The Batman Arkham games hold a very special place in gaming history. They proved that with enough love, care, and development effort, a licensed video game based on one of the most beloved comic heroes ever could not only meet the standards of the source material it's based on but could also go on to become a rich trilogy in their own right.
But what many may not realize is much of what the first game in that seminal series does well actually borrows liberally from a forgotten Batman game that came four years before it. The video game tie-in for Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins is a product of its gaming time. It features the full cast from the film reprising their roles. Riffs on popular games from its publisher's catalog. And there are clear signs that the game was rushed so its release would coincide with the film. But more than any of those dated aspects, Batman Begins should be credited with being the blueprint of the much better Batman we’d get later on in the decade.
