While Batman failed to portray many investigative skills in the Batman: Arkham games, they remain the pinnacle of superhero games in the modern era. As a result, the risks involved with investigative work are inherently removed, sabotaging a key aspect of Batman's character. However, while Batman battles the Joker, Scarecrow, Killer Croc, Deathstroke, and the Arkham Knight, he must claim victory for continuity's sake. In reality, an investigation can take a significant number of hours, and authorities can still overlook crucial details that cripple the case. Unlike Telltale's Batman games, where choices can dictate the fates of different characters, Batman: Arkham Knight and its predecessors are linear titles.
Players can excuse Batman's lack of participation in these investigations with the existence of the Batcomputer and other machines, but the lack of active input from the players is disappointing.īatman's lack of investigative prowess in the Batman: Arkham series contrives from a core gameplay mechanic: Batman can't fail. However, their investigations take most of the work away from Batman, who then takes credit for their accomplishments and intelligence-gathering. Alfred Pennyworth also assists Batman in locating information about different suspects and villains, occasionally contacting the Dark Knight about time-sensitive emergencies throughout Gotham City. Paralyzed after Joker's attack, Barbara Gordon's Oracle identity occupies a similar role in the comics and proves not all heroes wear capes. The tasks would have provided much more stimulating investigative work if the victims had been from Gotham, and Batman could investigate their apartments or workplaces to gather more information.Īside from Batman: Arkham's Batgirl DLC, Barbara Gordon primarily occupied the role of Oracle: the Batfamily's primary communications and intelligence agent. Unfortunately, most of Batman's work is done with Detective Vision and Alfred's research, once again delegating players to aim and click over highlighted areas. Each victim features some bodily "flaw" that Pyg sought to fix, only to kill them with his cruel and sadistic style. Before confronting Professor Pyg, Batman examines several bodies crucified throughout Gotham City beside radios playing opera music.
Professor Pyg's Most Wanted mission is the closest players came to actively participating in bonafide detective work, but the bodies' removal from their places of death limits what Batman can detect. Instead, Riddler's puzzles involved platforming and mastery over the Dark Knight's impressive arsenal. While these puzzles contributed to developing Batman's skills and psyche, they rarely involved detective work. Related: Why Ra's Al Ghul's Body Was In Batman: Arkham Asylumīatman: Arkham Knight included frustrating Riddler puzzles littered throughout the expansive open world, which required players to explore new solutions with existing tools. Unfortunately, while this gameplay formula provided entertainment and addictive combat, it failed to deliver more nuanced mechanics to Batman's character and skills. Instead, most problems Batman faced involved locating various threats and punching the issue to unconsciousness. At most, in-game crimes and puzzles feature several cutscenes without player choice or interaction or a few lines of dialogue as Batman explores or speaks with essential NPCs. Instead, players completed most missions by exploring the series' various linear and open-world maps. Batman: Arkham featured many villains, but their crimes rarely created mysteries that required significant brainpower to solve.