Is This The End For The Batman: Arkham Series?

By
Darren J Tyson
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Just like the Batman, Batman: Arkham Asylum came out of nowhere and delighted both fans and critics. It was hands down the best Batman game we had every got to experience. Perfectly placing us beneath the cowl as we sneak and fight our way through the prison. With Joker and Harley Quinn staging a riot and taking over the facility. Your first outing as Batman is sure to be a tough one. The developers at Rocksteady even had the magnificent minds to cast BTAS Batman and Joker, portrayed perfectly by Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill. The game was such an outstanding hit it went on to have two sequels and two spin-offs. However, the recent Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League has potentially killed off that universe in the most unceremonious fashion. With Suicide Squad flopping is this the end for the Batman: Arkham series?

Batman: Arkham Spin-Offs

Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate | Nintendo 3DS games | Games | Nintendo
Image Source: Nintendo

There have been a few attempts to branch out the Arkham universe, there’s an animated movie, comics, and games. Let’s focus on the game spinoffs. First came Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate, a 2D platformer/brawler that launched on the PSVita.

Gaming review: Batman: Arkham Origins | The Independent | The Independent
Image Source: The Independent

Then of course you have Batman: Arkham Origins which is technically a spin-off due to change in developer, voice actors, and not being included within the Arkham Trilogy. It is however an amazing game in my opinion. Finally giving us a game which just chucks an obscene amount of DC characters at you. Somewhat akin to the Marvel Ultimate Alliance games in which there would be an impressively large amount of characters you could fight as boss battles. Of course, a lot of fans don’t have the same warm, bubbly feelings towards the prequel. A lot of fans rank it as the worst in the series.

Croc in AK is scarier than Asylum or City hands down *shudder* : r/ BatmanArkham
Image Source: Reddit

Lastly, you have Batman Arkham VR which was outstanding use of, at the time, trending technology. The story, although enthralling, was way to short to be called a “game”. Many gamers were able to complete it in a mere 10 minutes. So, it all depends how much you value a Killer Croc jump scare in VR. I for one will pass on the heart attack, thank you!

Suicide Squad: Kills the Arkham Series!

Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League 'has fallen short of our expectations,' Warner says | PC Gamer
Image Source: PC Gamer

Although none of those spinoff games mentioned was received overwhelmingly, none of them killed the franchise. Sadly, were finally getting a continuation of the series one that was teased all the way back at the end of Batman: Arkham Origins, a suicide Squad game! Aptly named as the it seems to be Arkham universe’s suicide. There was no real need to set the game in the Arkham franchise. If we kill the Justice League why set it in the Arkham universe? Why bring Batman back just to kill him again? It all seems like a weird way to bring the bat back after his proposed fiery death via explosion, as seen in Arkham Knight. Let’s hope we get a true continuation of the universe and have some sort of retcon making this a branched universe that spun off the main Arkham one.

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