It’s 2009.
“Where’s the Batmobile?”, fans ask Rocksteady games, not realising how difficult it would be to drive a massive car through the tight corridors of a mental institute. That, and it had been used as a battering ram when Bane got a little too hands-on with Batman.
It’s 2011.
“Where’s the Batmobile?”, fans ask once again as Rocksteady doubled down on making Batman himself the ultimate vehicle with a suite of augmented grapple abilities.
It’s 2015.
“Where’s the Batmobile?”, fans ask after being left out in the cold by Arkham Origins and its distinct lack of bat-themed motor-vehicle mayhem.
“Here you go!” Rocksteady triumphantly declares. Shown off for the first time at E3 a year prior, Rocksteady’s Batmobile was everything that you could possibly want from the legendary vehicle.
It was rage and fury, monstrous and agile. It was an odds-evener, a tool in a war on crime that was without equal. A criminal crushing speed machine that could barrel down the streets of Gotham in a glorious burst of speed, the Batmobile was also able to shift gear into a mobile weapons platform within seconds when heavy artillery came after it. It was beautifully designed, it roared with the passion of an alpha lion and it was a joy to drive.
“We don’t like it, said the fans.”
For years, this rejection of the Batmobile has left me baffled. Batman: Arkham Knight may not have been perfect (Those damn Riddler trophies being well worth some complaints), but the addition of the Batmobile did nothing but add value to Rocksteady’s magnum opus for a Batman saga that had begun so many years ago. Fans and critics alike had plenty of complaints to throw at the game, with some claiming that the inclusion of the Batmobile was a shoehorned extra that diminished the dark knight’s abilities in the field.
My dudes…that’s bullshit. The Batmobile wasn’t shoehorned in, it was a vital upgrade for Rocksteady’s vision that blended Batman’s blockbuster arsenal with the man wielding it. That iconic vehicle was an extension of the caped crusader and an evolution for the franchise formula. Rocksteady couldn’t just make the exact same game again, they had to lean further than ever into the themes of escalation that they’d introduced with Arkham City.
They had to be bold, they had to be brave. To that extent, the Batmobile was fresh and exciting, a brilliant piece of engineering that served as a puzzle piece for jigsaws that looked completely unsolveable at first glance. It was Batman on four wheels, a vehicle that was not meant to replace his established modes of travel around Gotham City, but to enhance them.
The layers of design that went into its construction, application and eventual destruction, was nothing short of game-changing. And yet people still complained, having finally received a feature that they’d been begging for over years and then given. A grand package of excitement and nitrous oxide, rejected and cast aside like a bad penny.
It’s one of the greatest tragedies of a game that is the ultimate Batman simulator, a triumph that became a tragedy in the eyes of fans. Arkham Knight’s Batmobile deserved better. It deserved to be remembered as one of the truly great gameplay ideas that it was, like Mortal Kombat’s Fatalities or Project Gotham Racing’s Kudos points system.
Instead, it’s a forgotten treat. An example of genius that was clearly and still is, years ahead of the curve.
Last Updated: April 2, 2019
Kromas
April 2, 2019 at 14:02
tl;dr Darryn likes batman stuff.
Admiral Chief
April 2, 2019 at 14:20
Pretty much
Geoffrey Tim
April 2, 2019 at 15:17
This is how I feel too.
Admiral Chief
April 2, 2019 at 15:35
You like batman schtuffs two?
Kromas
April 2, 2019 at 15:36
Everyone has their fetishes. Far be it for me to impose mine on someone else. 😛
Matthew Holliday
April 2, 2019 at 14:20
Liked the design.
But as transportation it was irrelevant, Batman gets around the city and kicks ass just fine on his own.
Nick de Bruyne
April 2, 2019 at 17:36
You mean transportation as in the most amazing, bad-ass looking Batman-Launcher of all time? How much I loved catching speed and then rocketing him out of it into a long-ass glide, especially when you unlock the later abilities that really get him going.
Captain JJ
April 3, 2019 at 09:03
That was the damn best.
Admiral Chief
April 2, 2019 at 14:20
Speaking of Batman…
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/e1150eda132821e4ca3781368d074184603e6c6f5351c40c02b9a4c73de2e425.jpg
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/555c250f4f2086d2e6decdfdeeacd3a1426728c6d4815d27e0d4a1ae7f031572.jpg
The D
April 2, 2019 at 14:20
Oh would you look at that, I’m all out of cowls.
Admiral Chief
April 2, 2019 at 14:20
The first one was dated 2nd Feb 2017
The D
April 2, 2019 at 14:39
Don’t have a cowl man.
Admiral Chief
April 2, 2019 at 14:39
Were you hungry? 😛
The D
April 2, 2019 at 14:39
HUNGRY FOR JUSTICE
Gr8_Balls_o_Fire
April 3, 2019 at 10:27
You made the commitment. Go out and buy a cheap one, and make a post about it. More hits, more likes, more popularity!
BradeLunner
April 2, 2019 at 14:39
The car, yes, the mandatory levels, no
Dresden
April 2, 2019 at 15:36
Totally random question. Do the Arkham games (I assume these are the ones to play if you never touched Batman games) still play well in this day and age?
Keen to give them a go and I’ve never played any of them.
Nick de Bruyne
April 2, 2019 at 17:36
I completely agree, the Batmobile wasn’t perfect and it was maybe overused a little (especially for tank stuff that wasn’t all that interesting) but it added a great element to the game. I honestly believe that Arkham Knight (what with its launch woes on PC) is actually still one of the most highly underrated games of this generation. I remember how giddy I was to run off to my console every night to keep playing, and I want to add that this is from someone who didn’t think as highly of Arkham City as others.
Florin Link
April 2, 2019 at 18:18
loved the batmobile
Pixelated Gambit
April 2, 2019 at 14:20
I liked the Batmobile stuff quite a bit, especially the Riddler puzzles involving it (as Sid the Sloth said “DON’T SPEAR ME!”) My only gripe was that it wasn’t the design seen in Arkham Asylum. I get that it needed to match the aesthetic of Arkham Knight, just preferred the cartoony design a bit more.
The D
April 2, 2019 at 14:20
Ain’t nothing wrong with that. You’ve got two completely different beasts to begin with, and if you prefer the tighter and more cramped design of Arkham Asylum because it harkened back to a truer Batman experience, that’s great!
Arkham Knight to me, is blockbuster Batman. World-traveling, ninja-fighting and big screen theatrics Batman. The Batmobile was just a natural extension for that theme.
Geoffrey Tim
April 2, 2019 at 14:40
Arkham Asylum is still the best game of the lot. The end. don’t @ me.
Geoffrey Tim
April 2, 2019 at 14:40
S L O W N E W S D A Y?
The D
April 2, 2019 at 14:40
Geoff, I will ban you so help me Gorilla Grodd.
Original Heretic
April 2, 2019 at 14:56
Careful, you might hurt Geoff’s feeling.
Admiral Chief
April 2, 2019 at 14:56
ARE YOU WRITING THAT IN S L O W SPEEAAACH?
Magoo
April 2, 2019 at 15:16
Ah great, now he’s never gonna come back.
Captain JJ
April 3, 2019 at 08:45
what a cheesy comment
J.j. Barrington
April 2, 2019 at 19:28
Sounds like you’re trying way too hard to state your case without arguing it, and you’re arguing against strawmen to do it.
It wasn’t that the car was JUST shoehorned in; it was that it was shoehorned in where it wasn’t necessary. A boss battle with the master fighter Deathstroke is NOT where you should be using the Batmobile. No matter what nonsense you’re trying to push- and this article IS nonsense- that should never have happened.
It’s telling that you brought up exactly that ONE complaint and left out the rest; why is that? Why does your praise of the vehicle sound more like an auto maker’s commercial than someone who genuinely understands the role the car is supposed to play?
Game-changing? “Truly great gameplay ideas?” “Ahead of the curve?” Sorry, but it’s none of these. (Except, the first, in a very literal sense; not the typical “whoa, this changes EVERYTHING!” sense.” And you didn’t make a case for any of that, either.
Dresden
April 2, 2019 at 15:36
Totally random question. Do the Arkham games (I assume these are the ones to play if you never touched Batman games) still play well in this day and age?
Keen to give them a go and I’ve never played any of them.
Geoffrey Tim
April 2, 2019 at 15:55
Yes.
The D
April 2, 2019 at 15:56
Absolutely! They may feel a tad bit dated, but they’re still solid with amazing design.
Admiral Chief
April 2, 2019 at 15:56
You can’t go wrong dude
Francois Knoetze
April 2, 2019 at 17:16
played the games to death till this day and still worth it. Like Admiral Chief says: Can’t go wrong
GrimmyReaper
April 2, 2019 at 20:48
Most underrated and yet most overused in the 1 game it appeared in.
This coming from someone who liked the Batmobile stuff more than most. But let’s just see how often you use it. And keep in mind this is just from the top of my head.
Every city part has many tanks that you need to destroy.
Every city part has many bombs you need to defuse where you fight tanks.
Every city has RIddler Tokens that only the batmobile can destroy.
There are several puzzles that require the batmobile.
There are several races for the batmobile.
Firefly is literally chasing him with the batmobile.
Any underground tunnel section has at least 1 section with tanks.
Arkham Knight is fought in a tank battle (and then in a stealth section).
There are several simulation missions with the batmobile, just shooting tanks.
The DLC with Mister Freeze ends with tank battles.
You also have to chase APCs around the city with the batmobile.
And then there are many story missions where you shoot many tanks over and over.
To say it was overused would not be an understatement. In some way I get it. I think it is a very cool toy and they wanna show it off but building so much around the tank battles was not the way to do it, especially when all I kept think was if the Arkham Knight actually put people in those tanks .. Batman loses because he only shoots them cause they are drones … it just seems silly.
Caveshen Rajman
April 2, 2019 at 22:26
Arkham’s Racer.
Gr8_Balls_o_Fire
April 3, 2019 at 10:27
I got that reference
Geoffrey Tim
April 3, 2019 at 11:03
This is a very good comment.
GrimmyReaper
April 2, 2019 at 20:48
Most underrated and yet most overused in the 1 game it appeared in.
This coming from someone who liked the Batmobile stuff more than most. But let’s just see how often you use it. And keep in mind this is just from the top of my head.
Every city part has many tanks that you need to destroy.
Every city part has many bombs you need to defuse where you fight tanks.
Every city has RIddler Tokens that only the batmobile can destroy.
There are several puzzles that require the batmobile.
There are several races for the batmobile.
Firefly is literally chasing him with the batmobile.
Any underground tunnel section has at least 1 section with tanks.
Arkham Knight is fought in a tank battle (and then in a stealth section).
There are several simulation missions with the batmobile, just shooting tanks.
The DLC with Mister Freeze ends with tank battles.
You also have to chase APCs around the city with the batmobile.
And then there are many story missions where you shoot many tanks over and over.
To say it was overused would not be an understatement. In some way I get it. I think it is a very cool toy and they wanna show it off but building so much around the tank battles was not the way to do it, especially when all I kept think was if the Arkham Knight actually put people in those tanks .. Batman loses because he only shoots them cause they are drones … it just seems silly.
Gr8_Balls_o_Fire
April 3, 2019 at 10:27
Well, nobody said wars are balanced in the required activities/missions.
Captain JJ
April 3, 2019 at 09:03
Though I really loved driving around in the Batmobile in the game, and leaping out of it was one of the most Batmaniest things ever in gaming, it felt a bit too much like a toy (yes, I know it is Bruce Wayne’s toy).
It was undoubtedly fun, and yes with it faults as you say. I didn’t enjoy the tank missions and shooting stuff, that was just a means to an end, but driving around in it just felt so great.
Got to agree with you here, it’s truly one of those great experiences. It’s just such a pity the pc release was such an absolute nightmare, because it really ruined the reputation of the game and when I did eventually get to play the game it just lost that Arkham series spark.
Such a shame, the game is a lot of fun.
Ryan Mizell
April 3, 2019 at 13:41
I loved the batmobile I even bought a statue of it
Gr8_Balls_o_Fire
April 3, 2019 at 10:11
I thought I was the only one who marvelled at the ‘mobile.
The Llama
April 4, 2019 at 13:12
You deliberately misrepresented the criticism of the Batmobile, and deliberately defended the aspects of it that were already embraced by the fans. The resounding “we don’t like it” response was specifically aimed at the “tank mode” of the Batmobile and the CLEARLY shoehorned “blow up the tank drones” missions that served little to no purpose. Zooming through the city in the Batmobile was pretty dope, and nobody disputes that. What a stupid article.