Summary
Between two cinematic trailers it is already clear thatBatman: Arkham Shadowwill have an atmosphere no otherArkhamgames have had before. Taking place in Gotham City at some point after the events ofBatman: Arkham Originsand presumablyBatman: Arkham Origins Blackgate,Arkham Shadow’s main antagonist is poised to be theenigmatic and cryptic Rat King, who has a gang of masked thugs riotously starting an uprising and spraying graffiti on every surface imaginable.
To be fair, it’s unclear at the moment whether players will contend with these red-lensed goons as well as actual rats like the Meta Quest 3-exclusive’s announcement teaser suggests. Still, it would be phenomenal to see endless waves of beady-eyed rats pour out from Gotham’s gutters and alleyways to attack players in Batman’s POV. Indeed, if there’s any game franchise that could teachBatman: Arkham Shadowa thing or two about swarming hordes of rats it’sA Plague Tale.
A Plague Tale’s Rat Hordes are as Memorable as They are Epic
Many sequences throughoutA Plague Tale’sInnocenceandRequiemhave Amicia de Rune and her current companion NPC sneak around or kill nameless, indiscriminate soldiers. These moments vary and can be tense in and of themselves, and yet they all typically pale in comparison to any sequence where players must deal with seas of ravenous, fire-fearing, and disease-wielding rats.
Waving a torch around and watching blankets of writhing rats scatter never loses its luster andRequiem’s chase sequences are phenomenal showcases of how many rats can be on screen at once. The devastation that follows is often profound, too, with hundreds of half-eaten corpses lying about.A Plague Talethen pushes the envelope on Hugo de Rune’s power by letting him interact with rats as a hive mindand use them to attack enemies.
It’s uncertain if Ratcatcher’s control over rats is as powerful as Hugo’s, but it has been stated to be a “natural gift” and not via some device or other manipulation. It’s also unlikely thatBatman: Arkham Shadow’s rats would appear with the same density or volume—much less with picked-clean skeletons and graphic violence—but attempting to emulate that would make Ratcatcher convincingly intimidating, especially in VR.
Batman: Arkham Shadow’s Rats Can Give It a Unique Fantastical Quality
It’s possible thatBatman: Arkham Shadowcould shed light on how Otis Flannegan is able to control rats, which the Arkhamverse has neglected to do before. That’s not surprising since Ratcatcher never appears in any of the previousArkhamgames and never needed any explicit lore, though that might be necessary now if he’s to helm this installment. Either way, Ratcatcher’s incredibly distinct affinity with rats can and should lean more toward the fantastical side of the DC mythology.
Characters such as Clayface, Killer Croc, Mr. Bloom, Ra’s al Ghul, and Solomon Grundy all have a fantastical quality to them that is rooted in science-fiction and makes them far more remarkable and odd than an ordinary crime lord like Oswald Cobblepot’s Penguin or Carmine Falcone.
The Arkhamverse has featured many villains of various classifications but has never led a single entry with a fantastical antagonist, so this is truly Camouflaj’s opportunity to haveBatman: Arkham Shadowbe as unique as possible, even if it’s also making an effort to provide critical origin stories forat least Dr. Harleen Quinzel’s Harley Quinn and Dr. Jonathan Crane’s Scarecrow and potentially District Attorney Harvey Dent’s Two-Face. Ratcatcher surely falls into the fantastical-leaning category of antagonists and that’s hopefully a characteristic Camouflaj relishes fully with floods of rats as spectacular and horrifying as inA Plague Tale.
Batman: Arkham Shadow
Become Batman in this official new entry into the Arkham franchise.It’s the Fourth of July, and Gotham City is under attack by a new threat: the mysterious Rat King and his cultish devotees. As widespread rioting engulfs the city, Batman races to prevent this so-called “Day of Wrath” before it all goes wrong.Experience the World of Batman Like Never Before:Immerse yourself in all the grit of Gotham City with the power of VR, and take down its most notorious criminals.Hard-Hitting Arkham CombatRealized exclusively for VR—choose from fan favorite gadgets and bold fighting styles reimagined from the beloved Arkham franchise.Friends, Foes and Other Familiar Faces:Meet Dr.’s Quinzel and Crane before they became Harley Quinn and Scarecrow, as well as other iconic characters including Harvey Dent, Jim Gordon, and Ratcatcher.
