A 'Batman' game that lets you choose between playboy and hero
Batman doesn't matter. It's Bruce Wayne, the man inside the suit, that has a legacy.
The most exciting thing about Telltale Games getting to tell its own Batman story is the prospect of seeing that legacy turned into a game mechanic. Given your pick of all the different interpretations over the years, which one would you like to be?
You May Also Like
"There's all the different film adaptations, all the different comic book adaptations, and each one is pretty unique. A bold interpretation," Telltale CEO Kevin Bruner told Mashable at the 2016 Game Developer's Conference.
"We're definitely doing our own lane, our own version of Batman," he added. "We're focusing on the duality, the 'Bruce Wayne versus the guy in the Batsuit.'"
Bruner describes the tone of the story as "definitely gritty" -- think Frank Miller -- and a canvas for mature, M-rated themes, featuring an art style inspired in part by Jim Lee. But Telltale games are driven by choice, and Batman mythology leaves a lot of room to stretch.
"Batman is really one of the most artistically interesting [comic book characters], from a narrative point of view and from a graphic design point of view," Bruner said. "It's been explored very dark, very light-hearted. It just has this big range of adaptability. So we're really leaning into that."
Past Dark Knight-centric games have tended to focus on beating Gotham City's underbelly senseless and sleuthing out puzzles worthy of the "world's greatest detective." But none have really conveyed what it is to see the world from Bruce Wayne's perspective.
"You can't go to a big gala and interact with all the players of Gotham as Batman."
"You can't go to a big gala and interact with all the players of Gotham as Batman,"Bruner said. "If you want to influence and gather information and figure out what's going on in that context, you have to be Bruce."
This where Telltale's choice-driven gameplay becomes important. In the upcoming Batman game, you'll get to decide for yourself if you want to face a situation as Batman or as Bruce Wayne.
"You're going to spend some parts of the game playing as Bruce -- significant parts -- you're going to spend some parts of the game playing as Batman, and you're going to play some significant parts where you get to choose whether you want to be Bruce or Batman," Bruner said.
""Do you want to be Bruce, hobnobbing with the elites of the city, or do you want to be Batman, subverting them?"
You'll see familiar faces, like Alfred, Commissioner Gordon and Vicki Vale. The story will also explore core pieces of Bruce's history, and the frequently re-interpreted origin of Batman.
"Bruce Wayne's parents and some of those key elements, they're on the table," Bruner said. "They'll be in the game, because they're kind of critical elements of what makes Batman [who he is]. It'll definitely be our own take on that."
Bruner wants players to remember that Gotham City, fundamentally, is a "creation" of Bruce's. His actions as both a corporate executive and a costumed vigilante are woven into the fabric of the city.
"That's really what our game is about," Bruner said. "What happens in Gotham and how Gotham evolves is going to be a result of how you play the game."
Have something to add to this story? Share it in the comments.
Adam Rosenberg is a Senior Games Reporter for Mashable, where he plays all the games. Every single one. From AAA blockbusters to indie darlings to mobile favorites and browser-based oddities, he consumes as much as he can, whenever he can.Adam brings more than a decade of experience working in the space to the Mashable Games team. He previously headed up all games coverage at Digital Trends, and prior to that was a long-time, full-time freelancer, writing for a diverse lineup of outlets that includes Rolling Stone, MTV, G4, Joystiq, IGN, Official Xbox Magazine, EGM, 1UP, UGO and others.Born and raised in the beautiful suburbs of New York, Adam has spent his life in and around the city. He's a New York University graduate with a double major in Journalism and Cinema Studios. He's also a certified audio engineer. Currently, Adam resides in Crown Heights with his dog and his partner's two cats. He's a lover of fine food, adorable animals, video games, all things geeky and shiny gadgets.
