Five Iconic Arkham Series Moments

                *CONTAINS SPOILERS*

The Arkham series is full of memorable moments whether you’re a sucker for breaking bones, or have a soft spot for narrative prowess. But, when push comes to shove, which moments stand out the most? Here’s my Top 5.

Arkham Asylum Intro

With Joker in custody, you accompany the madman into Arkham Asylum. The whole sequence is an on-rails walk through the facility and is one of the finest openings to a game in recent times. It not only sets the tone for the series but is also perfect in its establishment of the game’s core characters. The experienced, no nonsense Batman who goes with his gut instincts and instantly smells a rat when Joker is captured, walks calmly behind the restrained Clown Prince. Playing it the second time around, you realise that the Joker’s mad ramblings are actually key narrative plots which the first time around are easily missed. And who doesn’t love his note to “buy some new shoes” after Killer Croc appears!

 

Scarecrow's Nightmare Sequences

 

Scarecrow is more than just another antagonist, he’s the only one that can reveal the true inner workings of Batman’s mind. His sections are a fascinating change of pace during the series; less punch, kick, dodge, repeat, and more character padding and a glimpse at Bats’ mental state. The 2.5D platforming sections allow for a new challenge and for what you’ve learnt so far to be used in a completely new and unique way. The most dramatic and shocking of these moments is the one in which the game flips completely on its head. Playing through the game’s opener once again, it’s a scene-by-scene replica, albeit taking control of Joker as he escorts the caped crusader into the Arkham madhouse. More than just a break in proceedings, it confirms that Batman’s worst fear is that he and Joker are more similar than he would like.

          

Killer Croc Boss Battle in The Sewers

From the very opening sequence of Batman: Arkham Asylum, you are aware of Killer Croc’s presence in the facility and his insistent threats of killing Batman. Dragged away by Asylum employees there was a persistent voice in the back of your head warning you not to forget this oversized amphibian. It isn’t until Poison Ivy sends you into the sewers for the cure that your suspicions become apparent. The Killer Croc encounter isn’t a boss battle in the sense you’ve come to expect, instead it is more of a heart stopping chase that has you running from point-to-point avoiding Croc’s attacks from below. One moment you will be cautiously collecting saps, the next you’re jumping out of your skin as the music changes and you’re being beared down upon. Of all of the boss encounters in the Arkham series, this is the most outstanding; truly terrifying and proof that you don’t always need your fists to dispatch a bad guy.

The Double Joker Twist

Although most people claimed they saw it coming, there’s no denying the ‘double Joker’ twist was an iconic moment. Crippled by disease during the early stages of Batman: Arkham City, fans feared the worst for the Clown Prince, yet midway through the adventures in the urban prison, he turned up unscathed, upright and breathing. This iteration turned out to be the shapeshifting pile of gloop known as Clayface however, with the dying Joker pulling the strings. The sequence that follows then reveals that there were hints and nudges along the way suggesting that this was in fact a dead ringer. What’s more, if players used the Detective Mode, they would have seen that this Joker had an ‘unknown identity’ and no skeleton, a nice touch by developers Rocksteady.

            

Arkham City End Credits

 If one moment confirmed the twisted and perverse relationship between Gotham’s finest and Joker, it was this. As the credits roll on Batman: Arkham City, we hear a voicemail left on Batman’s phone. It’s Joker, and rather than leaving angry hate mail, or death threats he’s singing ‘Only You’. It doesn’t just confirm that he is off his rocker but that he and Batman are more than just enemies, they need each other to be complete, a touching heartfelt moment after the hours of bone breaking brawls are complete.