Having been announced almost three years ago, the state of Monolith’sWonder Womanis nearly as mythological as Princess Diana herself. Onebig hypotheticalWonder Womanleakis the most news that’s been shared of it thus far, if there’s any truth to it at all, and nothing official has been unveiled since its teaser at The Game Awards 2021. Speculation is all that has sustained hype forWonder Womanin the meantime, including the logical presumption that Monolith may copy strands of genetic essence from itsMiddle-earthtitles,Shadow of MordorandShadow of War, and embed them intoWonder Woman.
Part of this speculation is the hope thatWonder Womanemulates the freeflow combat system that theMiddle-earthgames adopted from theArkhamgames. Indeed, Talion and Celebrimbor’s interwoven talents made for excellent freeflow combat; Talion’s sword dismembering orcs and uruks during combo finishers, for example, or Celebrimbor’s spectral shade appearing to parry a second enemy when players counter two foes at once. The Themysciran lacks the strategic inventory Batman possesses, butWonder Womanwill hopefully be chiefly inspired by the Arkhamverse’s gradual means of progression.
Arkham Games’ Progression is Defined by Traversal- and Combat-Oriented Gadget Distribution
TheArkhamgamesall have skills players unlock and purchase with XP, but what truly progresses the narrative and widens the Caped Crusader’s move set is the suite of gadgets he obtains. NoArkhamgame begins with Batman’s utility belt already fashioned with every gadget he’ll need—sometimes this is because he is caught underhanded and must tackle a game’s events in a single night, while other times it’s because he doesn’t yet have a gadget manufactured until that game. Either way, players start with a handful of gadgets and eventually request or construct others as the story demands.
Batman: Arkham ShadowreprisesBatman: Arkham Origins’ shock glovesonce electrically charged terminals need to be accessed, for instance, and Batman decides he has no use for the Batclaw until he needs to gain access to Dr. Harleen Quinzel’s office via an out-of-reach ventilation duct.
If Batman was planning for any possible circumstance, it stands to reason that he’d try to bring every gadget he might need along in the first place, but asBatman: Arkham Cityargues that would require a bigger belt and slow him down. Regardless, it’s engaging and entertaining to have new gadgets added to players’ inventories sequentially, and it also gives players time to familiarize themselves with new gadgets before another is acquired.
This is especially favorable in combat since it can take a bit to properly learn when and how to implement an offensive gadget; in the case ofBatman: Arkham Shadow’s Gel Launcher, timing is everything as players need to fire the explosive gel at the ground and find an opportune moment to detonate it between parries and evasions. That’s not even considering gadgets as meticulous asBatman: Arkham Knight’s Disruptor, which only truly benefits from players carefully selecting which firearms, items, or environmental hazards to sabotage.
Batman’s Arkhamverse Progression Needs to Open a Floodgate for Monolith’s Wonder Woman
In order to flesh out gameplay with diverse mechanics, Wonder Woman could feasibly have access to any of her iconic weapons and artifacts, such as a sword, shield, bracers, or a truth-provoking lariat. Wonder Woman could have all of these items as soon as the game begins, but it could be far sweeter to obtain new items as the game progresses.
Thegolden Lasso of Truth could justifiably be Wonder Woman’s most overpowered tooland offer her a mid-range option in combat, let alone gift her the ability to elicit the truth from anyone, and therefore it might be in Monolith’s best interest to withhold it until later, when it can have more of a resounding impact on the narrative and gameplay. Such choices will be paramount toWonder Woman’s success, and it’ll be interesting to see what shape progression takes when more about the game is inevitably revealed.
