However, one of The Batman’s biggest accomplishments is its portrayal of Gotham City, as Batman’s crime-infested home feels far more unique than the version seen in the Nolan films while still being more realistic than the Gotham of the older films. In The Batman’s final act, Gotham undergoes a major transformation, and it is one directly inspired by Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo’s excellent run of Batman comics. While it is great to see this story acknowledged in live action, it would be even more fun to experience in video game form. WARNING: Spoilers for The Batman ahead.
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Zero Year’s Untapped Video Game Potential
Zero Year was the New 52 universe’s version of Batman’s origin story, and while it does pull from classic versions of The Caped Crusader’s origin story, it also does several unique things. One of the biggest plotpoints of the comic sees The Riddler flooding Gotham City, something that he does within The Batman. While Batman does foil part of his plan in the film, Gotham is destroyed, setting up an interesting sequel with a unique version of the city.
While it will be interesting to see criminals fighting for control over the destroyed Gotham in future The Batman movies, assuming that Matt Reeves returns to continue the story, the decimated Gotham explored within Zero Year is begging to be adapted into a very different kind of Batman video game.
One of the most iconic moments from the Savage City portion of the storyline sees Batman fighting off lions and eventually taming them, and it is easy to imagine this being an intense section of a game adaptation. Batman also boasts a unique costume, wields a bow, and rides a motorcycle instead of his trademark Batmobile. All these things would be fun to play with in a Batman game, as something like the motorcycle guarantees smooth traversal without dominating the experience like Arkham Knight’s Batmobile did.
The Last of Us 2’s Seattle sections showcased how interesting a flooded city can be to play in, with the Naughty Dog game’s setting being similar to how Zero Year’s Gotham looks in the comics. The storyline could be the perfect starting point for a new series of Batman games, regardless of whether Rocksteady returns to the character or a new developer takes the reigns. Hunting wildlife to survive could be as important as rescuing civilians from criminals, making for a Batman experience like no other.
As of now, it remains to be seen how far Reeves will go with the flooded Gotham if The Batman becomes a franchise. While Riddler has been set up to return, there is no telling whether the city will be repaired before the next movie or if it will stay destroyed. No matter what, though, The Batman has brought part of an excellent storyline to a whole new audience, and video games should continue to place a spotlight on Zero Year. Much like Gotham Knights is adapting the brilliant Court of Owls story, a future game should highlight another standout arc from Batman’s New 52 run.
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