Arkham Asylum really did have it all. Its gothic setting was only usurped by an amazingly suspenseful atmosphere, and its gameplay, sound and story were all perfect. Honestly, how has the series managed to lose such unanimous adulation? The answer lies in the way the stories are told, and also the environments in which they are told in. The first game set out to tell a unique and compelling Batman story, unhindered by continuity restraints or editorial derision, and it worked impeccably. Players were jettisoned into a semi-linear environment from one of Batman's most famous locales, and seeing it brought to life - more importantly - seeing it used by the villains he had incarcerated for years, made for a game unparalleled in its dedication to the license. A sense of vulnerability dominated the title's proceedings, something that felt almost absent in City and Knight. Ignoring the contrived presence of an off-site Bat-cave, this was because Bruce was up against the odds in Asylum, and that's conveyed superbly through the Joker's gruelling traps and designs. It's a difficult thing to recapture when the hero has an entire armoury in his utility belt in later titles, so it only makes sense to return to the 'Asylum formula' to rekindle the series' initial magic. An open world doesn't have to be a necessary component for all Arkham games. What is necessary however is a compelling narrative and a creative environment - without these two elements, Arkham simply isn't what it used to be. How do you want to see the Arkhamverse continue? Or do you think it should call it quits with Knight? Let us know in the comments below!
WhatCulture's very own resident movie guy, Ewan has been working in the content creation biz for over 10 years now, having started as a freelance contributor to WhatCulture Gaming all the way back in 2015. After graduating with a First-Class Honours in History from Northumbria University in 2017 (where he won a prize for a totally killer dissertation on the Watergate years), Ewan took on the role of Comics Editor at WhatCulture and quickly developed WhatCulture Comics into one of the biggest superhero-focused channels on YouTube. He followed this with a brief hiatus at Screen Rant in 2021, where he worked across the Gaming and Film sections as a writer and editor, before returning to WhatCulture as a Senior Content Producer / Presenter in 2023. He started his own podcast, We Love Dad Movies, in 2022, and has contributed several written pieces to the Eisner-nominated comics website Shelfdust as well.
In his current role, Ewan incorporates his love of cinema, comic books, and history into written pieces and video essays for WhatCulture's Film & TV channel, as well as WhatCulture Gaming and WhatCulture Horror, with a particular focus on nineties-era Dad Movies, old school Westerns, and Golden Age Hollywood Noir. John Carpenter is his fave, and he thinks Batman Beyond should never have been cancelled. If that's your vibe, you'll probably like his stuff.
