What's Next For The Batman Arkham Games

 you read the title correct. The Batman Arkham games have been around for quite some time. It all started with Batman Arkham Asylum which changed the landscape of superhero video games. It introduced Joker as the main villain and exceeded imaginings of the character, and had some of the best boss battles we saw to that point. After, the release we wanted more, as Arkham Asylum itched a spot for so many of the video game fans and comic book readers. The second game only expanded on that and delivered so much more than anyone could have expected. The release of Batman Arkham City, which is my personal favorite, really set a high standard for the series that it never could reach again. The next that was released was Batman Arkham Origins, which is a prequel and had a good concept but just not many played it or cared about it. The next, and last, Batman title to release was perhaps the biggest title in the series and that is Batman Arkham Knight. Arkham Knight had mixed reviews and still does to this day, it was a Batman version of Tank Wars with supernatural elements.

However, I’m not here to talk about the past games as that is a different conversation for a whole new day. Let’s talk about what’s next for the series. There have been rumors for about four years that this game would be releasing and yet we still have no idea what this game will be nor do we even know when it will release. But I will tell you what should happen, we really have only two good choices for stories and today I will discuss those two stories.

BATMAN BEYOND

Batman Beyond has a cult following behind it, which is why they might not go that way. They could go two routes and that is either with Damian Wayne or Terry Mcginnis. Damian Wayne makes more sense canon wise with the ending of Arkham Knight but, that ending never got explained, so who am I to make a guess. With this kind of game, what should we actually expect? THE CONDIMENT KING! I’m joking, calm down, don’t attack me. The story would have to take place about 10-20 years after Batman was gone. Damian Wayne picking up his father’s cowl would be a cool moment and maybe even an older Bruce Wayne guiding him could tell a great father/son story much like God Of War did in 2018. Would it sell? Yes, the Batman name always sells, but the issue with this title could be that not many casual fans even know about Damian Wayne or his origins so it might be a tough sell to them. Damian Wayne could also be compelling to new fans as he is someone new for casual fans to cheer for and that could change a lot and even help growth within the genre. With it being 20 years later, that means Gotham has changed along with the villains. If we go this route, that means no Joker exists which could be hard for them to do, Two-Face will be older, and Batman Beyond villains are way more cartoony, which is saying a lot for DC comics. That’s not to say they couldn’t reforge these characters either, but it’s all just a lot of limbs to go out on.

What if they use Terry Mcginnis? Or as I call him The Nightwing Wannabe. Okay, I’m making people mad with that. But really, Mcginnis is compelling and has a lot of charisma and could bring a whole new kind of Batman story that we have yet to see in gaming. They would have to go a similar route as they would with Damian, but if you choose Mcginnis, it could be a world without Bruce Wayne and could bring in a whole new trilogy. Either way, a Batman Beyond game will be a hard sell for casual fans of the Dark Knight but could bring in a whole new kind of fanbase.

BATMAN: ARKHAM ORIGINS 2

This is what I personally want. I was a fan of Arkham Origins but it had its issue with the flow of its storytelling. Keep in mind that that game was also made by a different studio to bide time while Knight was being made. Batman has a special story early in his career that can be the prequel to Arkham Asylum, so it’s like coming full circle. I’ll just say if you do this timeline, then we need The Court Of Owls story arc. The best story arc in the history of the Dark Knight comic book line. It can end up being the most compelling story in any superhero game (take that Marvel). I’m not going to explain this arc for the game because I don’t wanna be the one to spoil the masterpiece that is The Court of Owls arc. Just go and read it right now, then come back here and comment and tell me how I just changed your life.

Which one should it be? Either way, we will get a great experience and I expect a trailer at E3 (please I’m begging). However, I do expect a release this generation, so I fully expect a late 2019 or early 2020 release. Let us know in the comments what you think will happen with this great series and when you think we’ll see it being revealed and released.