Everyone and their grandmother knows about the Batman Arkham games; they're among the greatest videogame series of all time, and arguably the best that features a superhero. I can't even tell you how many times I've completed Asylum, Origins, and Knight, especially Asylum, as that's my favorite entry. So, given how much of a fan I am, you can imagine my surprise at discovering, only today, that Batman: Arkham Underworld was a thing.
That's right, was. I've been wanting a new mobile game to sink some hours into, and was thrilled to learn that there was a Batman game in the Arkham series I hadn't tried. Well, my elation at this discovery lasted little more than 30 seconds, as I learned that the game met its maker in 2017, just over a year after its July 14, 2016, release.
Do you want to know why I'm so disappointed? No, it's not because I missed an opportunity to play as Batman (we have plenty of those, even beyond the Arkhamverse); it's because the game allowed you to build a criminal empire.
I wanted to be a Kingpin. Queenpin? Any pin, to be honest. There aren't enough good games where you build a criminal organization, much less one that lets you tell the likes of Harley Quinn, Scarecrow, and Bane what to do. Plus, it let you build your hideout room by room, much like games like Fallout Shelter.
People who had the chance to play it all those years ago describe it as 'Arkham Clash of Clans', which makes me want to try it even more; just let other players try to invade my hideout. I'd have shown them how it's all down as I invaded their hideouts in some real-time strategy action - the game doesn't exist anymore, so you can't prove me wrong.
It's not unheard of for mobile games to shut down; Final Fantasy VII: Ever Crisis and Mario Kart Tour are two recent examples, though one will be three years old when it goes offline and the other will be seven years old. It's fair to say that those two had much better innings than Arkham Underworld, which disappeared faster than Batman when Jim Gordon turns around.
One look at the trailer, and I can honestly say that I would have enjoyed Batman: Arkham Underworld a lot; being able to get a bunch of thugs to do my bidding with a single tap sounds great. I can only imagine the carnage I could have witnessed putting Harley Quinn in charge of my things, because, no matter what the villains' respective abilities are, I'd want my favorite at the helm. Alas, this will never be for me. I can but hope that another DC game like this rises one day, though something tells me I could be in for a long wait.
Did you ever play Batman: Arkham Underworld? If so, let me know on the Pocket tactics Discord server. Perhaps I can live vicariously through you.