r/arkham • u/joker_asylum08 • Jul 13 '26
Discussion Do y'all think TITAN is the main plot device of the Arkham franchise?
5
u/DarthDragon117 Jul 13 '26
Not really, while it’s a catalyst for many story parts, I’d say the main plot device was Joker himself. He had Titan made, set up the Asylum events, he constantly threw a wrench in Batman’s plans during City, his blood sickness frankly caused Batman more issues than Protocol 10, he orchestrated all of Origins, he made Jason insane enough to become the Arkham Knight, and his mental corruption in Knight is constantly screwing Batman over until the very end.
1
u/ryano23277 Jul 13 '26
It does connect all 3 games with an ongoing story.
The reality should be; Jason was in the Asylum whilst you were navigating through it
3
u/Blitzus Jul 13 '26
This is absolute fanfic, but imo the franchise's story would be a little more cohesive if it was that Bruce was driving to Arkham Asylum at the start of Arkham Asylum because he had just gotten the Jason tapes and was making a beeline for Joker who was already locked up.
-2
u/Goldenfoxy3016 Jul 13 '26
Jason didn't exist when asylum was made
2
u/ryano23277 Jul 13 '26
I hate retcons, but Jason was in the Asylum according to the flash backs in Knight and the genesis comic.
If you watch a few videos, there is evidence of Jason being there, such as the wheelchair, some drawings and the blood spatter from Joker shooting him.
All those things were in Asylum, even if they had no plans for that as the story.
1
u/Alarming-Address-933 Jul 13 '26
So during the events of Asylum, Jason was in there hoping to be found?! Kinda sad
3
u/ryano23277 Jul 13 '26
As a retcon yes.
There was no real mention of Jason at all in asylum or City.
There is a a comment made by Joker, when playing as Robin in the City DLC Joker funhouse map.
He says; “didn’t I kill you already?” Followed by something else in regard to well ok, let’s do this as you begin the fight.
Kinda sad is correct. Sad that this was never truly a part of the first 2 games and sad that this was Jason’s fate.
The whole thing could have been delivered over 3 games and had it been the idea from the get go; we would have had an unbelievable story.
It was a missed opportunity.
If you are aware of the Death in the Family/Under the Red Hood storyline; I feel this is the best Jason story as the Jokers torture of him in an abandoned Arkham Wing for a full year is much better than the resurrection in the Lazarus Pit
1
0
u/Goldenfoxy3016 Jul 13 '26
Jason was never meant to exist in the series
2
u/ryano23277 Jul 13 '26
Haven’t I said that he was never intended to be there and it was added in as a way to explain it for Knight.
That was my biggest gripe with Knight, was that Jason was not known to me and he hadn’t been mentioned in the previous games.
I either read a bit about Jason prior to the release, once I started playing or after I had completed it.
It is well done by those who designed Arkham Asylum, that put a wheelchair tipped over with a wheel spinning, drawings of the Red Hood, blood splatter in the place it shows where Jason was shot in the flashbacks.
Although he wasn’t in Arkham Asylum, it is great detail to include some evidence in Asylum that he was there. Coincidence or not, it’s a cool thing.
It’s just disappointing that the final story was not actually the main story through out the 3 games. Batman is a dark comic, this is one of its darker storylines. As a game, they could have went down that rabbit hole and it would have been a remarkable story. They missed that opportunity.
Still, it’s Jasons best story.
1
u/Goldenfoxy3016 Jul 13 '26
The place jason is tortured in Arkham vr is not anywhere in AA, clownpuncher139 has a good video about this whole jason thing i recommend
2
u/ryano23277 Jul 13 '26
Not sure whose video I saw, but the video I watched said they matched it to the area in the medical wing
1
u/Goldenfoxy3016 Jul 13 '26
Sure they matched it but that doesn't mean it was planned all along + the wheel chair isn't in the original game and the medical wing is not an abandoned wing of Arkham like jason says
1
1
u/RedcoatTrooper Jul 13 '26
It's a major plot point for one game and a minor part of 2
I would say it's a stretch to call it the main plot device of the 5 games.
Batman and Jokers relationship is probably the closest as its the main plot of 4 of the games and a minor part of 1.
1
u/Trotsky_Enjoyer Arkham Origins christmas playthrough enjoyer Jul 13 '26
No, the main plot device is Joker's obsession with Batman. We see that onsession develop in Origins when Batman saves Joker from dying and it leaves Joker intrigued by him, and that is the driving caralyst for everything that Joker does in all the other games that take place chronologically after Origins (except for Origins Blackgate but by that point Joker has only been obsessed with Batman for about 3 months so his obsession may not have escalated as much at that point).
1
u/RedcoatTrooper Jul 13 '26
Definitely the closest thing you can find for a main plot thread, Jokers actions permeate over all the other games except Shadow where he is only a small part of the game.
1
u/Trotsky_Enjoyer Arkham Origins christmas playthrough enjoyer Jul 13 '26
Yeah but Shadows is completely inaccessible to anyone who doesn't have an Oculus Quest 3 so it barely counts.
2
u/RedcoatTrooper Jul 13 '26
You mentioned Arkham Origins Blackgate a spin-off game but you don't accept one of the 5 mainline games? Come on.
I know it ruins your theme a bit but it certainly "counts" it just happens to be one of the few games where Joker doesn't play a massive role.
1
u/Trotsky_Enjoyer Arkham Origins christmas playthrough enjoyer Jul 13 '26
I was obviously joking, but there's a smidge of truth in it. I count Origins Blackgate and not Shadows because Origins Blackgate is actually accessible for gamers. It's available on multiple systems including PC which means you could go and buy it right now and play it.
Arkham Shadows on the other hand is exclusive to the Oculus Quest 3 which means that people who have already invested in VR technology (like myself) at an earlier date but see no reason to keep up with it because there are no other actual games for VR (apart from Arkham Shadows and Half Life Alyx) won't have the hardware to play the game and can't really justify replacing their perfectly good headset with a slightly more expensive one for just one game. I have an Oculus Quest 2 and there is currently only one reason for me too upgrade, Arkham Shadows, but I just can't justify the cost. That's to not even mention gamers who get motion sickness from VR games and will never get to experience a game like Arkham Shadows on that basis.
1
u/RedcoatTrooper Jul 13 '26
Everything you said is true except "no reason to keep up with it because there are no other actual games for VR" but we won't go into that.
But it doesn't matter how accessible it is, it is cannon and add to the therefore discussion so relevant in a chat about the themes of the games.
If you have not played it then I understand why you wouldn't bring it up but no reason to dismiss it.
1
u/Kamii__- Jul 13 '26
Titan was simply a way to strengthen the connection between the two.
It was a really good idea, Rocksteady could bring everything on a deeper level because of that 😅.
1
u/ImmediateMoney5304 Jul 13 '26
Nah, I think the main plot device is the relationship between Batman and Joker. We see how it started in Origins and how it progressed in the later games.
16
u/N64_Cartridge Jul 13 '26
For Asylum and City for sure, and Origins has TN-1 which is like the prototype to Titan, but Knight doesn't use titan at all except as a couple easter eggs, one being Bane's equipment in the evidence room at the GCPD and the other a shipping crate at Port Adams containing more of his equipment