Arkham Shadow's Rat King represents a path forward for Batman games

by

After almost a decade of silence, the popular Arkham series made its long-awaited comeback Batman: Arkham Shadow. And despite pre-release fears about it being the only VR-exclusive game Arkham Game, it was a complete success. The fans had been waiting since 2015 Arkham Knight for another entry in the legendary series and the team at Camouflaj has done a great job. The developers have not only proven that a Arkham The title could work on a VR platform, but they have also proven that the Arkham The series still has a few new tricks up its sleeve.

Ahead of the release of Batman: Arkham ShadowThere has been a lot of fan speculation about the identity of the Rat King, a completely original creation of the game. While others are long-standing Arkham Famously introducing replacements such as Gordon and Harvey Dent, the Rat King was a standout in both marketing and the finished product. Regardless of the character's true identity, the Rat King could be the key to the future of Batman games.

a (2)-5

Related

How Batman: Arkham Shadow's treatment of the Rat King keeps its Arkhamverse story neat and tidy

Batman: Arkham Shadow tells an intimate story, and much of its lore and secrets remain hidden within the confines of Blackgate Prison.

The mystery surrounding the Rat King adds a mysterious touch to Batman: Arkham Shadow

Why Arkham Shadows Rat King Twist works so well

The story of the Rat King presented in Arkham Shadow is an original concept from the Camouflaj team. The story shares some narrative impulses with a few classic Batman capers The long Halloweenbut for the most part the story is entirely original and the mystery surrounding the Rat King's identity keeps the player captivated most of the time. And when the reveal finally comes out, it feels like a well-thought-out and entirely deserved plot twist.

The mystery of the Rat King inevitably draws comparisons with the defendant Arkham Knight Twist in the last game. On paper, they sound exactly the same: an existing character in the Batman mythos adopts a new masked identity and wreaks havoc while Batman tries to stop them and find out who they are. The main difference is that Rat King's reveal was mostly well-received, and Arkham Knight's twist still gets eye rolls almost a decade later.

The reason for this is that the Arkham Knight variant is almost a 1:1 adaptation Under the red hoodperhaps one of the most famous Batman stories ever. Arkham ShadowOriginality is one of its greatest strengths. It takes enough cues from existing Batman adventures to be familiar, but doesn't shy away from trying new things to keep fans guessing. Characters and/or identities like the Rat King are key to keeping Batman games exciting and entertaining Arkham ShadowThe freshness advances.

Batman's villains are some of the most iconic comics, but they're perhaps a little too popular for good right now. Batman is the world's greatest detective, and it's really hard to have a good crime story when, after decades of stories featuring Joker, Two-Face, Riddler, and the rest, the audience knows the identity, motivation, and MO of every possible villain.

By allowing these characters to hide behind new, unfamiliar gimmicks like the Rat King (and to a lesser extent the Arkham Knight), Camouflaj and other developers can create more exciting stories in which players can work as detectives alongside Batman to reveal the secret. And with recent rumors that Rocksteady is getting back into Batman games, perhaps it can redeem itself after the disappointing turn of events Arkham Knight and the general misfire that was Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League.

That's not to say that Batman stories featuring the classic characters can't provide a compelling narrative. Matt Reeves' The Batman managed to keep viewers on the edge of their seats, even though it was clear to them from the start that Riddler was the main antagonist. And of course, Arkham City told one of the most acclaimed Batman stories of the last decade without creating a single new character. Instead, Rocksteady and writer Paul Dini crafted a new and exciting story featuring the established Rouge and Bat family members.

But it really isn't fair to expect every single Batman game to be one Arkham City. Sometimes a new character concept like Rat King is exactly what a story needs to give it new life and fresh energy. And there's no denying that there's a certain satisfaction in solving a mystery alongside the world's greatest detective.

Leave a Comment