Everything Wants to Kill You (Batman Arkham Asylum/City/Origins/Knight)
To say that Batman has a lot of people who don’t like him is putting it lightly. Sure, he’s got the Robins, Oracle, Gordon, Alfred, Nightwing, and Catwoman, but that’s pretty low compared to the number of people in Gotham and indeed the world that want him dead. You aren’t going to make friends by ruining other people’s fun, but Batman goes further and not only ruins the fun of those people, but breaks about a dozen bones each of the eight dozen or so friends associated with those people. If you want an idea of how hated Batman is in Gotham among the villains, put it this way: Batman Arkham Origins and Knight had at least six or more villains come together to kill him. If that doesn’t show how hated the guy is, very little else will.
In typical situations, or at least what we’ve seen in TV and films, Batman is basically untouchable until he goes up against the big bad. He just swoops in, takes a guy out using his fancy tech, and punches the henchmen into unconsciousness. Not so much in the Arkham games. Oh sure, he can still crush skulls and break bones like the best of them, but the enemies here have some tricks up their sleeves. In Arkham Asylum, the Joker’s men were equipped with assault rifles and high powered snipers. Nothing special, right? The sequels add some wrinkles to the formula like brutes and blade-wielders to the mix, but their overall goal is to make sure that you continue not breathing. Even the skies aren’t safe; in Arkham Knight, automated turrets are set up on buildings, bridges, and there are flying drones that patrol the city just waiting to put you down.
When you do die, you’re instantly berated for your death by the villain in question, and that’s what helps sell the whole thing. It would’ve been easy for Rocksteady and WB Montreal to just boot you back to a loading screen upon death, but they went the extra mile here. It sells the immersion factor that the games try to draw you into because well, you’re Batman, and why wouldn’t they gloat about beating you once your ass has been promptly handed to you? This can either make you want to die again and again to see what else they’ll have to say about you, or learn from your mistakes so you can wipe that smirk off their face with a good old-fashioned fist to the jaw.
