Summary
Knowing thatBatman: Arkham Shadowis indeed another entry into Batman’s most prolific and seminal video game adaptation gives it a lot of responsibility to shoulder. Anyone who’s witnessed thecontroversial events ofSuicide Squad: Kill the Justice Leagueis aware of Batman’s death in the canon, suggesting no further present-day games could be made with the character as their lead unless other multiverse shenanigans are wrought.Batman: Arkham Shadow, on the other hand, is a Bat Signal in the night sky that gives hope to the Arkhamverse community for a continuation of the series in prequel installments.
Batman: Arkham Originshas been the black sheep of the Arkhamverse family for so long and, as a result, it never seemed plausible to believe that additional prequel games would ever follow it. Even a remaster or remake ofOriginshas seemingly been evaded over the decade that it’s been released, which appeared to be a death sentence forOriginsor anything in that period long beforeArkham Asylumtakes place. Now thatBatman: Arkham Shadowhas been announced and defies that logic, it must confidently and explicitly address whether moreArkhamgames will follow it.
Batman: Arkham Shadowcan either tell a concentrated story that intentionally refuses to lay a foundation for future endeavors and sequel teases or it can lean fully into such teases if there are indeed subsequent games in the works.
Batman: Arkham Shadow Could Be a Lone Arkhamverse Chapter
The former approach would be necessary if there aren’t any plans to continue the Arkhamverse, at least not in thisprequel era setting betweenOriginsandAsylumwhereShadowresides. It may seem paradoxical to assume there won’t be any moreArkhamgames followingShadowifShadowitself is anArkhamgame, but since it’s exclusive to Meta Quest 3 there’s nothing to suggest thatShadowis any sort of precursor for current-gen PS5, PC, or Xbox Series XArkhamgames in the near future, let alone games on next-gen platforms.
If anything, this could be a sign that the only hope for the Arkhamverse continuing is in niche or peripheral projects that won’t have as wide of an audience or appeal. TheArkhambrand would certainly sell regardless of howSuicide Squadhas seemed to tarnish itand it’d be smart to plaster that on any Batman game WB can afford to, even if it makes no effort to really stew in the Arkhamverse or make plans to establish it further.
Batman: Arkham Shadow Could Be the Start of a New Prequel Chapter
That said, the mere existence ofanotherArkham-subtitled game, VR or not, suggests the latter approach. The greatest evidence that this Meta Quest 3 game serves as an enduring piece of the Arkhamverse canon is the excessive Easter eggs featured inShadow’s cinematic trailer.
IfShadowwasn’t trying to tell a story that could take root in the Arkhamverse continuity, and that future games could extrapolate from with its lore as a foundation, it probably wouldn’t be as mindful of layering Easter eggs that cement its place in the Arkhamverse timeline. From there, a futureArkhamgame could behave like a direct sequel and begin anew trilogy of prequel games like the Arkhamverse community has desired sinceOrigins.
That possible direction won’t be clear, though, unless Camouflaj and WB make it clear. It can’t beat around the bush and tease players only to have the Arkhamverse go silent again for almost a decade. Fortunately, it doesn’t seem like Rocksteady needs to be an intrinsic and involved part of the actualArkhamseries anymore—not if it’s chosen to embrace its Suicide Squad, anyway—and it would be exciting to see another developer adopt the cape and cowl with whatever path is paved byShadow.
Batman: Arkham Shadow
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 CombatRealized 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.
