The latest trailer for Batman: Arkham Knight, titled “All Who Follow You,” has made a number of allusions to the upcoming game’s plot, including the inclusions of Nightwing, Robin and Azrael. These three characters each look set to have an impact upon the game’s plot in Arkham Knight, unlike in Arkham City in which they were mostly encountered through side-missions. Let’s take a look at the new trailer, and what glimpses into Arkham Knight‘s story it offers us:
Scarecrow Reveal
As far as we know, Scarecrow is the main antagonist of Arkham Knight. Unless developer Rocksteady pulls another bait ‘n’ switch like they did in Arkham City and somehow manages to bring the Joker back from the dead in order to have him take over the role, Scarecrow is who Batman will be going toe-to-toe against this time around. The trailer has revealed what he’ll look like in Arkham Knight, and it’s a big departure from his appearance in Arkham Asylum. Aside from his new mask, the biggest addition to his costume is the multiple Fear Gas canisters strapped to his torso – just what he’ll need if he wants to cripple Gotham with nightmarish visions.
Johnny Charisma
The new trailer yet again depicts a reference to the mysterious Johnny Charisma, who some believe could be a reference to the Joker. Fans have made the (rather strained) guess that the words ‘JOHNNY CHARISMA: LIVE!’ could be a hint from Rocksteady that Joker is somehow still breathing following his demise at the end of Arkham City, with the “deciphered” hidden message reading: ‘JOhnny CHARISmA: LIVE!’ I’m not buying that, but the multiple references suggest that Johnny Charisma, whoever he is, will feature in the game’s story in some capacity.
Tag Team Action!
Batman: Arkham Knight will be the first entry in the series to introduce “dual play,” which will allow players to seamlessly switch between Batman, Robin, Nightwing and Catwoman during combat. This will add a whole new layer to gameplay, and I can’t wait to see it in action.
Azrael is Probably Not the Arkham Knight
While many have speculated that Jason Todd a.k.a. Red Hood is the Arkham Knight, there have been some (myself included) who have suggested that Azrael is another likely candidate for this role. However, judging from the trailer Azrael is set to have a prominent role in the game, with him delivering a speech to Batman about foreboding prophecies and all the philosophical stuff that Azrael usually waffles on about.
Fear Gas for Everyone!
The Gotham Gas building is shown twice in the trailer, which suggests that Scarecrow will attempt to intoxicate the entirety of Gotham with his Fear Gas at some point, hijacking the city’s gas system in order to do so. If he manages to do so, I can’t wait to see how Rocksteady depicts the chaos of an entire city overcome with terror. Hopefully they’ll handle it better than Christopher Nolan, and Scarecrow won’t be defeated by Katie Holmes and a Taser.
Titan-Carrying Robots
A particularly silly enemy featured in the trailer are these robots, who appear to be carrying around the Titan liquid that was introduced in Arkham Asylum. I’m not sure why they’re carrying this liquid around, but rest assured it probably involves Bane in some capacity.
