The Best Possible DC Game For Telltale to Make Isn’t More Batman

Telltale Games is a well-known name in the world of narrative games, but it has faced some challenges in recent years. After closing down in 2018, the studio reopened under a new owner called LCG Entertainment and with fresh management and employees. However, this newer company still holds many of Telltale’s original licensing agreements, sparking curiosity among fans about whether they might produce more games in popular series such as Batman.

Telltale Games is back on track with the release of The Expanse, and they’re planning to follow it up with a new installment of The Wolf Among Us.

The company has yet to speak about the potential continuation of Batman, despite the likelihood that it would be well-received. There’s certainly room for more in-depth Batman stories given his complex rogues gallery and the vast array of DC Comics characters that could collaborate. However, instead of immediately diving back into Batman, it might be wiser to let the character take a break and focus on an underdeveloped aspect of DC Comics: Watchmen.

Telltale Games Could Work Wonders With a Watchmen Adaptation

Watchmen Works Well With Minimal Gameplay

Prior to Zack Snyder’s well-known 2009 film adaption, Warner Bros. launched a game titled “Watchmen: The End is Nigh“. This game primarily focuses on Rorschach and Nite Owl, involving them in combat as they traverse a crime-ridden city. Although it’s not terrible—it has good controls, runs smoothly, and looks acceptable—most would categorize it as nothing more than average. The main reason for this assessment lies in the inconsistency between the “Watchmen” narrative and beat-em-up gameplay. The original “Watchmen” is character-driven, packed with social commentary and self-critiques of the superhero genre. Consequently, a game that mainly celebrates these characters’ physical fights contradicts the source material and comes off as unoriginal.

In my gaming world, much like with Snyder’s take on Watchmen, I often encounter criticisms that certain adaptations simplify complex narratives to fit conventional action-driven storylines for superheroes. It feels as if the depth and intrigue of the original work gets lost in translation somehow.

Instead of encountering awkwardness, a Telltale game based on “Watchmen” could effortlessly avoid it. After all, one of the key attractions of Telltale’s adaptations is their absence of fast-paced combat or intricate mechanical challenges. Instead, they focus on intricate, multi-layered narratives that are guided by the player. Given that the original “Watchmen” story primarily revolves around dialogue, with action serving to shape the plot rather than entertain, a choice-driven interactive adaptation seems quite fitting.

What a Watchmen Telltale Adaptation Could Look Like

While Watchmen belongs to DC Comics and shares connections through the Doomsday Clock storyline, it differs significantly from other comic books centered around superheroes like Justice League. Instead of being an expansive universe filled with multiple heroes, villains, and alternate realities, Watchmen is more self-contained. It follows a traditional narrative structure – starting, progressing, and concluding – rather than serving as a foundation for endless reproduction and expansion, which is typical in most superhero media.

Given the nature of the Watchmen universe, it imposes certain limitations on adaptations. However, these constraints don’t have to be seen as negative. For instance, in a hypothetical Telltale game scenario, we could delve deeper into an earlier period of the Watchmen or Minute Men, providing fans with a more intimate look at crucial moments in the Watchmen narrative. Another possibility is that Telltale could create a sequel to the original story, much like HBO’s Watchmen TV series, which focuses on events after Ozymandias’ plot. By working within the constraints of the Watchmen universe, Telltale could craft a gripping and meaningful narrative, rather than just another installment in an endless superhero tale.

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2025-06-04 13:36