| Batman: Dark Tomorrow | |
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North American GameCube cover art |
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| Developer(s) | HotGen |
| Publisher(s) | Kemco |
| Platform(s) | Nintendo GameCube, Xbox |
| Release date(s) | Xbox[1]
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| Genre(s) | Action-adventure |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
| Rating(s) | |
Batman: Dark Tomorrow is a 2002 console video game exclusively for the Nintendo GameCube and Xbox systems, based on DC Comics' Batman. It was developed by HotGen and published by Kemco in conjunction with Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and DC Comics. It is based on the long-running comic book series, unlike most other Batman games which are adaptations of the character in other forms of media, besides the source material. Batman: Dark Tomorrow was poorly received by critics. The plot contained many famous villains, and old, less important villains.
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Trying to end a gang war between Scarface & the Ventriloquist and Black Mask, Batman discovers that Commissioner James Gordon has been kidnapped, and is being held at an overrun Arkham Asylum. Racing through Gotham City's sewers in order to enter the Asylum undetected, Batman has to fight through enemies ranging from Mr. Zsasz to the Ratcatcher before finally encountering the man holding Gordon: the Joker.
Discovering that Gordon's kidnapping was in fact a distraction to keep the Dark Knight away from the world stage, Ra's al Ghul reveals that his new plan to take over the world is nearly complete. Batman has to travel around the world to the Demon's Head's stronghold in order to stop his latest plan for world domination. The game features various endings depending on how the last few sections of the game are played. To get the "good" ending, Batman must disarm a signal device before facing Ra's. This is never revealed to the player however, and the most common ending consists of defeating Ra's who then sets off the bombs he has set up around the globe, ultimately resulting in his success. This initially caused confusion among gamers and critics as to why "beating" the game essentially had the death of 1/3 of the population.
Members of Batman's supporting cast of allies also appear in the cinematics of the game, including Oracle, Robin, and Batgirl. Nightwing does not appear, but is mentioned in dialogue as possible backup leading into the game's climax.
Many precedents of the comics are cited, especially as it pertains to Ra's al Ghul, and Batman's "undefined" relationship with al Ghul's daughter, Talia al Ghul.
The villains in the story include the Joker, Ra's al Ghul, Mr. Freeze, Poison Ivy, Killer Croc, Scarface & the Ventriloquist, Black Mask, Mr. Zsasz and the Ratcatcher.
The game received negative reviews by critics for its confusing game play engine, its repetitive mission modes, and its awkward camera angles. The end of the game is also criticized because there is no direction to the "fulfilling ending" of the story, outside of another source. Game Informer gave this game a 0.75 out of 10 for its gameplay mechanics. IGN was severely disappointed, saying that "the Dark Knight gets his wings clipped in his latest adventure."
Although the gameplay was heavily criticized, the story and the in-game cinematics were widely praised. IGN noted, "Positive marks earned here for sticking to the DC-based Batman license and faithfully bringing it to life. The cut-scenes are arguably the best part of the game."[3] The story was written by veteran monthly Batman writer Scott Peterson, who also wrote the previous DC Comics game Superman: The Man of Steel, with assistance of famed Final Fantasy writer Kenji Terada.
The game is notable for resulting in the inception and being the first recipient of the "Shame of the Month" award in Electronic Gaming Monthly, which "honors" each month's worst-reviewed game in the magazine.
A PlayStation 2 version of the game had been planned, but was canceled.
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