The story for Batman: Arkham Knight picks up one year after the events of the preceding game, 2011’s Arkham City. A whole lot has changed in Bruce Wayne’s hometown, including the fact that crime is at an all-time low. Part of it is because someone pretty central to Gotham’s criminal ecosystem is laying very low. Warning: Spoilers follow for the end of Batman: Arkham City.
In an interview with Game Informer, Rocksteady game director Sefton Hill says that the Joker — who appears to die at the end of Arkham City — will stay that way for the upcoming threequel. In fact, it’s the absence of the Joker’s chaotic energy that allows Batman’s rogues gallery to form a fragile alliance aimed at destroying the hero once and for all. Other details from the video interview:
- Gotham’s evacuation is because of an impending chemical attack by The Scarecrow, presumably part of the villains’ collective anti-Bat masterplan.
- Barbara Gordon returns as Oracle for Arkham Knight and part of the game’s plot will focus on tensions between the Gordons and Batman.
- Evacuation doesn’t mean empty. When law-abiding citizens flee Gotham, the gangs come in and take over.
Of course, Arkham Knight is a game that spins out of the DC Comics Universe, where even the most steadfastly deceased characters eventually get resurrections. (Looking at you, Jason Todd…) So, it’s best to take Rocksteady’s words with a grain of salt. Still, if they manage to deliver a Batman game that isn’t Joker-centric, that will be an accomplishment in and of itself. Head over to Game Informer for more info about Batman: Arkham Knight.
Comments
18 responses to “Batman’s Next Game Won’t Revolve Around His Greatest Enemy”
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, that Arkham Knight character better not turn out to be the Joker in disguise.
At least Gotham being evacuated is a more realistic excuse for the streets being empty than “It’s Xmas Eve!”
Hopefully he won’t be the Joker. They seem to be going out of their way to say “Joker Is Dead”. That doesn’t mean that the Joker won’t return in future non Rocksteady games, though.
The reason the streets were empty in Arkham Origins was that there was a city-wide curfew in effect. There was an announcement about it every couple of minutes. Hence everyone out at night was automatically a law-breaker, and every law-breaker is worthy of Batman’s fists of justice.
Yeah, it was a little flimsy, but not much worse then “we think it’s a great idea to fill a whole section of the city with naughty people”.
Good!
I know I’m going to be hated for this but I honestly think the Joker is overused. I know why he is Batmans greatest villian and why people love him but I also hate how pretty much everything always have to revolve around him. Even Arkham City suffered from this with the Joker being in promotional material despite the fact that the story was and should have mainly revolved around Hugo Strange.
It’s also I problem I had with Mask of the Phantasm, an interesting new look at Bruce with a new villian that intrigues you to find out who it really is and why they’re murdering criminal bosses. But the secret to everything was the Joker and it really ruined the movie for me.
Wasn’t that also the secret plot twist in Origins? A brand new villian that will test Batman to his full IT’S THE JOKER.
With what many people consider to be the best collection of Rogues Gallery in any form of media why is that one guy always given the most attention when there are so many other villians we could be exploring?
I thought the point of the joker being the “new” villain in origins was an intentional decision to set up the situation where the audience knew more than the protagonist did. It was meant to be a secret plot twist for batman, not for us
That immediately creates a disconnect to controlling the character and the main reason why people highly praise Arkham Asylum and City is because it made everybody feel like they’re Batman.
True but narratively there’s a certain value to the audience knowing more than the protagonist, detective shows have been using that concept successfully for decades. It may be less useful in a game where there’s an attempt to create a sense of possession with the character, I agree.
Sherlock v. Moriarty, you love them both, but want M. dead.
I’d be happy if he appeared in a limited way – things like areas filled with traps & pre-recorded messages he’d left in the past – but it’ll be disappointing if he comes back. Although the whole
was it Joker or Clayface at the end of ACthing could always give them a way to get around it if they wanted to.He wasn’t supposed to be the big bad of origins either
Arkham Knight is the Joker in disguise. I’m calling it now.
This reminds me of the plot of that corny 60’s Batman movie that was based on the corny 60’s TV show. Basically in that movie all of the super villians (including Joker IIRC) teamed up to try to take out the caped crusader and his trusty sidekick once and for all. Highlights of the film included shark repellent bat-spray: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dghbyBaQyI
That was the best movie ever and if they have an easter egg or DLC where adam west voices all of batman’s line’s I’ll die of a joygasm
or even better.. they add in the Grey Ghost who was bruce’s childhood hero (voiced by adam west)
Would get a next Gen system for that… Adam West as batmans voice easter egg.
Adam West Batman deserves it’s own game. I’d buy that in a heartbeat.
I would prefer some sort of League of Shadows conspiracy going on behind the scenes with their aim to destroy Gotham instead of Batman.
Now we wait for everyone’s anger and disappointment when Joker is behind all this… Nothing like what happened in Origins at all…….
I’d love to see Hush at the heart of this. It fits well with the “fragile alliance” side of things and Hush can really mess with Batman on a mental and emotional level.
I just want a batman game with a real, immersive world rather than an empty city full of thugs.