Summary
Gotham Cityis one of the most iconic fictional cities of all time, taking influences from cities such asNew York, Detroit and Chicagoand addingBritish-inspired Gothic elements. The city, over the years of movies, comic books, TV shows and video games, has seen many interpretations and has developed into a place that has a rich history and recognizable landmarks.
The city has such a personality that it is a character in itself when it comes to Batman media. Many Batman games have given their own spin on Gotham and there are so many to choose from. This list will take a look at each game’s take on the home ofThe Dark Knight.
Batman Beginscame out in 2005, and moved away from the neon-lit streets of Gotham of theJoel Schumacher universe. Instead, the film presented a grounded, realistic interpretation of Gotham City.
The tie-in game based on the movie had sections where players smashed through the city inThe Dark Knight’s iconic tumbler Batmobile, and sections where players had to stealthily move through different areas. The look of Gotham matched the tone and color palet of the movie. Batman moved through buildings with a gritty, rundown look that is reminiscent of parts of New York or Chicago.
Gotham City inBatman: The Video Gameis a dark and gritty place. The game is based on the 1989 movie, so there isa lot of Burton-inspired artworkas players move through the levels.
The sections where players speed down the highway blowing up cars in the Batmobile and flying through the air as BatWing shows a beautiful Gotham skyline. Considering the game is from 1989, it is detailed and immersive. As the player moves through the streets as Batman, there is a lot of world-building, such as torn posters on the wall that say “Dent for District Attorney.”
The animated TV showBatman: The Brave and The Boldis a much-loved series, as it put the spotlight on otherDC heroesand presented a more lighthearted and fun world.
In the video game tie-in, the world had a beautiful, cartoonish look with lots of fun things to look at in the background of each level. In the game, the player jumps across the rooftops of Gotham and visits locations such as The Gotham Museum, Wayne Manor, The Clock Tower, and even the sewers.
The video game tie-in to theBatman Returnsmovie was a surprisingly well-made game with detailed levels. Themovie was set at Christmastime, and the game does a great job of capturing the contrast of the dark and gloomy streets of Gotham covered in colorful lights and Christmas trees.
The environmental storytelling of the game did a great job of making Gotham feel more lived in. For example, there are posters on the wall saying “Oswald Cobblepot for Mayor,” Christmas trees in the windows, and snow on the ground. The game also features great sections where players get to speed through the streets in the Batmobile.
Batman: Vengeancewas based on the animated showThe New Batman Adventures.This series gave Gotham the black buildings against the red skyline look that is used in so many of thecomics and cartoons, particularly the iconic look ofBatman: Year One.
The driving sections of the game immerse players in the 1930s style of the buildings and vehicles, which is a callback to the era Batman was created in. There are sections where the player flies through the air in Batwing, and the Gotham skyline looks straight out of a comic book.
This game has many levels that show off so many fun parts of Gotham. The opening level has Batman running through theJoker’sFunhouse before fighting him whilst riding a roller coaster with the Gotham skyline in the background.
It certainly leaned into the wacky side of Gotham. As Batman, players foughtgiant plants in Poison Ivy’s lair, and even explored a Riddler Maze before fighting him on a giant chess board. There were also top down driving sections of the game that allowed players to see Gotham from a different perspective.
Gotham City at Christmas has been the setting of a few different Batman stories. The contrast between the bright, colorful Christmas decorations against a creepy Gothic backdrop is almost reminiscent ofA Nightmare Before Christmas.
As players glide through Gotham in this game, they see thugs wearing Christmas hats, spy Christmas trees on fire, and even hear the occasional bells jingling in the night. The snow falling on the streets of Gotham gives a cold, eerie feeling to the city and leaves players hoping that Bruce remembered to wear thermals under his suit.Arkham Originsisa perfect Christmas gamefor any Batman fan.
The opening section ofBatman: The Enemy Withinfeels veryJames Bond-inspired. Bruce is at a Casino using spy gadgets on a secret mission, beforeThe Riddlerturns up and all hell breaks loose. This game displays the juxtaposition in the society of Gotham perfectly, showing the rich organized crime families contrasting those at the bottom of society struggling to survive. One minute Bruce is at a classy casino; the next, he is undercover with a group of criminals.
Gotham is presented as a corrupt society, where organized crime has taken over the streets. The environmental storytelling is very immersive in the game and the city is filled with graffiti, smashed windows, and boarded-up houses. The city is both metaphorically and literally falling apart.
It is always fun to see iconic locations remade in the Lego world. InLego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes,Gotham is recreated in beautiful detail for the player to free roam around and smash up in their Lego Batmobile.
There is so much to do in this version of Gotham City. Whether it is riding a gorilla around Gotham Zoo, or completing the many obstacle courses spread around the map,The Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroesversion of Gotham is a playground that people can spend hours exploring.
Arkham Asylum, Arkham City,andArkham Originsall paved the way for Rocksteady to give players the most detailed and beautiful version of Gotham in any video game.Arkham Knight’s map is giant, with so many hidden areas to explore and flawless environmental story telling.
The map is fun to explore whether Batman is gliding through the air, grappling from rooftop to rooftop, or smashing through the city in a hulking, tank-like Batmobile. Gotham evolves as the game unfolds, with Poison Ivy causing plants to grow throughout the city, buildings left exploded after certain levels, and Scarecrow’s gas being released, causing the streets to descend into chaos. Not only doesArkham Knightfeature one of the best versions of Gotham City, but the map is arguablyone of the best in video game history.
