It’s hard to believe that a full five years have passed since the release of Batman: Arkham Knight. Back then, few of us would have guessed that we would have to wait this long for a sequel, but now it seems like that time may finally be upon us. While Arkham Knight was touted as the finale of the Arkham series, fans have been left wondering that the next iteration of DC’s Batman gaming franchise would look like.
Now, with rumours of a new game release swirling amid the release of a number of teaser photos and videos from WB Games Montreal, the studio behind the Arkham series, it looks like we may finally be about to receive what we have all been waiting for. While facts are virtually non-existent, let’s take a closer look and speculate as to what we might be able to expect from the next Batman game, whenever it arrives.
1. A Departure from Arkham
One thing that looks increasingly likely is that the next Batman game will be a departure from the Arkham series plotline. Officially, the series is done and dusted, with the voice actors from the series since announcing that they will not be returning to reprise their roles. This means that the next game may have a completely different look and feel that what we are used to. If DC decides to depart from the gothic darkness and unhinged humour of the Arkham series for something that more closely resembles, say, the Christopher Nolan Dark Knight film series, it will be interesting to see how the fans respond.
2. More Playable DC Universe Characters
Arkham Knight ended with the retirement of Bruce Wayne, following his exposure as the winged crusader. This, combined with an increased number of opportunities to play other characters (albeit in a limited setting) in the later Arkham games, suggests that new installations may focus on characters other than Batman entirely. The appetite is certainly there among the fans. Hit films like Suicide Squad (released in 2016) have introduced people to other characters in the DC universe, whilst relegating Batman to the background. In the world of online gaming, new DC-licensed online slots releases such as the Suicide Squad slot features newly beloved characters such as Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy. The evident popularity of alternative DC characters may influence the next big game.
3. A Bigger Open World Than Ever Before
While facts have been hard to come by, one thing we do know is that DC was recently developing a Batman game with a ‘massive’ open-world, before scrapping it. This may mean that any new Batman game will feature an open world that far outstrips the ones seen in previous games. While some players drew umbrage at the large open world of Arkham Knight, arguing that it was not as fleshed out as it could have been, a new Batman game may well have fixed that issue by incorporating the rich, well-developed open world of Arkham City and combining it with the vast terrain of games such as Red Dead Redemption 2. Large, detailed open world are big sellers on the gaming market today. Therefore, it is entirely likely that DC could go down this route.
We may not know when the next Batman game is coming, but it seems almost certain that one is in the works. Watch this space for more information.
