In the greater DC mythology scope, especially recently, it seems as if theTeen Titansteam has been slept on. Of course, theTeen Titansare likely most popular in their Cartoon Network iterations,Teen TitansandTeen Titans Go!, and their source material is more obscure. The DC Universe and Max seriesTitansthen took a starkly opposite route with its interpretation as it went decidedly dark with its subject matter, particularly with the polarizing choice for Dick Grayson’s Robin to cuss out Batman in the pilot episode.
The Teen Titans took a hit via this underwhelming show, but there is hope for that perception to change in the near future.Raven was recently added toMultiVersusas a Season 4 DLC characterwith more Titans possibly following her in the future, for example, while James Gunn’s DCU is scheduled to feature a live-actionTeen Titansadaptation. Though it’s not confirmed or even announced, it’s also possible that NetherRealm could have anInjustice 3in the pipeline and might include Teen Titan characters itself. As stars seem to be aligning perfectly, now would be the time for a proper, modernTeen Titansgame.
A Teen Titans Game May Be Risky in DC’s Ensemble Game Climate
One reason whya AAA Teen Titans game developed todaywould be divisive is the poor precedent set by previous superhero-related ensemble games likeMarvel’s Avengers,Gotham Knights, andSuicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. Consequently,Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy’s reception seemed publicly favorable and yet it apparently didn’t perform well, with the assumption being that players were a bit perturbed byMarvel’s Avengers. This argument doesn’t make much sense given thatMarvel’s Guardians of the Galaxyis purely a single-player game, but it is then unclear why it would fail as it did if it wasn’t for preconceived notions of what a Marvel ensemble game would deliver.
Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydrahas an opportunity to rise from these woeful ashes, though, and it’ll be interesting to see what direction other future Marvel games take as the blowback continues to have repercussions.
Likewise, DC has been in the same boat, and it’s unlikely that any upcoming ensemble games will be met with massive enthusiasm unless studios can tap into the perfect affiliation or group of characters with a setting or narrative that’s legitimately novel. In this case, with DC likely to want to capitalize on anything popular that its games or media churn out, it would be ideal and opportunistic to get aTeen Titansgame out from under a rug with an authentic, original story before the DCU propels the teens into a skyrocketed level of fandom.
Teen Titans Can Soar Where Gotham Knights Plummeted
A modernTeen Titansgame could realistically be either single-player or multiplayer, and taking inspiration fromGotham Knightswouldn’t at all be a misguided notion. In fact, ifGotham Knightshad actually committed to Bruce Wayne being dead and polished its story witha legitimate emphasis on the Court of Owls, it could have been quite special as an RPG-inspired take on the Bat Family.
ATeen Titansgame could have a more whimsical and comedic tone, too, and distinguish itself from other DC properties like theArkhamgames. ATeen Titansgame taking place in the Arkhamverse isn’t out of the realm of possibility, either, butDick Grayson’s career path between being a Boy Wonder to Bludhaven’s black-and-blue guardianis rather quick and it’d probably be difficult to carve out a space for him to have had a Titans team of his own.
