The Batman: Arkham games are some of the most influential pieces of Batman's modern history. Ever since the quadrilogy of games came out, many have attempted to recreate their impact; Matt Reeves' The Batman is no different with several elements taken from the Arkham series.
From story elements to pieces of Batman's arsenal, fans will recognize aspects of The Batman from those games. Some of these similarities might not be intentional, some aspects might also be similar to the comics, but they are common threads between the games and movie nonetheless.
Always Raining In Gotham
One of the things Matt Reeves did better than most filmmakers is turning Batman's homefront of Gotham City into a place nobody would want to visit. It's dirty, murky, and it is always raining. Almost every scene at night has Gotham City enveloped in rainfall.
The Arkham games were just the same, as they were always featuring some sort of bad weather. If it wasn't pouring, it was snowing in both Batman: Arkham City and Batman: Arkham Origins.
Crime Scene Investigation
Up until the Arkham games came out, the movies had never really delved into the detective side of Batman. Other than a few small sequences, Batman was simply a brawler vigilante. The Arkham games, particularly the sequels, put a lot of attention toward detective-based side missions and portions of the main quests.
The Batman effectively brings that into live-action by having Batman scanning crime scenes and bodies. Being the world's greatest detective, he's able to pick out details that other forensic detectives miss, answer Riddler's riddles, and put things together faster than the GCPD.
The Cowl
The truth is that Batman has had many cowls in the comics, and some can be considered close to Robert Pattinson's cowl. However, many fans have noticed that his cowl bears a striking resemblance to the one seen in Batman: Arkham Knight.
With the more bulbous head shape mixed with tall and skinny ears in the back, it is very similar to the Arkham Knight look. The biggest change is that it is less like metal plating and more akin to hard leather, and the nose is closer in design to Adam West's cowl nose, just one of many subtle details in this Batsuit.
Gang Costumes
Whereas the 90s movies went a bit over the top with Gotham's criminal costumes and the Nolan films went for hyper-realism, The Batman finds a proper balance. The gangs of Gotham are wearing face paint and wild masks but they still look and feel like criminals that could be seen in the real world.
Many of the thugs found in the Batman: Arkham games have similar designs. Even the skull-themed facepaint gangsters in the opening scene are nearly identical to gangsters that can be found in the Arkham games.
Gotham City's Design
From Tim Burton's hyper-fantasized Gotham City to Nolan's version which was essentially a darkly lit Chicago, there are many versions of Gotham City and its iconic locations. But Matt Reeves seems to have directly used the Arkham games as inspiration for the design of his version.
The similarities are so great that many fans compared Reeves' Gotham to the version seen in Batman: Arkham Knight. Both versions of the iconic locale use a lot of neon lights, mixing older Gothic architecture with a modern aesthetic to create a setting that is equally as beautiful as it is ugly.
Many Story Beats From Arkham Origins
It's known that The Batman takes inspiration from a multitude of comics to create a new story. However, the resulting film still features many similarities to Batman: Arkham Origins. Both sport a holiday setting, both take place in Batman's second year, and both include a villain personally going after Batman.
That's not all: Batman deals with the corrupt officials, the story is more detective-based, Batman ends up having to interrogate the Penguin for information, and both have scenes where the estranged but loyal Alfred Pennyworth is mortally wounded. Intentional or not, the connections are still a bit uncanny.
Batman's Shock Gauntlets
Another common thread between the movie and Arkham Origins comes in the form of the Shock Gauntlets. These were one of the biggest gameplay changes made to Origins, providing a new and efficient way to take out thugs.
The Batman does not use them nearly as much. In fact, they are only used in one action sequence, but it is an impactful moment, as Robert Pattinson's Batman uses his gauntlets to shock a thug for far longer than needed.
Detective Mode
Though not executed quite the same as in the Arkham games, The Batman has the vigilante wearing advanced lenses that allow him to record whatever he sees. These lenses also scan and identify anybody with the names and profiles appearing on his heads-up display.
While the idea of Batman having an advanced HUD is not new, it was practically revolutionized with the Arkham games. It would not be surprising if future Batman sequels have the detective mode upgraded to something even closer to what is seen in the Arkham games.
Using Grapple Guns In Combat
Batman has used his trusty grapple guns in a variety of ways, but typically for traversal through rappeling and swinging through the air. The Arkham games implemented many of Batman's gadgets into his combat, including using his grapple gun to stick into an enemy and pull them.
Robert Pattinson's Batman uses this trick a few times during fights. He's not the only Batman to utilize combat grappling post-Arkham, with Ben Affleck's Batman doing it several times across his tenure as well.
Riddler's Traps
Though not nearly as massive or over-the-top, The Batman does include a similar gimmick to The Riddler in the Arkham games. Both feature putting people in terrifying traps that can only be won through solving riddles and puzzles akin to the Saw movies.
In the games, Riddler transforms entire rooms or buildings into traps. Meanwhile, Paul Dano's Riddler is more grounded and actually comes closer to the Saw films via devices attached to his victim's necks.