Rocksteady’s rumored new Batman game definitely won’t be the game I want

It sounds like a new one Batman: Arkham The game could be in the works at Rocksteady Studios, but as exciting as it might be, it’s incredibly unlikely to be the game I personally want. D Batman: Arkham The series is iconic for a reason, elevating the superhero genre with compelling stories, fluid battles and a richly atmospheric take on Gotham City. Like more recent successes Marvel’s Spider-Man The games for PS4 and PS5 take a lot of inspiration from Rocksteady’s titles, and I’d argue that the newer options still lose out in direct comparison.

Like many fans, I’m just starting out Batman: Arkham travel with Arkham City. As an open-world sequel Arkham Asylum At a time when open worlds were becoming all the rage, Arkham City managed to give like titans The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim And the masterpiece of all time Portal 2 A run for their money as GOTY contestants. Surprisingly, I had a great time with the game, but jumping back Arkham Asylum What followed really made me fall in love with Rocksteady’s work.

Arkham Asylum has an unbeatable atmosphere

I love every nook and cranny of Arkham Asylum

Arkham Asylum Emphasizing a game in Rocksteady’s series arkhamConfining Batman to the Asylum and its grounds for the entire game. Considering how much fun gliding around the roof is Arkham City However, going back to a game that is relatively limited can easily be frustrating. I had the opposite experience, however, and Arkham Asylum Won me over to her side long before the credits rolled.

For my personal taste, the greatest strength Batman: Arkham The series isn’t about great gameplay or interesting villains, but the detailed atmosphere and mood they set. Its Gothic sensibility batman The media has always played a big role in making the Caped Crusader such an interesting hero, and few things come close Arkham Asylum In this regard Throwing Batman into the lion’s den and never letting him out allows the game to focus on every bad feature of an obsolete facility.Quickly turns the memorable setting into a major character in its own right.

Some visual elements though Batman: Arkham Asylum Naturally aged in the 15 years since its release, it’s still a marvel of detail in a way that larger open-world games struggle to match. There’s no way to cover every corner of a huge map with its personality Arkham AsylumIts claustrophobic corridorsAnd exploration can quickly become dull once copy-pasting hits a certain saturation point. To their credit, the environment within arkham The games consistently hold their own, but I think so Arkham Asylum The peak remains.

A smaller scale could make a new Arkham game better

I Want Something Like Arkham Asylum Again

I am well aware of that nirvana Arkham Asylum Not the most common take on a pedestal Batman: Arkham series, and the prospect of returning to an open-world Gotham is perhaps the most exciting promise of a new game for many fans. 2025 will mark the 10-year anniversary Batman: Arkham KnightIts release, and over time, certainly opens up new opportunities in open-world design. A new game can make exploration more intuitive and meaningful than ever before, and there’s no reason why its most important areas can’t be contested. Arkham AsylumIts memorable atmosphere.

I’d rather see another small-scale titleHowever, something I don’t think is rocksteady and I’ll keep an eye on it. For better or worse, AAA games have been in an arms race for a long time now, and lagging behind massive open worlds isn’t done in most situations. When a game is shortened – Assassin’s Creed MirageFor example — it tends to be positioned as a cheaper, less ambitious entry rather than something that transforms the same giant machine of production to produce a more intimate, highly polished result.

A short game would be a great way to redirect things after the recent meltdown Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice LeagueA big live-service swing and an even bigger miss for Rocksteady if Suicide Squad Successfully convert any energy Batman: Arkham franchise, it was a joy to be hooked on, with each character having unique movement potential that could be fun to employ. In an empty city that struggles to establish memorable landmarks or find a dynamic visual identity, however, it just doesn’t seem to make sense.

Using a setting that is close to ambition Batman: Arkham Asylum can ensure that every major part of the game feels truly desirableWhich is what Rocksteady needs to do more than anything else. A focused, relatively linear experience also runs less risk of an extended development cycle, which studios may not be able to afford. Suicide Squad: KTJLIts financial failure. The upper limit for potential sales will probably be lower, but this chaos begins when chasing the highest possible profit.

A new open-world Batman game might still be good

The series has already done well

My case for a new one batman The game is more like that Arkham Asylum More of a personal whim than anything else. I bounced off hard Marvel’s Spider-ManWhich to me felt like an incredibly polished shell around a hollow core and I wanted to suck me in like a new superhero game. Arkham Asylum That said I’m not in favor of regression in design philosophy, because I want to see innovation on its own terms, but I think a limited scope can help do that.

At the end of the day, I will be happy if it is new Batman: Arkham The game is simply good, even if it’s the massive open-world title it almost certainly will be. A finished story shouldn’t be dredged up unless there’s a strong reason for it, and I’m hoping that reason is more than just financial necessity. In my dream world, though, Rocksteady is next Batman: Arkham The game will revisit everything created Arkham Asylum Special, and I have to allow myself a moment of mourning whenever that dream world is officially destroyed.