10 Things All Superhero Games Can Learn From Batman: Arkham
7. A Gameplay Focused Studio.
Whilst there are many ingredients that make up the recipe to a successful superhero transition to gaming, gameplay is the most important one. The guys at Rocksteady have re-iterated constantly that their main aim with the Arkham series is to make the player feel like Batman a goal that then spurs on the gameplay mechanics featured in the series. This formulae is comprised of two parts, namely free-flow combat and invisible predator. Due to their knowledge of Batman and his various iterations, Rocksteady was able to apply gameplay aspects that fitted the character in order to really immerse the player in the cape and cowl. Obviously different heroes hold different characteristics, so this means that stealth and hand-to-hand combat shouldnt always be the norm for superhero games to follow. THQ's 2008 take on The Punisher played to that character's strengths, grounding the title as a third-person shooter ala the Max Payne series, and it worked a treat. Spider-Man on the other hand, has receiving a plethora of fantastic gameplay mechanics over the years - but no one developer has yet been able to crack the formulae and deliver a truly phenomenal title on the level of an Arkham release.
