Batman: Arkham Knight Trailer Analysis

Joey Sack, ’17 / Emertainment Monthly Staff Writer

As if fans couldn’t have more reasons to anticipate Batman: Arkham Knight, they now have the new trailer entitled “All Who Follow You,” which shows several of Batman’s allies, including three that at various points can be used in a dual gameplay mode. This mode allows the player to switch fighting between Batman and one of his three allies, Catwoman, Nightwing, or Robin. But this trailer also shows us a few glimpses of the mysterious Azrael from Arkham City, the even more mysterious Arkham Knight, and the less mysterious Scarecrow, who tells the Dark Knight that he will bring about the ends of “all who follow you,” hence the name of the trailer. We also have more information about the season pass for the game, which will give gamers six months of various content. But enough of this introduction—let’s look at this trailer.

The trailer starts with Gotham City Police Commissioner James Gordon turning on the Bat Signal as somber music plays and criminals tear Gotham apart. Fans hear Alfred telling Batman how much the people of Gotham need him, and see Batman getting beaten up by an Arkham Knight thug and supposedly being infected with the Scarecrow’s fear toxin. Then, the trailer shows Batman’s various allies—Aaron Cash, Jim Gordon, Barbara Gordon (aka Oracle), Alfred, Lucius Fox, Robin, Catwoman, and finally, Nightwing. From there, Batman and those last three allies work together to take down thugs, including what look like robotic henchmen and a thug carrying a minigun, and many more. Also, the Batmobile is shown being picked up by a souped-up version of the Batwing, and Batman is seen holding what looks like an updated version of the Remote Electrical Charge (REC) from Arkham City. A shot of the Arkham Knight firing his gun and then knocking Batman to the ground seems to be recycled from another trailer, though it’s likely that this is the original intent of that scene. The most mysterious part of this trailer comes in the form of Azrael, the mysterious servant to the Order of St. Dumas whom Batman met during the events of Arkham City. In this trailer, he tells Batman that the prophecy of which he once spoke has come true, and that “from the ashes of Arkham City, the fires are raging and Gotham is burning.” Rocksteady Studios is really dropping a lot of hints that suggest this night will be Batman’s last, as Azrael says that the fire he sees in Batman’s eyes will consume him before the night is finished. Is Rocksteady ending their Arkham series with the death of the Dark Knight? Only time will tell.

To make it clear, this dual gameplay is not indicative of co-op gameplay for Arkham Knight; it’s still a singleplayer game. Players who use the dual gameplay mode will be able to switch from Batman to either Catwoman, Nightwing, or Robin, depending on who is present, in order to assist in combat or stealth missions. While not being able to play Arkham Knight with friends may come as a disappointment for some fans, it’s nice to have a new mechanic for the Batman: Arkham games. From the looks of it, it’s similar to the way players can switch between the three main protagonists in Grand Theft Auto V, but a lot faster and only during certain points.

Those who prefer to play as one of Batman’s allies are in luck, because Rocksteady recently announced some details for the Arkham Knight season pass, which will cost forty dollars and will provide players with six months of additional content. In this downloadable content (DLC), players will be able to play as the aforementioned Catwoman, Robin, and Nightwing, as well as, for the first time in the Batman: Arkham series, Batgirl, who we know mostly from these games as Barbara Gordon, aka Oracle. This content will most definitely take place before the events of all the Rocksteady Batman: Arkham games. There will be narrative missions featuring Batman and his allies that will build on the story of the series before and after Arkham Knight. All characters will have additional skins, and there will be racetracks and skins for the Batmobile based on the past seventy-six years of Batman’s history. While the forty dollar price tag seems like a lot to ask from gamers, the amount of content that comes with the pass over the course of six months may make it worth it; then again, people could just wait and get the DLC without the season pass. It’s all a matter of what you want from the game and how soon you want it.

Batman: Arkham Knight is set to release June 23rd for the PlayStation 4, the Xbox One, and the PC. Players who preorder can play as Harley Quinn in her own story missions. Prepare to become the Batman (and company).

Watch the trailer here: