Summary
- Batman: Arkham Shadow aims to return the Arkham franchise to its roots with a VR game set in the early days of Batman's career.
- The game will delve into the origins of iconic villains like Harley Quinn and Scarecrow, filling gaps in the Arkhamverse lore.
- After the mixed reception of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, Batman: Arkham Shadow carries the weight of putting the franchise back on track.
When Batman: Arkham Asylum released in 2009, it broke new ground for superhero video games. While standouts like Marvel Ultimate Alliance and Spider-Man 2 had come out years before, Batman: Arkham Asylum boasted a level of quality and production value that hadn't really been seen in superhero video games to that point. Batman: Arkham City, Arkham Origins, and Arkham Knight all continued to cement the Arkham franchise as one of the best series in gaming, and now, there are high hopes Batman: Arkham Shadow can live up to that legacy.
A Meta Quest 3 exclusive, Batman: Arkham Shadow is a VR game that will see players take control of the Caped Crusader during the early days of his career once again. Based on the recent Summer Game Fest story trailer, it seems as though Batman: Arkham Shadow is returning the Arkhamverse to its roots, something that's sorely needed after the most recent Arkhamverse entry.
Batman: Arkham Shadow Could Forge a New Path for the Arkhamverse
Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League Has Put The Arkhamverse in a Strange Position
After nearly a decade without a new mainline entry, the Arkhamverse received its long-awaited revival earlier this year, but it wasn't nearly the home-run fans wanted it to be. A live-service 4-player co-op looter shooter, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League was a major departure from previous Arkhamverse entries when it came to gameplay and tone. While the Batman: Arkham series has always tried to remain grounded while still being authentic to the source material, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League leaned a little too closely into satire, resulting in a game that didn't feel like a true continuation of the Arkhamverse.
There were quite a few plot threads in Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League that also didn't meet fan expectations. Batman was brought back to life with little explanation, which felt anticlimactic after Arkham Knight's dramatic ending. The Justice League was introduced to the Arkhamverse off-screen, again with very little explanation. And by the time Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League ends, the entirety of the Arkhamverse is left in a sort of limbo, with Batman and the Justice League now seemingly out of the picture, and the introduction of the multiverse inherently implying that there are no longer any real consequences for the Arkhamverse moving forward.
Batman: Arkham Shadow Can Put The Arkhamverse Back on Track
Confirmed to be set between Batman: Arkham Origins and Batman: Arkham Asylum, Batman: Arkham Shadow could chart a new course for the Arkhamverse following Suicide Squad's problematic narrative. According to a recent interview with The Best War Games, Batman: Arkham Shadow will follow the origins of villains like Harley Quinn, Scarecrow, Ratcatcher, and an original antagonist, the Rat King. This should fill in a lot of gaps in the lore of the Arkhamverse, and it might be a good idea to stay in this time period for future Arkham entries.
While Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League may have left the future of the Arkhamverse in a tricky spot, its past is still rife with lore that's worth exploring. Though, following Suicide Squad's treatment of the Arkhamverse, fans have cause to scrutinize any new additions to the lore that Batman: Arkham Shadow makes, which puts a lot of pressure on developer Camouflaj.
Batman: Arkham Shadow
- Released
- October 21, 2024
- ESRB
- T For Teen // Violence, Mild Blood, Language
Become Batman in this official new entry into the Arkham franchise.
It’s the Fourth of July, and Gotham City is under attack by a new threat: the mysterious Rat King and his cultish devotees. As widespread rioting engulfs the city, Batman races to prevent this so-called “Day of Wrath” before it all goes wrong.
Experience the World of Batman Like Never Before:
Immerse yourself in all the grit of Gotham City with the power of VR, and take down its most notorious criminals.
Hard-Hitting Arkham Combat
Realized exclusively for VR—choose from fan favorite gadgets and bold fighting styles reimagined from the beloved Arkham franchise.
Friends, Foes and Other Familiar Faces:
Meet Dr.’s Quinzel and Crane before they became Harley Quinn and Scarecrow, as well as other iconic characters including Harvey Dent, Jim Gordon, and Ratcatcher.
- Developer(s)
- Camouflaj
- Publisher(s)
- Oculus
- Franchise
- Batman: Arkham
- Platform(s)
- Meta Quest 3, Meta Quest 3S
- Genre(s)
- Action, Virtual Reality
