Warner Brothers spent millions of dollars developing not one, but two high profile premium video games set in the world of Batman…but not starring Batman. I have no idea how the many pitch meetings, budget discussions, and boardroom fights came together to make that happen, but it did. It’s so incredibly bizarre to me, and a case study in how not to make licensed IP video game titles.
The more recent and more-discussed failure is this year’s nearly decade-late pseudo-sequel to 2015’s Batman Arkham Knight, the pointedly-named Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League. I had hoped it would stand as a strong final voice performance outing for longtime Batman voice actor Kevin Conroy(who appears as a one- off boss enemy of all things), but the game was more like a sad disgrace to his legacy. Fortunately, it ended up not actually being his final turn as the character, even though it was once marketed that way. Kill the Justice League took an iconic Batman action franchise known for its fun melee combat, gadgets, and traversal and turned it into a second-tier Borderlands copy with pretty graphics.
The earlier attempt at a Batman-free Batman gaming experience was Gotham Knights, a 2022 release from the team behind Arkham Origins. This one dispenses with Batman…