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Arkham City was easily one of the best games released last year. Rocksteady has done an amazing job of creating a wonderful Batman lore over the course of two games. When they announced they would be adding to the mix with some single-player DLC, I was truly excited to jump back in. Harley Quinn’s Revenge takes place almost immediately after the events of Arkham City. For anyone who hasn’t beaten Arkham City consider this your spoiler warning. Harley is looking to get revenge on Batman, whom she still blames for Joker’s death. What ensues is a solid outing that expands the Rocksteady Batman lore.
Probably the biggest change from Arkham City here is that you will be switching back and forth between playing as Robin and Batman. The story moves back and forth showcasing why Robin is searching for Batman, and exactly what happened to him. There are no major revelations, but those who managed to find the Easter egg in the original game will be thrilled to see they have really showcased it this time around. Hint: look for the crib early on as Batman. The writing is still top-notch; just don’t expect any major cliffhangers or surprises.
Playing as the Boy Wonder feels rightly familiar. Most of us toyed around with him in the challenge mode, but once you get him in the actual game, he doesn’t differ that much from Batman. He has different gadgets such as the bullet shield and of course his bo staff for combat. Robin is quicker than the caped crusader, but doesn’t pack quite the same punch. It will take more effort to take down foes as Robin, but you can get out of overwhelming situations much easier.
The second biggest change for this pack is that it removes one of the most defining portions of Arkham City: the free-roam capabilities. The entire pack takes place within the Sionis Steel Mill and you never get a chance to go back around Arkham City for a tour of the aftermath. Even when you bring up the map you feel confined as it highlights the area where your adventure takes place. It would have been cool to roam around as Robin searching for clues and traversing the environment differently, much like the Catwoman missions. Alas you are instead forced down a linear path.
Get over here!
The core mission will last you around 2-3 hours depending on if you decide to try and find all the Harley balloons and as I mentioned it does a great job of expanding the universe. Harley is fleshed out as is Batman in their dealing with the loss of Joker. It is such a cerebral part of who Batman is to see how he deals with his greatest villain being truly dead. I also love the little touches such as the thugs being dressed like Harley now instead of Mistah J and of course seeing Harley dye her hair black in mourning. It is the little touches like this that sell Rocksteady’s vision of the characters.
Harley Quinn’s Revenge is definitely a solid package for fans of Arkham City. Jumping back into this world really made me appreciate just how good the game actually is. Fleshing out the characters and giving gamers a chance to play as Robin are also really nice touches. I am excited to see where this series goes from here. This is likely the last DLC we will see so a new title is likely in the works. Sadly we probably won’t see it until a new generation of consoles is delivered. Just imagine how incredibly awesome that will be.
Review copy of game provided by publisher. Primary play on Xbox 360.
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