Why the Arkhamverse Needs to Slow Down for Epic Prequel Storytelling!

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The gameplay formula in the universe of Arkham Asylum games, or Arkhamverse, remains evergreen due to its deep world-building, allowing it to maintain relevance for a prolonged period. Intriguing aspects about key characters, settings, and events in this universe make it captivating, such as Batman: Arkham Shadow. This game stands out for several reasons, including its chilling origin story of Harvey Dent’s Two-Face, the introduction of a compassionate enemy faction with the Rat King’s followers, and the long-awaited in-game appearance of the Arkhamverse’s Carmine Falcone. The Arkhamverse has effectively showcased the importance of prequels through games like Batman: Arkham Origins, Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate, and Batman: Arkham Shadow.

It’s said that Rocksteady Studios is now focusing on a new Batman game following the release of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, and while there’s a chance it could be a prequel, it seems likely to advance the Arkhamverse in the current or even future timeframes. There have been rumors about potential sequels to Batman: Arkham Shadow, developed by Camouflaj for VR and possibly other studios for non-VR platforms. If these sequels do come out, they should take their time and avoid rushing to match Batman: Arkham Asylum’s timeline, allowing the prequel games to fully explore the rich era of the franchise.

Batman’s Arkhamverse Prequels Should All Be Tight-Knit for Longevity’s Sake

In the storyline of Batman: Arkham Shadow, we find ourselves three months after the events of Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate and six months following Batman: Arkham Origins. This new timeline offers an excellent opportunity to witness Batman’s character growth, which is more seamless compared to the disjointed progression in games like Batman: Arkham Asylum, Batman: Arkham City, and Batman: Arkham Knight. The narrative flow of Shadow is tighter, making it easier to follow the storyline as compared to those games.

In the Arkhamverse, one night can hold a multitude of events under Batman’s vigilance. However, the prequels’ duration of just half a year appears minuscule when compared to the two-year span of the Arkham trilogy by Rocksteady, including Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, followed by a five-year leap after Knight. This consistency gives each prequel game a sense of connectedness and immediate continuity, which Shadow closely adheres to as it too is largely set within the controversial premises of Blackgate, much like its predecessors.

The problem with a sequel skipping over significant events following the storyline of “Shadow” is that it would inevitably miss or ignore crucial moments. There’s a span of years between “Shadow” and “Asylum,” but those years are filled with opportunities for compelling continuations. In fact, some of the most impactful narrative developments happen during this gap.

  • Barbara Gordon becoming Batgirl before eventually being shot and paralyzed by Joker, as witnessed in Batman: Arkham Knight’s hallucinatory flashback.
  • Dick Grayson becoming Robin before eventually becoming Nightwing and moving to Bludhaven.
  • Jason Todd becoming Robin and presumably being killed by Joker, as witnessed in Batman: Arkham Knight’s hallucinatory flashback.
  • Tim Drake becoming Robin, which must be while Barbara is Batgirl, as seen in Batman: Arkham Knight’s “A Matter of Family” DLC.
  • Bruce Wayne meeting Ra’s al Ghul (who he’s apparently encountered “many times” by Batman: Arkham City) and having a passionate relationship and fallout with Ra’s’ daughter, Talia.
  • Arkham Asylum’s reopening via Warden Quincy Sharp, Professor Hugo Strange, and the League of Assassins’ Shiva, as discreetly and loosely alluded to in Batman: Arkham Origins and Batman: Arkham City.
  • Pamela Isley becoming Poison Ivy, which is inferred to have occurred on November 12 with her 41st patient interview tape from Batman: Arkham Asylum being on its “anniversary.” It is unknown if this tape was recorded around the same time as Asylum’s events or long before, but Batman: Arkham Shadow’s Poison Ivy tease seems to suggest that her origin story occurs years earlier in the timeline (which, retcon or not, would be ideal since it’d keep the gap between Shadow and Asylum wide and plentiful).

Batman’s Arkhamverse Needs to Pick Its Battles Carefully and Not Progress the Timeline Idly

As a devoted fan, I can’t help but ponder about the potential paths the Arkhamverse could embark on to keep its pulse racing for the coming years. The intricate relationships between Batman and his formidable adversaries in “Asylum” hint at a significant time gap since their initial encounters. This temporal distance adds depth to the narrative, making me eager to witness how these stories unfold through unique games within the franchise.

Not all criminal acts committed by a villain are substantial enough to warrant a dedicated game representation. For example, Two-Face’s bank robberies in Knight might not have been worthy of their own game, whereas Harvey Dent’s brief and evasive rule as the Rat King was certainly deserving.

Any future addition to this series should aim to fill the substantial voids in the timeline effectively. If not, the prequel storyline of the Arkhamverse may soon run dry, potentially making the franchise feel stale unless Rocksteady manages to usher the series into a fresh era with its current projects. Consequently, a sequel set immediately after Shadow would be ideal as it could resolve the unanswered questions from that game while still offering a wealth of original stories.

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2025-03-13 23:31