The addition of the Batmobile to the world of Arkham was always bound to polarise the fanbase, but its overbearing presence throughout the story eventually gave way to its inclusion being more tedious than exhilarating. It's not so much that the mechanics behind Batman's ride are poor, it's quite the opposite. The car feels fun to drive (once you get a hold over its controls) and is really fun to use in pursuit mode. But its combat role as a hover tank is quite frankly terrible, and the game features far too many of these segments in both the main story and its side missions. There will of course be those that are totally okay with Rocksteady's implementation of the Batmobile, and that's fine, but its crutch-like presence throughout the game's events feels almost oppressive, as its use is called for in everything from disarming mines to solving Riddler's challenges. Despite the fact that its use in Riddler's mind games is actually really inventive and enjoyable, its usage definitely encourages a change in Knight's motto. 'Be The Batmobile' sounds far more appropriate. In the conclusion of the game's second act its mandatory use just becomes tiresome, as oversaturated stealth battles become the norm and actually shatter the narrative's breakneck pace. There's no denying it feels great to use in small quantities, but someone really should've told Rocksteady to savour its inclusion, rather than plaster it everywhere humanly possible.
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.
