The Batman’s Tie-In Game May Not Be Happening, But It Should

A recent report from Puck News sparked a rumor that a tie-in video game for Matt Reeve’s 2022 The Batman film would be announced soon. Tantalizing though this prospect may be, DCEU head James Gunn quickly shut the party down, saying that the rumors of a game inspired by The Batman are rooted entirely in fiction.

Though the rumors were short-lived, it’s not hard to understand why some would be excited by the idea. There is no shortage of great Batman games out there, but the Caped Crusader’s greatness is mostly limited to the Batman: Arkham franchise, which isn’t showing any signs of revival beyond the VR-exclusive Batman: Arkham Shadow. Even if Rocksteady’s beloved franchise comes back to life, it’s still a fairly standard take on the character, aligned with adaptations like Batman: The Animated series, and a new sort of Batman game would be a breath of fresh air for the IP.

Why a ‘The Batman’ Game Could Work Wonders

The Batman Is a Dark and Realistic Take On Batman: Year One

The 2022 Batman film introduces a new continuity, putting Robert Pattinson in the role of the titular hero and setting him loose on a version of Gotham that is decidedly distinct from both the incongruous polish of the Christopher Nolan films and the Gothic stylization of the Tim Burton series. A game set in the universe of The Batman could play with these distinctions, giving players access to a remarkably different, more grounded vision of Gotham and, by extension, the mythology of Batman.

The Batman lacks the sci-fi flair of previous Batman films and TV shows, as more outlandish characters like Mr. Freeze, Solomon Grundy, and Killer Croc are nowhere to be found—at least not yet. Rather, the movie is more focused on rogue psychopaths like The Riddler and the criminal underworld of Gotham, with iconic characters like Penguin being decidedly more plausible than their comic book counterparts. Granted, this universe is young and may grow into the more fantastical elements of its source material.

Christopher Nolan’s
Batman
trilogy is also rather grounded, but even those movies have less-believable elements, like Scarecrow’s Fear Toxin.

The movie takes place near the start of Batman’s days of crime-fighting, before he has truly grown into his role as a vigilante, which is another part of what makes it so compelling. Bruce Wayne isn’t as confident in the role of Batman yet, nor does he seem capable of balancing the cool-headed, aloof persona of the Billionaire Playboy with his own emotional torment. This is a stark contrast to other live-action renditions of the character, who seemingly switch between the two personas with relative ease. In other words, the Batman of The Batman is more psychologically damaged and poorly adjusted than audiences have come to expect, while still learning the ropes of the superhero lifestyle.

How The Batman’s Distinguishing Features Could Lend Themselves to a Video Game

Being grounded is all well and good for a superhero movie, but a realistic approach imposes certain limitations in the medium of gaming. The epic, monstrous boss fights of the Arkham franchise, for example, probably wouldn’t be as prominent given this fresh take on the character. However, as the mythology of The Batman grows with additional sequels, these limitations could be loosened, while still keeping the more realistic, psychological focus intact.

A The Batman game could allow players to interrogate Bruce Wayne’s shattered psyche on a deeper level, as interactivity opens unique doors to empathic storytelling. From a mechanical standpoint, such an adaptation could lean into Batman’s inexperience, making things that players take for granted, like gliding and grappling, more difficult and therefore mechanically complex.

Basically, this hypothetical game could shrink both story and gameplay down to a grittier, more personal level, offering a unique contrast between it and other, more bombastic Batman games. It could be more The Last of Us than Batman: Arkham Knight, more Grand Theft Auto than Cyberpunk 2077.