Arkham Knight is now only 20 days away, and to mark this milestone (and highlight my ongoing obsession with the game), I decided to do another blog post about it. This one is not a prediction of what costumes or villains will be included, but more a case of things I hope the game does, and things I really, really, don't want it to do. And I'm going to alternate between them, being a pattern of one "Do", one "Don't", and then back again. So to start...
Do: Creativity with Scarecrow's Nightmare Sequences
Apologies for the crappy quality of the picture, but it was the best I could find on this site.
Anyway, I think most of us can agree that the "Nightmare Sequences" in Arkham Asylum were one of the highlights of that game, and that it was precisely because of them that Scarecrow's depiction in Arkham Asylum was so popular. And it's because of that in turn (along with his absence from Arkham City), that he's getting such a big return to the spotlight here. Now, trailers have already confirmed that the Nightmare Sequences will be coming back along with the Scarecrow himself, and with that in mind, I want to see some creativity. I want to see some variety in how they're done.
Just as there were different things about the three nightmares in Arkham Asylum to make them each feel distinct, I want to see the same thing here. Perhaps a kind of "Christmas Carol" type deal, in that the first nightmare shows the biggest ghosts of Batman's past haunting him (death of Jason Todd, Barbara being shot, Joker's death, etc.), the second shows Batman's fears in the present (that he's getting too old, that Arkham Knight and Scarecrow really are winning, etc.) and finally one that shows a twisted take on a future where Batman has died/failed and Gotham has fallen into ruin, complete with his allies dead or dying and accusing him of failing. I just feel that something that macabre and disturbing and surreal would really work and not only highlight the threat Scarecrow represents to Batman's mind and body both, but also make a returning high point of the first game feel fresh and new. And, with the graphics having gotten a tremendous overhaul, skimping on visuals would just be inexcusable. So all in all, I'm glad that the Nightmare Sequences are confirmed to come back, but I want them to come back in a way that makes them still feel fresh and (disturbingly) effective.
Don't: Wuss out concerning the Joker
Yes, we all love the Arkham take on the Joker. Yes, he's Batman's arch-enemy and a good villain. But, Rocksteady killing him off at the end of Arkham City was done because it represented a radical change to the status quo that the comics would never have allowed. And thus if the Joker is brought back, that big, shocking twist is undone and rendered pretty much just a cheap stunt, rather than allowing Rocksteady to take advantage of the creative liberties it's been given. It would also be anti-climactic to bring Joker back in addition, and would take away from the villains who are supposed to be taking center-stage now that Joker is no longer able to do so. Yes, I had just gotten through saying above that I would like it if maybe Scarecrow's Nightmare scenes included references to things involving the Joker, but that does not actually necessitate showing him, much less reviving him in the game's main story. We could just hear his disembodied laugh in the nightmare sequence involving the past, and/or pre-recorded lines from Arkham City when Joker dies. But Joker doesn't need to make a physical appearance.
Rocksteady has confirmed that Joker's not coming back, and his body was cremated in tie-in comics to drive this home. But, the insane number of conspiracy theories and the massive amount of denial online is to me very telling, and so I hope that Rocksteady has not, in fact, just been pulling our leg and that those conspiracy theories ultimately become exactly that. Joker's a good villain, but the Arkhamverse version had his time in the spotlight. It's time to let the other villains step up to plate.
Do: Continue Catwoman's Character Development
Catwoman's shift from criminal to Anti-Hero was foreshadowed (and in my mind, initiated), in Arkham City when she chooses to save Batman's life at the cost of her payday, and by extension, helped save all of Gotham City. Judging by her being playable once again and now actively aiding Batman in combat, it seems like her transformation to Anti-Hero is ongoing. If so, I approve. I want to see the end to that particular character journey, and I want it to be a satisfying end. Obviously, that carries with it the hope that she and Batman will finally get together and become a couple, but honestly I really just want to see Catwoman's transformation into an Anti-Hero reach it's completion, and thus finish what was started in Arkham City. Instead of...
Don't: Get cold feet concerning the above
...just having her backslide and go right back to being a complete criminal, or else have an inconclusive end to her character arc. The latter might work depending on how well done it is (though would still be disappointing), but the former would just be totally unsatisfying, not to mention make me feel like I wasted the time I've invested into her story. When a character's going through Character Development, backsliding is something you almost never want to do, because it feels cheap and also makes everything that happened up to that point feel like a complete waste of time. So, as much as Catwoman is more recognized as a villain than a hero, I'd rather Rocksteady not use that as an excuse to have Catwoman just backslide and end up right back where her story began. If they're willing to kill off the Joker, then I don't think Catwoman's successfully becoming (and staying) an Anti-Hero is too much of a stretch or break from the mythology.
Do: Solo Challenge Mode maps for Catwoman, Nightwing, and Robin, as well as new (and fun) Campaigns
I think this one's already been confirmed (solo Challenge Mode stuff for Red Hood and Harley's been confirmed, at any rate), but just so I'm on record: I want Nightwing, Robin, and Catwoman to be playable in Challenge Mode and to be able to have their solo runs the same way Batman, Harley, and Red Hood will. Again, I think it's been confirmed. But another thing I would like would be a return of the Campaigns, and hopefully this time maybe giving some of them a bit of a story. After all, Arkham City DLC featured a Black Mask campaign that entailed recapturing the escaped supervillain and Arkham Origins had a Challenge Mode DLC that showed some of Bruce Wayne's martial arts training, so why not go farther and have the Campaigns in Arkham Knight have more well fleshed out mini-stories that function as kind of "day in the life" type adventures for the heroes? They could even take place at different points in Arkham Batman's history, giving us an idea of some of the other, smaller adventures he's gone on over the course of his career. Just a thought.
Don't: Augmented Reality Training
Much as I adored Arkham City, one of the very few things about the game that just didn't do it for me was the Augmented Reality Training stuff. While I would hardly go ballistic if it made a return, I can also safely say that I would not miss it one bit if it were to not come back. More Challenge Mode stuff with my above suggestion>>>>>Augmented Reality Training.
Do: Effective newcomers to the Rogues Gallery and accompanying boss battles
There has been nary a game in the Arkham series that has not introduced new characters, including the Arkham Origins and Arkham Origins: Blackgate prequels that Rocksteady has been distancing themselves from. So, it stands to reason that the Arkham Knight is probably not going to be the only newcomer in this installment, and honestly, that would be just as well. So long as the inclusions feel well done (see below), I wouldn't mind seeing some newcomers. For a full list of such characters, along with my rationale for how and why they could and should show up, see my previous Blog post on Arkham Knight villains.
And, of course, if we're going to introduce new villains, then giving them satisfying and well-done boss battles is a must, something that Arkham Origins for all of it's being bashed did very well. I hope to see the boss fights in Arkham Knight, for both returning foes and any newcomers they introduce, be similarly well-done.
Don't: Shoe-horn Mr. Freeze, or anyone else
For this one, I ought to stress what I mean. By "shoe-horn", I mean include a character just for the sake of including them without actually giving them even so much as a decent or meaningful side-quest or even a boss fight. With Mr. Freeze in particular, a sidequest in Arkham City ends with Batman successfully reuniting Freeze with his wife and even urging him to save her and then abandon his life of crime on the grounds that he's better than that. That to me is such a perfect ending to Mr. Freeze's story in the Arkham games that I feel like there's really no reason to ruin it, and certainly not for the sake of arbitrarily dragging him into the third and final installment. Yes, the boss fight with Mr. Freeze in Arkham City was fun, and his Arkham Origins DLC was one of the high points of that game, but this doesn't necessarily mean that we have to bring him back for another game if it feels forced or unnecessary.
To clarify, I would not be averse to Mr. Freeze showing up, but I would rather it be done with care, not just a lazy "It didn't work out with Nora, so now I'm a vengeful villain again" kind of thing. Perhaps it could involve Mr. Freeze hitting a break-through with a cure for Nora's illness, but then something happens that endangers it and forces Batman to step in and save the day, perhaps even teaming up with Freeze? Just a thought. And for those who think the notion of a Batman/Freeze team-up is ridiculous, remember that they did it in Arkham City, and it's still better than a certain other take on Mr. Freeze from a certain film.
All in all, I think that if they're going to bring Mr. Freeze (or any other villain that's return hasn't yet been confirmed), back for the finale, it needs to feel like a meaningful inclusion, especially since to do otherwise in Mr. Freeze's case would be to sabotage a good end to his character arc.
Do: Bring back some Arkham/Gotham lore
One of the nice things about both the original Arkham Asylum game and also Arkham Origins were these sidequests that went into the lives of some pre-Batman Gothamites, and the history of them and what they left behind (Amadeus Arkham and Cyrus Pinkney, respectively). I actually kind of like this, because it helps add to the history of Gotham City and really fleshes it out and makes it feel like a more interesting place. For Arkham Knight, I think it would be cool to go back to that, perhaps with another series of journal entries to find, or a brief visit to the ruins of the now abandoned Arkham Asylum. References to other Gothamites of the past, such as Martin "Mad Dog" Hawkins or Bruce's own ancestor Solomon Wayne, would also not be unwelcome, and could perhaps serve as the basis of it's own sidequest (a lunatic trying to recreate Mad Dog's crimes, for instance).
And of course, with the potential for more world-building Gotham lore comes the possibility of at least hinting to the Court of Owls, which would make for a fun Easter Egg, if nothing else. Speaking of which, Rocksteady has confirmed there will be a lot of those in the game, so why not take advantage and have some of them be to the various movers and shakers of Gotham's pre-Batman past?
Don't: Forget about Hush
The reveal that Hush had stolen Bruce Wayne's identity in Arkham City and then flies the coop before Batman can so much as lay a finger on him was basically guaranteeing that Hush would come back as a villain in the sequel right? Right...? Right. So, if Rocksteady doesn't follow through on that, and Hush is nowhere to be found, that would be very disappointing, and also make the reveal in Arkham City nothing more than a tease, which would also be bad. So, with all that in mind, Hush had better show up in Arkham Knight and not just get swept under the rug. And, if he does show up, his having stolen Bruce Wayne's identity needs to be addressed and factor in somehow.
Do: Be creative with Arkham Knight's identity
I think it's been confirmed that the Arkham Knight's backstory will be revealed in the tie-in comics, but I assume that it will also be revealed to the players of the game proper, so that people like me who haven't read the comics won't get cheated out of the big reveal. As to what that reveal could be, I want Rocksteady to adhere to their assurance that this is an original character (see below), but also put some thought into it. A random person who's parents were killed by the Joker would be a bit on the lazy side, whereas say, a former security guard of Arkham who transformed into a brutal, militaristic Anti-Batman due to recognizing the inadequacy of how Gotham (and Batman) deals with criminals would be a bit better, or perhaps instead the idea put forth in a supposed plot leak; that Arkham Knight is a kind of mish-mash of Terry McGinnis and Damian Wayne with a pinch of Jason Todd thrown in for good measure. A sort of "composite character".
Finally, another rumor that surfaced a while back, that the Arkham Knight is in fact a woman in disguise, would also be a nice twist, one akin to the twist seen in the excellent animated movie, Batman: Mask of the Phantasm.
Don't: Cheat concerning the Arkham Knight's identity
This is basically a direct counter to the above. It's one thing to make Arkham Knight a composite character of sorts, who combines elements of a few pre-existing characters. It is quite another thing to just make it say, Jason Todd in a different costume. Especially since that would come off as Rocksteady pulling a fast one on us. It is technically a loop-hole being exploited, but it would still feel remarkably cheap if it was only an original character in terms of identity and not the person carrying it. No, for the man (or woman) behind the Arkham Knight's helmet, I want it to be someone we haven't seen before, even though that can for me be a character who resembles other, pre-existing ones.
Do: End it well...
Speculation abound that Batman won't live to see the end of his own video game. Myself, I believe that that could work if it's done right, and that in turn leads to my main point: I want the ending to be the kind of satisfying finale the series deserves. It needs to have some level of emotion to it, it needs to have some level of closure, and it needs to feel like some legitimate thought went into it. Whether this means Batman ends his story with a tombstone over his head or Catwoman and him enjoying retirement and/or marriage together I don't know, but it needs to be something that carries some kind of emotional punch. If a happy ending, then it won't take much to convince someone that Batman's earned it. If Batman dies, then it had best be a suitably epic death that also, ideally, involves heroic sacrifice, since that is to a certain extent what Batman's entire life has been about. And yet another thing that must be done if Batman dies is to emphasize that his allies will keep fighting where he left off, and in turn likely have (probably Nightwing) step forward as a new Batman. This will emphasize that, Bruce Wayne may be dead, but Batman the Dark Knight is an ideal not so easily killed.
Other possibilities for satisfying happy endings besides the Batman/Catwoman bit (or perhaps accompanying it), would include fast-forwarding in time to show one of the following: an elderly Bruce Wayne relaxing in his study and at peace along with preferably his loyal dog Ace, Bruce Wayne giving guidance to a newer Batman in a now more Oracle like position (could be Dick, Tim, or Terry), or perhaps even the "Earth 2" route of an older Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle with their daughter Helena. Point is, there's a lot of different ways the ending can go, and with that in mind, there's really no excuse for the final don't:
Don't: ...not cheaply
By "cheaply", I mean something along the lines of Batman having an unsatisfying death that feels forced or phoned in and done just for the sake of killing him off, or alternatively an ending that doesn't tie up anywhere near enough loose ends, doesn't give enough closure, and just overall feels too open-ended and inconclusive. I understand that for some, a "The Adventure Continues" type ending may be right up their alley, but myself, I would like something a bit more creative than that, or at the very least, a "The Adventure Continues" type ending that actually makes it feel like things will be different for Batman and his family going forwards. But honestly, considering what's being shown in the Arkham Knight tie-in comic regarding Bruce feeling that he's getting into his twilight years as Batman and thus wants to leave behind a greater lasting impression, I don't really feel like having him just continue on indefinitely as Batman without incident is really the ending that's warranted here. No, I think I want a "The Dark Knight Rises" type ending to this game's story, not a "The Dark Knight Strikes Again" one.
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