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In video game development, or any creative piece of media, be it a movie, TV show, or book, there are always ideas that get left out of the final product. In the video game industry, there is a website known as The Cutting Room Floor which houses all the left-out ideas and content that players find in games that have already been released.
Rocksteady Studios, creators of the highly acclaimedBatman: Arkhamgames, decided in the development ofArkham City, to not leave any idea on the cutting roof floor. And it might’ve been the best decision they made becauseArkham Cityis arguably the most complete game in gaming history.
Rocksteady’s ‘No Idea Left Behind’ Approach in The Development ofArkham City
According to Sefton Hill, then game director at Rocksteady Studios,Arkham Citybegan with a blank slate. In an interview withThe Guardian, he explained that startingArkham City’s development with a blank slate was so that they could make the best game they could possibly make. When asked if any ideas landed on the cutting room floor withArkham City, he said:
There weren’t actually. What tends to happen is that we come up with some ideas, try them out and then they kind of morph into other things…. There’s nothing really that just drops into our game fully formed. It might be that we change the effect of a device or a mechanic, but there’s nothing we throw out completely.
Following this philosophy meant that any idea that came up during development was tried out. And Hill says that even if it wasn’t very good, or that they liked very little about it, they kept it in the game, as they refined or molded it into something that fit their vision.
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Arkham City’s story is one of the strong points of the game. Penned by Paul Dini, the story was outlined with key points from the beginning and followed the same principle. As development progressed, several new ideas were added to the story and were fleshed out and expanded. Hill notes that there are plot points inArkham City’s story that will make more sense in a second playthrough of the game.
This Approach Can Be Seen in Every Corner of The Game
This principle that the development team followed, made it through to even more parts of the game. The game’s extensive arsenal of gadgets and mechanics, for example, saw the fruits of this thought process. From Batman’s new gliding ability to the challenging and hidden Riddler puzzles all over the map, each little feature ended up contributing to the player experience.
The Riddler puzzles in particular were specially designed to be intellectually stimulating to reflect the Riddler’s obsession to prove his superiority over Batman. It added a layer of dedication and authenticity regarding the Batman universe that is just unmatched.
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Arkham City’s villains are also another talking point with respect to this topic. At first, only major villain characters like the Joker, Two-Face, and the Penguin were slated to have a significant role in the game.
But other characters and villains ended up becoming more developed as the game went further into development. Following this principle made it so that the characters or ideas initially considered for minor roles or purposes were expanded upon every time the situation called for it.
This innovative approach was even considered in the technical aspects of the game. The open-world design ofArkham Citywas planned to maintain a high level of detail and authenticity to the lore and canon. Legendary locations from the Batman universe were carefully integrated into the map.
The decision to exclude certain elements, such as the Batmobile, was also carefully considered. Despite it being an open-world game, Rocksteady decided to prioritize a feature like Batman’s gliding ability, over adding the Batmobile since the game was focused on a gritty setting and melee combat.
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The result of Rocksteady’s “There’s Nothing We Throw Out Completely” approach was a game that didn’t just meet expectations but exceeded them. Their refusal to throw away any idea or feature, and their commitment to quality resulted in what became, and still is, a fan-favorite masterpiece.
Daniel Royte
Gaming Writer
Articles Published :1370
As part of the FandomWire team, Daniel has followed the hero-shooter genre closely with a focus on titles like VALORANT, Apex Legends, and Marvel Rivals. You can also find him providing insight on the latest AAA titles from Elden Ring to GTA 6 and exploring the world of gacha games like Genshin Impact and Wuthering Waves. With more than 1,000 articles under his belt, you’ll need to look no further for a unique insight into every situation.If he’s not looking for the latest video game news, you’ll find him cheering on Ferrari in the race tracks of Formula 1 or at the theatres for the latest MCU releases.
