Why the Arkhamverse Must Focus More on Bruce Wayne for Future Success!

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The Batman’s Arkham series is at a pivotal point after the releases of “Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League” and “Batman: Arkham Knight – Shadow Edition”. Any upcoming Batman game within the Arkham franchise will likely generate great anticipation, and hopefully, it will continue to evolve in the same way that “Batman: Arkham Knight – Shadow Edition” has: by maintaining a strong commitment to the original storyline and gameplay while also not shying away from telling an authentic, daring narrative. A key aspect of this boldness, particularly in the case of “Batman: Arkham Knight – Shadow Edition”, was delving deeply into the complex character of Bruce Wayne.

Of course, Bruce is technically always playing a large role since he’s who inhabits the Batsuit.

Although Batman is a significant aspect of Bruce’s personality, it’s clear when Bruce isn’t wearing the cowl that there’s a noticeable difference. Scenes like these are crucial, even if they don’t occur frequently in the series. The fact that Batman: Arkham Shadow spends a lot of time focusing on Bruce, whether he’s in Blackgate Prison attire or not, underscores the importance of such moments. It’s my hope that future Arkhamverse games will learn from this and incorporate more scenes like these.

Batman’s Arkhamverse Needs to Let Bruce Out of the Cave More

The Arkhamverse consists of seven primary games featuring Batman, including “Batman: Arkham Asylum,” “Batman: Arkham City,” “Batman: Arkham Origins,” “Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate,” “Batman: Arkham Knight,” “Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League,” and “Batman: Arkham Shadow.” Since Batman can glide around when dressed as the Caped Crusader, his active participation in gameplay is minimal. This is evident in Bruce’s appearances in the series prior to “Batman: Arkham Shadow.

  • Batman never removes the cowl in Batman: Arkham Asylum and the only place where players can actually see what Bruce would’ve looked like is his character biography illustration.
  • Batman: Arkham City opens with Bruce getting himself forcefully admitted to Arkham City, where he regains consciousness and has an opportunity to knock out Penguin before he has Alfred drop down a Batsuit in a Batpod.
  • It’s not until Batman: Arkham Origins that Bruce has considerable significance in both gameplay and the narrative due to the poignant conversations he shares with Alfred Pennyworth, the opening of the Cold, Cold Heart DLC at Wayne Manor, and the Initiation DLC’s Challenge Mode campaign.
  • Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate, like Asylum, keeps Bruce in the Batsuit the entire game.
  • Batman: Arkham Knight has Bruce play a minor role with his most prominent moments revolving around his secret identity being revealed to the world—one profound scene sees Bruce unmask before Thomas Elliot in Wayne International Plaza’s penthouse.
  • Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League features a hologram of Bruce who, with his identity already public, unmasks to lament about his Bat-family (Tim Drake is supposedly murdered by Batman’s clone at this point) and gives a long monologue about how to thwart a compromised Justice League.

In the Batman universe, particularly in Arkhamverse, Bruce Wayne’s trauma has been extensively explored and analyzed, not just in comics but also other related media. However, the introduction of Dr. Leslie Thompkins in “Batman: Arkham Knight” was exceptional as it subtly enriched Bruce’s past and Harvey Dent’s storyline too, all while respecting the existing narrative continuity. Moreover, Bruce Wayne’s over-dramatic voice and behavior, much like his cape and cowl, serve as a unique perspective through which he views Gotham City.

In the world of Arkhamverse, as Irving “Matches” Malone, Bruce finds himself empathizing with characters such as Joe and Dr. Harleen Quinzel in unprecedented ways. Additionally, Leslie manages to humble Bruce in a way that’s never been seen before within this universe. To ensure the success of future Arkhamverse games, it’s crucial that the storylines continue to involve Bruce.

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2025-01-29 01:54