Batman: Arkham 2017: 10 Ways To Make The Perfect Damian Wayne Game

4. Redefine The Utility Belt

What do you get for the Bat who has everything? A smaller utility belt, obviously.

Look, I get that gamers who want to play as Batman are after the ultimate power fantasy, but that's just not what the character is. Having a gadget for every occasion may sound like an interesting prospect at first, and indeed even palatable for those looking for the self-aware humour of sixties-era Batman, but the fact is the Arkham games totally lack that ironic element. As a consequence, Batman's over-inflated arsenal lacks both comedy and nuance - his Swiss Army belt on hand for every occasion without fail.

How about we get rid of the belt for a level or two? My personal favourite BTAS episode, 'If you're so smart, why aren't you rich?' happens to have such an event. Inspiration could also be found from within the medium, particularly in Splinter Cell, which would force players to select their loadout before heading out of the Bat-Cave. Not only would this tailor gameplay to the player's preferred style of Batman, it would also up the ante altogether.

Taking a stealthy approach? Make batarangs, hacking, and lighter armour a priority. Want to go in not-guns-a-blazing because Batman doesn't shoot people but likes head on confrontation anyway? Go for a heavier loadout and pack escrima sticks and explosive gel; let players be the Batman they want to be.

This just makes too much sense to me, considering the fact that everyone has their own favourite version of the character. Give players that extra freedom in a manner that challenges - accompanied by a non-linear environment with multiple approaches to confrontation - and you'll have the complete Batman package, not to mention countless incentives to experience the game all over again.