Rocksteady, the developer behind the excellent "Arkham" game series, took to E3 to announce a new Batman project, "Batman: Arkham VR." A demo of the new virtual reality game premiered at the show and it should certainly raise the eyebrows of hardcore Bat-fans for reasons that go beyond the still-experimental gameplay.
Warning: Spoilers from the "Arkham VR" demo follow
Based on reports from E3, the plot of "Arkham VR" seems to be focused on a murder-mystery. However, this isn't just any murder; the deceased here is reportedly Nightwing, aka Dick Grayson, the original Robin. Killing off members of the Bat-family isn't unheard of: Jason Todd, the second Robin, was famously killed off in the comics and even Rocksteady's own "Arkham Knight" played with killing off several key members of the inner Bat-circle. However, Dick Grayson isn't just any Batman character and certainly not one whose death can be taken lightly.
Everyone knows Batman's origin. A young Bruce Wayne witnessed his parents' murder at the hands of a petty criminal and vowed to bring justice to the streets of Gotham. That origin has been the foundation for a beloved and enduring character who has generally been defined through varying levels of distance and coldness. However, if the dark knight has a soft spot, it is definitely for the various young people who have taken on the mantle of the boy wonder. Jason Todd's death redefined the Batman character, serving as the jumping off point for both the acclaimed "The Dark Knight Returns" and the beloved "Under the Red Hood." Batman's guilt over the death of his sidekick forever changed the character, and Rocksteady knows this. It was a major point in the story of "Arkham Knight."
Dick Grayson is arguably the person closest to Bruce Wayne. He has been a part of the Batman mythos for 75 years now. The two are the dynamic duo; there isn't anyone closer to Batman. Killing off Grayson is something that would undoubtedly have a profound effect of the psyche of a character whose entire history has been defined by the loss of loved ones. Hardcore fans of the franchise should question this move. Can Rocksteady make good on such a drastic move? It would be a shame to see something with so much potential to reshape the Batman character go to waste. Can a virtual reality game capture emotion and character development in a satisfying way?
Of course, it is entirely possible that Nightwing isn't actually dead and he'll make a grand reappearance later in the game. But if the original Robin really is gone for good, the depiction of it will serve as a test for the storytelling capabilities of both virtual reality and Rocksteady.
