Summary
Monolith’sWonder Womanhasn’t shared any official details since its announcement. Therefore, all that’s confirmed about it is that it will feature Diana of Themyscira “in the fight to unite her Amazon family and the humans from the modern world.” That’s not a lot to take in and unpackage, though the mention of Themyscira and Wonder Woman’s Amazon family is incredibly exciting since that’s the greatest element of her lore and history and could makeWonder Womantruly exceptional.
It’s unknown whether the entire game will take place in Themyscira or if any of it will, but Monolith would be smart to have it set there for at least a decent chunk. LikeMiddle-earth: Shadow of Mordor, Themyscira could be one portion of an open world with another portion being the modern world of civilization that players transition to and from. Either way, Themyscira is a must-have if Monolith wantsWonder Womanto be wholly unique. In this way,Wonder Woman’s Themyscira can be as much of anisolated and discrete setting as Arkham Island is inBatman: Arkham Asylum.
Batman: Arkham Asylum’s Setting Literally Holds the Entire Arkhamverse on Its Shoulders
The titular correctional facility for the criminally insane is a monumental and inseparable part of what makesBatman: Arkham Asylumas extraordinary as it is. Players spend their time on Arkham Island exclusively inArkham Asylumand Rocksteady was able to infuse satisfyingMetroidvania level designs into each diverse region with a looming atmosphere of archaic Gothic architecture.
This allowed its rogues’ gallery to take center stage with certain regions focusing on them individually and it’s neat to see how the environment changes in response toprogression throughoutArkham Asylum’s single in-game night. SubsequentArkhamgames would be much larger and feature open worlds with engaging dive-bomb gliding and grapnel-boosting mechanics, but there’s a simplicity and elegance in how linearArkham Asylumis as a Metroidvania and it’s certainly more unique than its sequels and WB Games Montreal’s prequel,Arkham Origins, since they’re all set in Gotham City.
Wonder Woman’s Themyscira Has the Chance to Be Comparable in Atmosphere and Authorship
Wonder Woman’s open worldwould probably fare closer to whatArkham CityorArkham Knightachieved, but with a massive island landscape that has its own fantastical atmosphere it could accomplish what no superhero game has sinceArkham Asylumby giving its setting as much of an identity as the characters who inhabit it.
That’s going to be paramount to its success because Themyscira will ultimately be more engaging and intriguing than whatever part of the modern world it could take players to unless there are tons ofDC mythology references and Easter eggsto dig into there. If Diana is concerned with uniting two worlds it would make sense that a location like Keystone City, Metropolis, Star City, or even Gotham City is featured, and a character cameo of someone iconic from that location could make up for anything Themyscira might lack.
That said, with it being a Wonder Woman game after all, this is a chance for her mythology to be explored in a video game and Themyscira needs to be designed with as much adoration and reverence as Arkham Asylum is in the Arkhamverse if Monolith wants it to be even half as superb. Time spent in one portion of the open world—assuming there are two portions to navigate—shouldn’t normally be more enticing than the other, but Themyscira absolutely should take that cake. If Themyscira’s island is comparable to Arkham’s at all, Monolith will have a big victory on its hands.
Batman: Arkham Asylum
WHERE TO PLAY
Return to Arkham and experience two of the most critically acclaimed titles of the last generation - Batman: Arkham Asylum and Batman: Arkham City, with fully remastered and updated visuals. Batman: Return to Arkham includes the comprehensive versions of both games and includes all previously released additional content.Batman: Arkham Asylum exposes players to a dark and atmospheric adventure that takes them into the depths of Arkham Asylum –Gotham City’s high security psychiatric hospital for the criminally insane. Use Batman’s legendary gadgetry, strike from the shadows, and confront The Joker and Gotham City’s most notorious super villains.Batman: Arkham City sends players soaring into Arkham City - a heavily fortified sprawling district in the heart of Gotham City. Batman Arkham City introduces a brand-new story that draws together an all-star cast of classic characters and murderous villains from the Batman universe, as well as new and enhanced gameplay features.
