BATMAN: ARKHAM KNIGHT - SEASON OF INFAMY
- jackcooper98
- Dec 28, 2015
- 4 min read
Aside from a quick test-run of the Dawn of Justice suit and fighting through a few challenges, I haven’t, like most people, played much of Arkham Knight since I finished earlier in the year. And, because of this, I had, fairly stupidly, forgotten how good the graphics were.
Imagine my surprise then when I walked into the Dark Knight-esque interrogation room holding the Mad Hatter. BOOM. Those graphics were back. And they still look spectacular. But enough about graphics. Let’s move on to the actual DLC.
Season of Infamy adds four new Most Wanted missions to Batman’s roster. It takes villains from the old games, and throws them into the hell that is Gotham City once again. I’ll go through them in the order I played.
Mission 1: Wonderland
First, we have Jervis Tetch, otherwise known as the Mad Hatter. After handing himself into GCPD, he sends our beloved Dark Knight on yet another wild goose chase. Having saved two cops from cars ready to explode, Batman returns to GCPD to confront the Hatter. Hatter throws Bats into a dream-like world, made out of the pages of a book. You fight in three scenes, one from each of Rocksteady’s Batman games. Having beaten the Hatter’s dream book-world, Batman locks up Hatter in GCPD for good.
This part of the DLC is the quickest. First play-through, it’s not going to take you more than about ten minutes to find all the hostages, and maybe another five in the book-world. Then again, Mad Hatter never was a very central villain in the Arkham-verse. It’s a fun little add on to the game, but don’t expect it to be completely brilliant.
Mission 2: Beneath the Surface
Part two was Killer Croc. After downing a zeppelin containing a prison, (Yeah, ‘cos that’s a great idea) Croc begins hunting down the remaining guards. With the assistance of Dick Grayson/Nightwing, Batman fights his way through the wreckage and engages Croc in a battle. I’ll say it here, this is the only real boss fight in the DLC. Apparently Rocksteady didn’t hear our pleas after we realised the actually game only contained about one or two, whilst the others contained loads. Oh well. It’s one of those awesome double-character fights, with Nightwing and Bats punching Croc until he’s a grumbling pile of Scales.
This DLC takes a while to get going, but the boss fight at the end more than makes up for it.
Mission 3: Shadow War
After discovering the bodies of two dead ninjas, Batman tracks the blood trail to the League of Assassins. He comes across the barely-resurrected Ra’s Al Ghul, who, having used the Lazarus pit way too many times, isn’t feeling too great. Tracking down a new pit, he is confronted by Ra’s’ other daughter, Nyssa. When he returns to Ra’s, the player is given a choice: Cure Ra’s, letting him escape and sacrificing Nyssa by doing so, or destroying Ra’s’ machine, condemning him to a death that’s been long in the waiting. Nyssa’s group of assassins leave Gotham forever, and Ra’s spends his final days in the GCPD.
This DLC isn’t that great. The only upside for me was seeing Ra’s again, after his body mysteriously disappeared during the events of Arkham City. He doesn’t even get a cool boss fight like he did in that game.
Mission 4: In From the Cold
A ship has rocked up of the coast of Gotham. After picking off some guards on the ship’s exterior, Batman makes his way inside. He finds Mr Freeze in a state of despair. The Arkham Knight’s Militia has taken Freeze’s wife Nora. Promising to bring Nora back to Freeze, Batman hunts down her captures. Once he finds her, she is, after God knows how many years, unfrozen. Batman and Nora make their way back to Freeze, but are forced to fight through some of the Arkham Knight’s tanks first. That’s right, more tank warfare. Rocksteady really aren’t good at listening to feedback, are they? Having destroyed the tanks in typical over-the-top Batman fashion, Nora and Victor are reunited again. Despite Victor’s arguments against the idea, Nora insists she will not be frozen again.
This is the best part of the DLC for a few reasons. 1) We learn once more that Freeze is only a villain due to horrific circumstances. We see him as more than an evil-do-er. He’s human. And no, there’s no boss fight like Arkham City or Arkham Origins. But once you play it, you’ll realise there doesn’t need to be one. 2) Once you finish it, Gotham is covered in a layer of snow. I don’t know if this is permanent, but it sure looks good. 3) Its Mr Freeze. Enough said.
Overview: On the whole, the DLC certainly has its ups and downs. There was one thing that stood out though. I thought it when they announced it, and I thought it whilst playing through it: Why weren’t these villains in the game to begin with?! Money is the obvious answer, but put that aside, and these missions have no place being outside of the main release. Then again, I say that about pretty much every DLC ever.
There is one definite high point. If you’ve finished the main game to 200%, (Main story and New Game Plus) and you play through Season of Infamy on both as well, you are rewarded with a sweet new suit, which, because I can’t remember the name it’s given in-game, I’ve come to call: “The Golden Bat.”
6.5/10
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