While games like Batman: Arkham series manage to capture the feeling of being the Dark Knight, these titles have failed to create a believable and authentic cape. The Caped Crusader is known for his long flowing cape, which adds to the master vigilante's mysticism and intimidating presence. Batman's cape plays a key role in various video games, but its true grandeur has not yet been translated into an interactive experience.
The Batman: Arkham games put a heavy emphasis on the Dark Knight's cape, since he uses it as a glider for efficient traversal across every game's open-world Gotham City. The original Arkham Asylum features a rudimentary gliding system, with players merely flying down to lower terrain from a vantage point. Arkham City and subsequent games include a more robust gliding system, with Batman repeatedly diving and pulling back up to maintain altitude as he explores open-world environments. Despite not starring Batman himself, the recent Gotham Knights uses a similar gliding system for Batgirl and her cape. While incorporating capes into gameplay is great, Batman games can take the Dark Knight's iconic accessory much further.
Batman Games Never Do The Cape Justice
While previous Batman games have given his cape a practical purpose, they have yet to truly capture the cape's cool and intimidating uses. In the pages of DC Comics the cape regularly takes on interesting shapes, making the Caped Crusader's crime-fighting adventures more atmospheric. Batman's cape trails behind him as he fights the best Batman: Arkham villains, but in the comics his cape often takes a form resembling his own iconic chest insignia when he leaps into battle. This serves as a warning to criminals, inspiring fear just seconds before the Dark Knight swoops down upon them. At rest Batman also wraps the cape around his torso, giving him an otherworldly or dignified appearance.
Batman Games Should Make The Cape Dynamic & Intimidating
Alongside the popular gliding traversal mechanic, future Batman games can take advantage of the Dark Knight's cape to add ambiance to the experience. Leaping into action could see the cape form Batman's symbol, adding a dynamic and exciting element to the start of a battle. When standing still the hero could also pull his cape around his body, reflecting a genius detective deep in thought or ready for danger. In a potential Batman: Arkham or Gotham Knights sequel the cape could even be manually controlled by the player, with the press of a button determining whether Batman lets it hang off his shoulders, wraps it around himself or lets it drag along the ground.
The Batman: Arkham games deliver a beloved and authentic version of the Dark Knight, but the games fail to properly utilize the hero's stylish and dynamic cape. Gliding across Gotham is an important practical use for the fashion accessory, but it can also be used to intimidate criminals before a fight and add an air of mystery to the World's Greatest Detective. Some fans feel that Batman games can't get batarangs right, and the hero's cape is in a similar boat. While Gotham Knights and the Batman: Arkham series nails the physics and practical purpose of the hero's cape, future games can make it an even more important part of Batman's arsenal.
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