The Batmanhas officially released, and many fans have been quick to praise the film for its accuracy.Colin Farrell’s transformation into The Penguinis uncanny, as he completely embraces the character. Robert Pattinson’s Batman is portrayed as The World’s Greatest Detective, with the film leaning into this aspect of the character more than any other. Paul Dano’s Riddler is terrifying, and the movie does a good job of capturing the Caped Crusader’s romance with Selina Kyle.
However, one of The Batman’s biggest accomplishments is its portrayal of Gotham City, as Batman’s crime-infested home feels far more unique than the version seen in the Nolan films while still being more realistic than the Gotham of the older films. InThe Batman’s final act, Gotham undergoes a major transformation, and it is one directly inspired by Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo’s excellent run ofBatmancomics. While it is great to see this story acknowledged in live action, it would be even more fun to experience in video game form.WARNING: Spoilers for The Batman ahead.
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Zero Year’s Untapped Video Game Potential
Zero Yearwas the New 52 universe’s version ofBatman’s origin story, and while it does pull from classic versions of The Caped Crusader’s origin story, it also does several unique things. One of the biggest plotpoints of the comic sees The Riddler flooding Gotham City, something that he does withinThe Batman. While Batman does foil part of his plan in the film, Gotham is destroyed, setting up an interesting sequel with a unique version of the city.
While it will be interesting to see criminals fighting for control over the destroyed Gotham in futureThe Batmanmovies, assuming thatMatt Reevesreturns to continue the story, the decimated Gotham explored withinZero Yearis begging to be adapted into a very different kind of Batman video game.
One of the most iconic moments from the Savage City portion of the storyline sees Batman fighting off lions and eventually taming them, and it is easy to imagine this being an intense section of a game adaptation. Batman also boasts a unique costume, wields a bow, and rides a motorcycle instead of his trademark Batmobile. All these things would be fun to play with in a Batman game, as something like the motorcycle guarantees smooth traversal without dominating the experience likeArkham Knight’s Batmobiledid.
The Last of Us 2’s Seattle sections showcased how interesting a flooded city can be to play in, with the Naughty Dog game’s setting being similar to howZero Year’sGothamlooks in the comics. The storyline could be the perfect starting point for a new series of Batman games, regardless of whether Rocksteady returns to the character or a new developer takes the reigns. Hunting wildlife to survive could be as important as rescuing civilians from criminals, making for a Batman experience like no other.
As of now, it remains to be seen how far Reeves will go with the flooded Gotham ifThe Batmanbecomes a franchise. While Riddler has been set up to return, there is no telling whether the city will be repaired before the next movie or if it will stay destroyed. No matter what, though,The Batmanhas brought part of an excellent storyline to a whole new audience, and video games should continue to place a spotlight on Zero Year. Much likeGotham Knightsis adapting the brilliantCourt of Owlsstory, a future game should highlight another standout arc from Batman’s New 52 run.
