Lets Make: Arrow - The Game

The first in a series of features in which I create a game...with WORDS AND PICTURES!

It's a dark and gloomy night. The streets are quiet; but not with activity, there's plenty of people around - but they're all minding their own business, behaving if you will.

But the groups of people hanging around the nightclubs and the drunks that parade the fact they may have urinated on a car are not your concern. As you scale your way to the top of a building, you crouch at your vantage point, selecting a specialised arrow that holds a microphone transmitter on the end, then aim at the opposite building, where you believe the thieving scum bag you're after, is about to make a deal.

You fire your arrow, where it embeds into the wall; a satisfying ping alerting you to the fact you hit the mark, then, you listen.

"...I'm telling you, no-one followed us, the cops didn't even bat an eyelid"

"What about the girl?"

"She's...safe. O'Neil has her tucked up tight in the car. Soon as we get the briefcase, we'll take her some place quiet"

"We let her go?"

"We reunite her with her old man"

You clench your fist, knowing full well the goons had topped her father, and now, they intended on doing the same to her. Firing an arrow with a small hook allows you to zip-line over to the building, through the large window, where you roll to cover, using your 'Archer Vision' to select the multiple targets, then release, firing bow after bow, taking them out quickly, quietly and effectively. You shot four of the five bad guys, leaving the guy you've been hunting alone. He reaches for a gun, but a handy QTE alerts you to the attack, and pressing the corresponding button quick enough allows you to fire an arrow to disarm the fuck bag.

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You are now presented with the opportunity to use your aggression to gather some information. Interrogation is the aim of the game and, to some extent, you may use whatever force you deem fit. Use the surroundings to smash the info out of him, use your fists or, if you do so wish, you may even use your arrows (a shot through the leg may let him know you mean business).

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After the thug has let slip of the location of the car, you can do one of two things; either subdue him with rope, handcuffs or even impale (by his clothes) him to the wall, ready for that handy tip off you can get Diggle to send to the police. Or, kill him.

Diggle promptly reminds you via earpiece  that time is of the essence, and you need to get to the car, quickly. Not a problem, as he sends the co-ordinates to the nav map, giving you a choice of routes, pick the one you deem fittest.

For this instance:

After taking exit through the broken window, we scale down the building, landing on foot, then heading through the alley, we take a leap from a dumpster and over a fence, then climb up to the building on the left, using the rooftops until we see the car sat in an abandoned car park.

Easy enough.

Not so much; as the driver is somehow alerted, he begins to take off; Oliver quickly in pursuit, and whilst the car has the speed, we have the rooftops to cover the gap quicker, then, with a jump and a small QTE, we're able to land on the roof, using an arrow to gain grip.
To maintain on the roof of the car, you're presented with a juggling act, keeping the metre in the center to prevent falling off. Do this for an allotted time, and you'll be able to move further up the car, then swing down through the window, making the driver stop and apprehending him, then save the girl.

EASY!

Imagine this; this one level and the possibilities of many alternate outcomes. Say you were able to get Diggle and Felicity to dig up some information that could allow you to find the car first, or, even a situation where you failed to get to the car at all. I see Arrow: The Game, as a mixture of Batman: Arkham City, Hitman: Absolution and even include elements from Dishonoured and Deus Ex: Human Revolution. Oliver's abilities to hide undetected in the shadows just cry out Batman/Hitman, and his bow would make for an excellent long range weapon, as well as a terrific melee weapon (as demonstrated in the TV show and comics). The aforementioned "Archer Vision" would be a homage to the 'Instincts' mode from Hitman: Absolution, allowing Oliver to take out multiple foes at once with a cool slo-mo effect as you select your targets; then unleash your arrows in quick succession.

As an open world 'sandbox game' (Arkham City, GTA IV, Saints Row 3), Starling City would feel alive, with civilians, police and petty criminals alike operating in a very real manner, even to the point of media and police trying to capture the "Vigilante" in action.

As the game would follow a day/night cycle, it could allow you to take control of Oliver Queen without the hood, using the family company to discover new leads and even taking on meetings with Oliver's Russian Mobster gangs. If the game became somewhat ambitious, the inclusion of dating and managing the nightclub (much like GTA/Saint's Row) could make for distractions away from fighting crime, if only to keep face in the eyes of the public. Of course, the majority of the game would see you tackling rooftops and tracking down people on the list, but the opportunity to play as Oliver himself, if done correctly, could be an interesting take on the Super-Hero game genre.

Will this all happen? Very unlikely. But, with the Green Arrow making an appearance in the upcoming Injustice game, along with the ever growing popularity of the TV show, it's something someone may consider *cough, Rocksteady, cough*.