If you’ve read my review of Batman Arkham Origins (if you haven’t, I suggest you do by clicking right here), you’ll know that I found it quite disappointing. However, I still think that Warner Bros. Montreal is capable of competing with former Arkham developer Rocksteady’s previous entries in the series, and I have a few ideas of my own that I’d love to see implemented in the inevitable Batman Arkham 4.
Scroll through the gallery below to read those ideas.
5 Things We Want to See in Batman Arkham 4
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1. Co-op missions.
No-one wants to be Robin, but co-op missions in Batman Arkham 4 would be a welcome addition even if someone did have to don those unflattering red tights.
Having dedicated co-op challenge maps, where players could buddy up with their friends in order to stealthily take down a room full of armed guards, or batter a selection of brutish thugs in hand-to-to combat, would undoubtedly be a lot of fun, and given Arkham Origins' new multiplayer mode we're already halfway there.
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2. Playable Joker.
The Arkham games have been as much about the Joker's story as they have Batman's, and it would be a real twist in the tale if the follow-up to Origins placed us in the shoes of the Clown Prince of Crime for a few missions so we got to experience things from behind the eyes of Gotham's most dangerous criminal.
The Joker's missions could be hugely different to that of Batman's in that they'd revolve around causing as much chaos as possible. Blowing up buildings, terrorising the GCPD and taking hostages would all be par for the course, and could make for some of the most fun and memorable moments in the game.
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3. Not as many sub-plots.
In my review of Batman Arkham Origins I state that the abundance of characters thrown into the plot means that few of them receive any form of development. While it's always nice to see familiar faces in the Arkham games, having the story centre around too many of them doesn't necessarily make for a better game, as Origins has proven.
In Arkham 4 I'd hope that we're still treated to many cameos from the Batman universe's litany of villains, but that its central story is more focused than that of its predecessors'.
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4. A more lively Gotham.
The most disappointing part of Arkham Origins is Gotham itself, which is one of the dullest open-worlds you're likely to come across in modern gaming.
If Arkham 4 is to once again take place in a sandbox environment (though honestly, I wouldn't mind it moving to a more linear setting), I'd hope that the Gotham we see in it is a lot more lively and actually feels like a city, rather than a collection of buildings with snipers standing atop them.
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5. Scarecrow!
We haven't seen Scarecrow properly since his memorable appearance in Arkham Asylum, but hopefully Warner Bros. Montreal (assuming they will be developing the inevitable sequel to Origins) rights this wrong.
Scarecrow deserves a prominent role in Arkham 4, and while I can't think of any way to top the missions in which he starred in Asylum, I'd hope that WB Montreal give it their best shot.
