BeforeBatman: Arkham Shadow, Carmine Falcone was only mentioned while his son, Alberto, is featured in a cutscene where Penguin is beating and toying with him. Thus, it’s a neat full circle moment to have Bruce interact with Carmine a handful of times throughoutShadow(sometimes as Batman, sometimes as Malone) when inOriginshe had said he “[doesn’t] need the Falcones in [his] debt.” Plus, with how central Falcone was to the previously established lore of how Harvey Dent became Two-Face, it makes sense that Carmine would play such a pivotal role inBatman: ArkhamShadow, even if it would turn out that he actually had little to do with Harvey becoming half-charred.
It’s full-circle moments like this that makeBatman: Arkham Shadow’s multifaceted storyso engaging and rewarding. The narrative answers as many questions as it asks—all anyone can ask for in a lore-rich continuity—and doesn’t take its specific place in the timeline for granted. The Arkhamverse’s timeline has always been dodgy at best with only a few clear dates and spans of years depicted, such as notable holidays or Batman clarifying that two years pass betweenBatman: Arkham AsylumandBatman: Arkham Knight, but it’s no mistake thatShadowcan be perceived as a huge love letter toBatman: Arkham OriginsandBatman: Arkham Origins Blackgate.
Batman: Arkham Shadow Completes a Blackgate Trilogy Epic
Batman: Arkham Shadowis a perfect sequel to bothBatman: Arkham OriginsandBatman: Arkham Origins Blackgatewith characters and lore tethered between all three games, and what’s doubly impressive is that all three games were developed by unique studios and none have the same gameplay genre perspective. These three installments also all retroactively take advantage of their proximity to one another in the continuity’s timeline with three months separating each of them, and as a result each one is rightfully mindful of and faithful to the events that came not long before it.
Shadowpresses onward withDistrict Attorney Harvey Dent, Dr. Leslie Thompkins, and Otis Flannegan’s Ratcatcher, but its story is tethered to those inOriginsandOrigins Blackgateas an extension of their atmosphere and character developments and resides in their looming shadows.
This is true in many ways, though the most succinct and salient is the logical and immersive choice of characters who appear, which include: Ricky “Loose Lips” LeBlanc, a charismatic goon Batman repeatedly runs into; Blackgate inmates such as the counterfeiter Chucky Berks or the con artist Robert Hanes; Howard Branden (originally a corrupt GCPD SWAT Lieutenant, now a corrupt TYGER CO); Bane’s loyal right hand, Bird; and even the Cold, Cold Heart DLC’s Ferris Boyle. Like Berks and Hanes,many ofShadow’s Blackgate inmates are named, minor antagonistsplayers discover as crime scene Casefile Report suspects inBatman: Arkham Origins, such as the withdrawal-addled Venom addict Andrew Carter whom players sit next to in a court-mandated group therapy session.
These character appearances won’t mean much to anyone who didn’t playOriginsorOrigins Blackgate, and they may well go over players’ heads if they don’t remember the names of some of the most minor, forgettable characters in those decade-old games. However, they’re a huge treat for anyone who loves theconnectivity betweenArkhamgamesand are fascinating as players can finally see them once again after previously apprehending them.
Batman: Arkham Shadow Shines a Well-Deserved Bat Signal on Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate
As a companion piece releasing alongside one another,Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgatehasn’t earned anywhere near the same limelight thatBatman: Arkham Originshas.Originsis somewhat of a cult classic as opposed to having been received as well asAsylumorCitybefore it, and yet today it’s regarded highly as having one of the better stories in the Arkhamverse, let alone some of the best boss fights (even if they are largely derivative of boss fight designs from previousArkhamgames).
Origins Blackgateunfortunately has no such adoration, at least not to the same degree, and that’s a shame.Origins Blackgatedoesn’t have a sweeping plot aside from thecryptic ambitions of Amanda Waller and ARGUS, but everyArkhamgame has a gem it can uniquely call theirs and the 2.5D Metroidvania side-scroller gets to say it had the pleasure and privilege of depicting Batman and Catwoman’s first interactions in the Arkhamverse.
Bronze Tiger is introduced inBatman: Arkham Origins Blackgate, where he’s unwittingly thrown into an arena and given a boss fight, and seeing him in Blackgate duringShadowis yet another wonderful follow-up.
Shadowis packed to the brim with exciting cameos like these that aren’t in favor of iconic, well-known super-villains—thoughJoker, Black Mask, and Fireflycan be optionally spoken to in solitary confinement—that solidify it as respectful of the games that came before it in the timeline. It also needed to conform to lore established inAsylum,City, andKnight, and does so gracefully while also challenging a lot of the more unclear details parsed throughout the Arkhamverse, such as the particulars of how Harvey Dent received his radical chemical burn.
Batman: Arkham ShadowmakesOrigins Blackgate’s lore and characters essential to fully understanding and appreciating all the dialogue and characters players will happen upon as Malone and enrich the experience for anyone who adores those two games. Now, a sequel would have its work cut out for it in showcasing the same level of attentiveness and care thatShadowshowsOriginsandOrigins Blackgate.
