This is a post that has been a little while coming. I’m what you’d call a “poor gamer.” I love a good story, and it is that which I follow. Books, movies, video games, great stories come in all shapes and sizes. And in this game is one of the best stories that I have ever seen.

There is a universal truth with gaming – the people who are into it are growing up. And with people like my generation, who grew up with some of the oldest versions, we wanted our games to grow up with us. To grow in an emotional and literary way. We wanted a great story from the games that we play. We wanted to be more intrigued, mentally, along with emotionally. And the gaming industry has learned this lesson.

Games like Assassin’s Creed, Portal, Shadow of the Colossus, Bioshock, all of them have worked to not only amaze the eyes, but to dazzle the mind. And they have succeeded. Nobody can call any of those creations lacking in brains. Whoever tries is an idiot. They are people who want to defend the idea that something that engages a person cannot be emotionally vivid. And I will admit, we aren’t to the point just yet where these things are a huge catharsis, but we are getting there.

And games like Batman: Arkham City are getting us there. This game is incredible. It is not only an incredible superhero critique, but it is also one of the best stories that I have ever seen. It is the sequel to Batman: Arkham Asylum. It tells the story of a new version of the famous prison, housing the worst of the super-criminals of Gotham. An old part of the city was bought out and they took the prisoners from Arkham Asylum and Blackgate Prison, both of which were unusable after the events of the first game. They took them, and put them in this walled-off community, free to roam and do what they pleased, so long as they didn’t try to escape.

But Bruce Wayne saw the problems. This was a bad idea. He just didn’t realize how bad it was. The super-criminals had quickly taken charge over the inmates, grouping them into various factions. These factions are at war with one-another. Meanwhile, there are two dominant things that are happening. 1. The Joker is dying. After his incident at Arkham Asylum, he now has a disease that is slowly killing him. 2. Huge Strange has taken over Arkham City, and is using everybody from the inmates, to the mayor of the city to keep things running.

I will say up front that there are a lot of spoilers here, so if you haven’t played this game, don’t read any further. Play it, and you’ll see what I’m talking about. While the plot about Strange and his mission within Arkham City is awesome, the fact is that it is the plot with the Joker that is the most incredible. This role here is definitely the best of the Joker editions that Mark Hamill has played. It still amazes me that he could do that creepy laugh at his age. A testament to the skill of a voice actor, who really doesn’t get the respect that he deserves. This was the best Joker that I have ever seen.

His final act is to give Batman the same disease that he has, dooming both of them to death if they don’t work together. At first, Batman acts tough, and says that he doesn’t mind both of them dying. This statement was the first thing that interested me. Really? You have no problem dying with your mortal enemy? But the more you see this, the more you start to understand why these two characters are so much alike it’s scary.

This game is an incredible critique on the idea of a superhero. Batman is a thug, plain and simple. The only difference between him and every other thug is that he won’t kill people. He will do everything else, torture people, break bones, whatever he wants. The cops endorse this, which is even more scary. Though, it is also a nifty critique at the cops when they will sit back and watch a man who openly attacks and brutalizes people, with approving eyes.

But Batman will do whatever he wants, to whoever he wants. Think about this – so does the Joker. While there is a rhyme and reason to Batman’s abuse of his power, the Joker is all about chaos. When the Joker dies in the end, there is this incredible image that you see, and I thought the theme use in it was nothing short of incredible. You see Batman, carrying his long-time nemesis. He carries him out, and even lays him to rest in a very gentle way. The image you see reminds me of the famous painting, “The Duality of Man.” It shows Cain, carrying Abel, and you realize that while they were so different, they were so alike.

There was another great part in the game, where Batman is in the clock tower, and Joker talks over an intercom and tells him that at some point that night, one of them is going to die, and the other is going to be left, not knowing what to do with himself. Since Batman is a thug, I think he cannot justify his own existence, believing that he is doing good, without having something that he cannot truly destroy. I honestly wonder if, after the Joker dies, he would commit suicide.

Because there will come a day when all the destruction that he does in the lives of people will have to be answered for. There wil lcome a day when he has to own up to what he does, and to admit what he has become – a destructive element who, instead of using justice, uses violence for his own ends, not even trying anything else. He is not a hero. He’s a man who does good things, but that is a by-product of his need to be violent, and destroy what he believes is the enemy. It’s an incredible dichotomy, and it is perfectly shown in this game.

I love Arkham City so much. Batman is totally incapable of doing the right thing, because he only can be violent, and exercise his will over others. The truth is that Batman probably does belong in Arkham, alongside all the deranged monsters that he often does create.

This game was incredible, and it showed this hero in such an amazing light. I still love Batman, but I love it more for the villains, and also more for the idea that heroes are not truly the good guys. They are merely people who want to pretend to be good, while spreading violence and destruction. How many millions of dollars has Batman caused in collateral damage? How many people has he killed without knowing it? Just a few of the many incredible questions that are not asked nearly enough. And this game did it perfectly.

Until next time, a quote,

“If I am going to have a past, i prefer it to be multiple choice.” -The Joker, Batman: Arkham City

Peace out,

Maverick