instead of a character whose story has been tried and tested for decades in a variety of different media, a Batman game that explores a new character behind the bat suit could be a refreshing restart from what was created in the Arkhamverse. Terry McGinnis can be designed similar to how Miles Morales was introduced in the Marvel's Spider-Man games: as a young version of a well-established superhero now weighing the fame and responsibility that comes with crime fighting, while also trying to set himself apart from his predecessor. Putting an older Bruce Wayne in a mentoring role and letting Terry McGinnis shine as Batman will create an enticing dynamic in the game, alongside what inner turmoil a younger Batman faces in his new but difficult role as guardian of Gotham.

A New Way to Examine the World

The new Batman doesn’t have to match the intelligence and detective skills of his predecessor. While the forensic examination feature in the Arkham games was an engaging way to highlight one of Bruce Wayne’s most prominent skills, a Batman Beyond protagonist should have a unique investigation skill set of their own. Instead of a stone-cold demeanor when facing friends and foes alike, a different Batman could be designed with the young Terry McGinnis in mind, possessing equal amounts wit and tenacity. In Arkhamverse, Batman is definitively the world’s greatest detective, but a clever, street-smart Batman could provide a unique edge to the superhero yet to be featured in a Batman game.

Agility and Aggression

While a new genre of combat games inspired by Rocksteady's Batman flourished with rhythmic but brutal punches and kicks, the exploration and movement surrounding those fights in Arkham games were intentionally made slow to capture Batman’s superiority in skill and strength, rather than speed and agility. Arkham’s Batman is a dark and looming shadow over daring criminals, but this was translated into heavy ground-based combat with creative gadget abilities for variation. It would be worthwhile to see a different version of Batman that relies on sheer athleticism and mobility to traverse through the world and take on groups of enemies.

In a Batman Beyond game, Batman could acrobatically take down foes and include a completely different set of moves for aerial combat. Fighting enemies in the air wasn’t much of an option in the Arkham games, but by using a combination of rocket boots and superhuman strength, a new Batman could benefit from criminals flailing in the air before slamming them to the ground. What this new Batman lacks in precision and mastery in several martial art styles could be made up for with energetic, acrobatic fights and an aggressive wrestling background. Combine that with this Batman’s experience as a street fighter, and Batman Beyond could continue the lineage of DC games with intense combat while also introducing a fresh and stylistically unique superhero.

Batman Beyond Key Art
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The Potential For A Brighter Gotham

A Cyberpunk Future

Gotham’s desaturated and bleak look has served the Arkham games well, but a new vision of Gotham will help a Batman Beyond game be exciting to free roam through. A futuristic Gotham would pair perfectly with the cyberpunk aesthetic, as tall skyscrapers and holographic displays contrast the ever-present sense of doom and absence of human empathy. A young Batman facing the harsh realities of this Neo-Gotham would present plenty of creative story arcs within a story-rich open world game for players to experience. The advantages of technology for Batman and his foes could make for unique gameplay, but concerns surrounding artificial intelligence, for example, could be fully realized in this version of Gotham as a major plot point in this game.

A Gotham filled with vibrant colors and advanced architecture would be a big refresher from the traditional Arkhamverse look, and a Batman Beyond game should make the most of this version of Gotham by rethinking character traversal. While zip-lining and gliding were simple yet fun ways to explore the city, designing a Gotham that an athletic Batman could parkour around like in Spider-Man games would be a surprising but welcoming feature not seen in the Arkhamverse. Vaulting over neon signs and wall-running across corporate buildings is stretching the idea of what Batman does, but Batman Beyond as an animated series was made to experiment and defy expectations, as should a game with the same name.

While the Arkhamverse is one of the best video game universes created, a Batman Beyond game has enough potential to stand apart and create a new universe that follows Batman in a future overflowing with style and flair. Warner Bros. Games should avoid making the same mistakes as its recent releases and develop a DC single-player game with Batman at the forefront, while allowing a studio to creatively develop a new take on the superhero set in an appealing and remodeled Gotham City. It’s a risky and ambitious idea, but if Warner Bros. Games wants to start a new franchise with Batman at the helm, it should strongly consider funding a project about a young, reimagined caped crusader.