Batman: Arkham Shadow Needs to Wield Rats as Well as A Plague Tale

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Batman: Arkham Shadow Needs to Wield Rats as Well as A Plague Tale

Highlights

  • Batman: Arkham Shadow will feature an atmosphere unlike any other Arkham game with the enigmatic Rat King as the main antagonist.
  • A Plague Tale’s memorable rat hordes inspire hopes for similar epic swarms in Batman: Arkham Shadow, enhancing its rare fantastical quality.
  • Camouflaj has an opportunity to make Batman: Arkham Shadow unique by introducing a fantastical, obscure antagonist like Ratcatcher.

As a longtime fan who’s seen the Caped Crusader navigate through every dark alley and rooftop of Gotham City, I can confidently say that Batman: Arkham Shadow is shaping up to be something truly extraordinary. The enigmatic Rat King as the main antagonist promises an atmosphere unlike any other Arkham game, akin to stepping into a live-action version of A Plague Tale’s rat-infested scenes – just without the rats nibbling on my toes!

It’s already evident from two trailers that Batman: Arkham Shadow will present an unprecedented atmosphere compared to other Arkham games. The story unfolds in Gotham City, following events after Batman: Arkham Origins and possibly Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate. In this installment, the primary adversary seems to be the elusive and mysterious Rat King, who leads a band of masked thugs causing chaos and defacing every available surface with graffiti.

As someone who has spent countless hours immersed in both the dark and gritty world of Batman: Arkham games and the hauntingly beautiful setting of A Plague Tale, I can confidently say that the idea of swarming hordes of rats invading Gotham City in a future Batman title would be nothing short of exhilarating.

A Plague Tale’s Rat Hordes are as Memorable as They are Epic

In the games ‘A Plague Tale: Innocence’ and ‘A Plague Tale: Requiem’, Amicia de Rune often navigates or engages in combat with faceless, indistinguishable soldiers alongside her current ally NPCs. These situations can be nerve-wracking on their own, but they usually lack the intensity of scenes where players confront hordes of fire-fearing, rat-chasing, and plague-carrying rats.

Watching a flashlight dance through the darkness as swarms of rats scurry away never fails to captivate, and the chase scenes in Requiem are stunning demonstrations of how many rats can simultaneously appear on screen. The aftermath is frequently harrowing, with heaps of partially consumed bodies scattered around. A Plague Tale takes the concept a step further by allowing Hugo de Rune to manipulate rats as a collective consciousness and employ them in attacking enemies.

It’s unclear if Ratcatcher’s ability to manage rats matches Hugo’s, but it is described as a “natural talent” rather than being controlled by a device or manipulation of some kind. Moreover, the rats in Batman: Arkham Shadow likely won’t appear as frequently or gruesomely as depicted—skeletons and all—but if Ratcatcher could recreate that atmosphere, it would make him seem truly intimidating, particularly in VR.

Batman: Arkham Shadow’s Rats Can Give It a Unique Fantastical Quality

It’s plausible that the game “Batman: Arkham Shadow” could explain how Otis Flannegan has dominion over rats, a subject that the Arkhamverse hasn’t addressed before. Given that Ratcatcher has not appeared in any of the prior Arkham games and didn’t require an established backstory then, it might be relevant now if he’s to star in this new installment. Regardless, Ratcatcher’s unique bond with rats seems to veer toward the supernatural realm within the DC universe, a facet that could be more fully explored.

As a gamer, I find it fascinating how characters like Clayface, Killer Croc, Mr. Bloom, Ra’s al Ghul, and Solomon Grundy stand out from the crowd. Unlike ordinary crime lords such as Oswald Cobblepot’s Penguin or Carmine Falcone, these characters possess a unique blend of science-fiction elements that make them extraordinary and downright peculiar. From shape-shifting Clayface to the monstrous Killer Croc, they are not your typical criminals; they are fantastical beings that bring a touch of the unknown to the Gotham City underworld.

In the Arkhamverse, while there have been numerous villains across different categories, none has headlined a standalone story that focuses on a fantastical antagonist. This presents an exceptional chance for Camouflaj to make “Batman: Arkham Shadow” distinctive, even as it delves into the origins of key characters like Dr. Harleen Quinzel (Harley Quinn), Dr. Jonathan Crane (Scarecrow), and potentially District Attorney Harvey Dent (Two-Face). Ratcatcher, being a fantastical villain, offers Camouflaj an opportunity to fully embrace this aspect, perhaps drawing inspiration from the abundant rat swarms seen in “A Plague Tale”.

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2024-08-08 17:34