Over at the YMB Message Boards, Chris C was asking about the dearth of decent comic book based video games. There are tons of movie tie-ins, of course – Iron Man, The Hulk, Batman – but very few pulled directly from the comic universe and of those, even fewer are decent. X-Men Legends and Marvel: Ultimate Alliance are the only two that come to mind.

That got me thinking. Grand Theft Auto is clearly one of the most popular games in video game history, and for good reason. The gameplay model and the in-game experience is something that few other games have captured.

Still, many have tried. After GTA 3 and Vice City, the market was flooded with games adapting at the very least GTA’s free-form approach.

So why not adapt this kind of game to a property like Batman? It’s  a perfect fit. Imagine Gotham City rendered in current generation console glory. Tall, gothic spires, seedy underworld hangouts, the Batcave. You are Batman, Gotham City’s protector, determined to clean up your city. Standing in your way are the usual kooks and criminals – the Riddler, the Penguin, the Joker, etc. Like the mission structure of GTA, you would have contacts – Commissioner Gordon, Nightwing, Robin, Oracle, possibly more. You can go around completing missions, advancing the plot of the game, or you can enjoy crimefighting diversions, like breaking up bank robberies and muggings. Drive from location to location in your Batmobile. Or jump across rooftops. Collect components or collect schematics to upgrade your crimefighting gear. Or do favors for people in order to accomplish the same purpose. Use the Batcave to save your game and heal up.  All leading up to the climactic finale in Arkham Asylum.

I saw we need this game and we need it now. Don’t you agree?