Summary
A lot goes into making big superhero games like theBatman: Arkhamfranchise, with developers like Rocksteady, WB Games Montreal, and Camouflaj working overtime to deliver iconic games. However, in that process, not all concepts make it into the final product due to either a shortage of budget, time restraints, or, in certain cases, both.
Whether it’s DLC content that was left on the developer room floor or initial ideas that just didn’t pan out,Batman: Arkhamgames feature a lot of content that fans missed out on. Some were made up for in other Arkhamverse titles or by fanmade mods, while others still have a chance to possibly make it into any future entry in the long-running series.
10More Nightwing Content In Batman: Arkham City
Nightwing Feels Lackluster But There Is A Possible Reason For That
Tim Drake has a small role inBatman: Arkham Cityas the current Robin, but there is evidence suggesting thatDick Grayson, AKA Nightwingwould play a part as well. In the cast, Nightwing is credited as being voiced by Troy Baker, who also voices Robin.
Nightwing was possibly meant to be in the main story or have his own DLC story like Robin and Catwoman did. Instead, Nightwing ended up being oddly silent for a character known for his quips, thus suggesting that perhaps Rockstead ran out of time and/or money to develop Nightwing even more.
9Missing Costumes In Batman: Arkham Knight
Even More Skins Were Supposed To Be Made For The Game
There are a lot of costumes inBatman: Arkham Knight, from past Arkham skins tocostumes straight out of famous comics, but certain characters noticeably lacked costumes. Nightwing, Robin, and Red Hood were given the bare minimum but were originally going to get more via DLC, as revealed by concept art that revealed a new Robin suit inspired by Damian Wayne and a Red Hood suit.
There were even missing costumes for Batman, including one based onThe Long Halloween, which would have been ideal sinceArkham Knighttakes place on Halloween and an Alex RossKingdom Comecostume. Thankfully, many of the missing skins have been resurrected thanks to the dedicated modding community for the PC version.
8Rhythm-Based Combat In Batman: Arkham Asylum
Would Batman Work As Well With Hi-Fi Rush Gameplay?
An example of how change can be a good thing,Batman: Arkham Asylumwent through many changes, including its combat system. Initially, Batman’s combat was going to feature the player hitting buttons to the beat of the music, something that would be perfected years later inHi-Fi Rush.Rhythm games can be a strong genre, even if it is rather niche.
However, in 2009, that kind of combat system might not have done well with Batman. As a result, Rocksteady traded it for the Freeflow combat system that not only improved with each game but would inspire many other video games and studios to take on similar combat systems.
7Worst Nightmare Skin In Batman: Arkham Origins
A Skin That Lived Up To Its Name For The Developers
Given thatBatman: Arkham Originshad a small budget and development window,it was a strong prequel gamethat did many things right. However, the limitations did cause some things to be cut, including the Worst Nightmare skin, a creature version of Batman that only the Joker would see in his insanity.
Originally, the Worst Nightmare skin was going to be an unlockable costume, but the costume kept causing in-game issues, such as corrupting save files inArkham Origins. With no time to fix it, Warner Bros. Games Montreal had no other choice but to remove it entirely, much to the dismay of the fans.
The Only Villain That Didn’t Attend The Joker’s Party
The only known villain to have been scrapped fromBatman: Arkham Asylumis The Mad Hatter. There were plans to feature a hedge maze on Arkham Island and at the very center of it would have been a table with tea set for an encounter with the Mad Hatter, who would debut inArkham City. The tea set was likely the same one found in the Botanical Gardens, repurposed as a riddle to solve.
Jervis Tetch, AKA The Mad Hatter, is a recurring villain in future games and is one of the few that Batman personally hates due to Hatter’s kidnapping and molestation of women. It would have been interesting to see what kind of horrors Hatter unleashed,given the nightmarish sequences with Scarecrowthat Batman already dealt with.
5Weather Effects In Batman: Arkham Origins
Whiteouts Would Have Turned Gotham Into More Of A Winter Wonderland
Not only was the setting of Christmas Eve meant to provide a visually distinct aesthetic to Gotham City, but it would also be a hazard for an early-age Batman. Occasionally, the blizzard enveloping theopen-world map of Gothamwould get more intense, causing whiteouts and forcing players to use Detective Vision to fight and maneuver.
Unfortunately, the weather effects were removed due to them causing performance issues, another example of how limited the developers were in their production. IfArkham Asylumcan be remastered with new weather effects, some fans hopeArkham Originscould get the same treatment.
4Victor Zsasz In Batman: Arkham Knight
Another Serial Killer Was Almost On Gotham’s Most Wanted
Over the years, fans have found proof of a cut Victor Zsasz side mission inBatman: Arkham Knight. Not only does the deranged serial killer appear when Batman is tryingto find a kidnapped Barbara Gordon, but there are audio files that have Batman and Zsasz having conversations that never happen in the game. There are also renders of the character, akin to the ones seen in mission selection.
While it is not confirmed as to why Victor Zsasz was cut, it may have something to do with Professor Pyg’s inclusion as a side mission. Both Zsasz and Professor Pyg share many of the same concepts and brutality that make them both so disturbing, so it is theorized that Victor Zsasz was removed to avoid redundancy.
3More Playable Villains In Batman: Arkham Origins
The Prequel Was Almost A Villain-Centric Experience
One of the defining traits ofBatman: Arkham Originswas the chance to play Deathstroke in the Challenge Maps. There were plans for more, such as the Joker and Bane, but they were reservedfor the now-defunct multiplayer modein the final product. This was confirmed by one of the developerson Redditduring a Q&A effect.
Even Deathstroke was a victim of this cut content because it was also confirmed that the villains were going to be playable in the open world. This concept was playing as multiple villains would not come to fruition untilSuicide Squad: Kill The Justice League, for better or worse.
2Clayface In Batman: Arkham Knight
The Movie Studios Was The Perfect Place For His Return
Yet another villain who was scrapped, concept art revealed that Clayface was going to make a grand return inBatman: Arkham Knight. The artwork shows Panessa Studios, in which Batman operates, being attacked by a kaiju-sized Clayface, possibly a result of his bath in the Lazarus Pit at the end ofBatman: Arkham City.
Whether Rocksteady ran out of time to put him into the game or they changed their minds early on is unclear. However, there is an empty room at the backside of movie studios that has no purpose, not even for a Riddler trophy that fans speculate was supposed to involve the villain. Clayface would get the chance to become a giant monster again in theGotham Knightsgame.
1Prometheus In Batman: Arkham Knight
Fans Have Been Waiting For This Evil Version Of Batman
In theSeason Of Infamyexpansion forBatman: Arkham Knight, all the villains were from past games, but one that was scrapped from the expansion was going to be an Arkhamverse debut. Prometheus, a dark reflection of Batman was confirmed to have been scrapped after both Arkham Asylum and Arkham City teased the character.
There is no official word on what his story was supposed to be or how his fight was going to play out. Instead, data mining was used to confirm that he was in theSeason Of Infamyfiles, making him one ofmany villains to exist but never appeared in the Arkhamverse. Prometheus has since become an infamous villain among fans as to who they would like to see in a future game.
