Batman: Arkham Beyond - 10 Reasons It's The Perfect Sequel
It makes WAY more sense than just more of the same.
Before Arkham Asylum, superhero games were almost always seen as a joke outside of the odd gem like Marvel Ultimate Alliance. Asylum changed everything, introducing a visceral combat system and a gripping story featuring fantastic voice talents like Mark Hamill and Kevin Conroy.
Since wrapping up the Arkham Trilogy with Arkham Knight back in 2015, fans have been clamouring for another release from Rocksteady Studios - who prior to developing Arkham Asylum, were almost complete unknowns. The persistent rumour has been a Superman game, but the Man of Steel's track record in the gaming industry is less than stellar. A Justice League game has also been touted, but balancing all the heroes may prove too difficult for the studio.
Instead of these, Rocksteady should look to the future, but of the Arkhamverse.
While Bruce Wayne's story may be complete, there are far many stories to be told. The best option would be that of Terry McGinnis, who assumes the role of the Dark Knight in the 1999 series, Batman Beyond. It would be an incredibly risky move from Rocksteady who are sure to make money with a Superman game as a breath of fresh air, but there are plenty of reasons why they should go Beyond Arkham instead.
10. A Superman Game Wouldn't Work
While the vast majority of fans would be expecting a Superman game to be Rocksteady's next project, it may not be the match made in heaven it appears to be on the surface. Superman is such a fundamentally different hero to Batman that a lot of the core game mechanics that made Batman so great would be useless in a game for the Man of Steel.
Firstly, the combat system would have to be completely overhauled. Combat in the Arkham games was grounded and impactful due to Batman's lack of powers. As every enemy felt like they genuinely could hurt him, each fight felt important. For a character as strong as Superman, combat would be completely useless as no mere thug could hurt a superpowered alien.
The predator system would also be completely unnecessary as Superman has no need for stealth, either. The bullets that are so deadly for Batman would have almost no effect on Superman without any Kryptonite present. Without these two crucial components, the game would be completely different from the Arkham games and quality may suffer because of it.
If Rocksteady were to instead opt for a Batman Beyond game, they could retain the key features of the original game yet also use the futuristic setting to expand upon the concepts and take them to new heights.