Superhero video games are a genre unto themselves, complete with certain expectations, rules, and mechanics. Right now, the two most iconic video game franchises of said genre are theBatman: Arkhamgames, which saw its last full release in 2015, and the ongoingSpider-Mangames from Insomniac. In some ways,Batmancontinues to wear the crown, butSpider-Manhas nailed other aspectsit didn’t. Between the two franchises, though,Batman: Arkham Knightis the clear winner in terms of suit selection.
The code of rules, the superhero landing, and more all important superhero’s identity, but to steal fromInvincible, everyone wants a suit to be “iconic.” BothBatman: Arkham Knightand theSpider-Mangames are filled with iconic suits, butBatmanstands out as the unsung hero of suit selection.
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Suits in Batman: Arkham Knight Are Iconic
For Batman alone,Batman: Arkham Knighthas 20 costumes to choose from, while Robin, Nightwing, and Catwoman only have a handful per. This may not sound like the most suits a superhero game could have, and it’s not. However,Batman: Arkham Knight’s suits, from the original inclusions to the DLC, all scream iconic in one way or another. The Pristine suit, for example, doesn’t just come with the fancy name. It requires a 240% clear rate on the game, which means beating New Game, New Game Plus, and all DLC stories to 100%, so the Pristine suit is a showcase of accomplishment.
Other suits pay homage to Batman in a lot ways, but the 1970s Batman Skin, the 1st Appearance suit dating back to his comic debut, his Batman Beyond suit, and a special suit for the 2016 Batman vs. Superman perhaps stand out the most. Then, there are mostly fun suits like Anime Batman and Zur En Arrh Batman skin, just to name a few of the iconic suits in the game. Combined with the wide variety approach to “iconic” is how these are unlocked in a multitude of ways, not always as paid DLC (but certainly, in some cases), and it elevates howArkham Knightutilizes its suits. It says something when a game, five years after launch,releases suits for allBatman: Arkham Knightplayersand it gets a warm reception.
Spider-Man Should Follow Batman: Arkham Knight’s Path
In contrast,Spider-Man: Miles Morales’suit selection, which comes in at 19, could use more finesse. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with the suits in the game, but only a handful of them scream iconic. The others are either more advanced, more game-y suits that are cool, but not iconic, or they’re more stripped down or training based. ForMiles Morales, the only two suits that hit that iconic vibe are theInto the Spider-Verse suit, which was a must, and the Animated Suit. The Bodega Cat suit can count too, but that’s more iconic for the game and the cat’s quest than it is Miles himself.
On the other end is Insomniac’s firstSpider-Mangame, which has a whopping total of 38 suits counting DLC. Of these, the most iconic areSpider-Man’s Advanced Suit(which symbolize the game in and of itself), the Stark and Iron Spider suits (because of the MCU movies), the Spider-Man 2099 suit (though as a reference to Miguel O’Hara, not Peter), and the vintage comic suit. None hit the same marks asBatman, and that’s not becauseSpider-Manisn’t able. It just didn’t click the same way.
Perhaps it was because most were unlocked via tokens found inSpider-Man’s open world, perhaps it was the reliance on other iterations of the character like their MCU counterparts, or perhaps it was due to the limits of the game itself, but the suits inSpider-ManandSpider-Man: Miles Morales don’t hit the same notes, at least as often.Marvel’s Spider-Man 2will release eventually, and if there’s anything thatSpider-Mancould learn fromBatman: Arkham, it’s making the suits count, not counting the suits. Indeed, the same could be said of any superhero game on currently out or on the horizon too, whether that’sMarvel’s Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy, Gotham Knights, orSuicide Squad: Kill the Justice League.
Batman: Arkham Knightis available on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
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