Look sometimes in life there no refunds. Anyone who’s booked multiple hotel rooms for SDCC and canceled too late can attest to that. When it comes to video games; it’s also a similar case. When the announcement of a season pass allowing access to six months of additional Batman Arkham Knight content was announced I was optimistic AF. Pre pay for it? My thought was: the studio behind Arkham Knight, Rocksteady, wouldn’t let me down. So I coughed up the $39.99. Then I found out WB Montreal (Arkham Origins) was involved with the DLC. I didn’t hate Origins so it didn’t bother me that much. Today, with the release of the August DLC (1989 Movie Skins & Family Skins Pack), I’m done. This DLC campaign, for one of the year’s best games, has become the DC Comics Convergence event of DC video games. Good in theory but just no substance to it.
You’ll spend more time downloading updates and the content than you actually will playing it. This is not figuratively speaking. It took me 12 min to download everything. I spent less than 6 min playing the new content. The Batmobile of the 1989 Burton film does look stunning and if you could take it into the main game then it I might have felt differently. Nope, instead you’ll only be allowed to use the car on the games AR Challenges where you race against the clock. Two new tracks take gamers through both the world of the Batman movie and its sequel Batman Returns. You’ll race through courses inspired by the Joker parade scene and Penguin’s ice sewer with the Joker one being some kindergartner painting hybrid of the two.
That’s it. If you’re looking for more… well you can try the multiple lap challenge on those tracks. Other than that it’s flat-out hogdickery.
The future’s not all bleak. Also announced for upcoming DLC is Christopher Nolan’s Tumbler Batmobile. In addition fans get an epilogue story of sorts called “GCPD Lockdown” starring Nightwing as he must stop the Penguin from escaping GCPD in the absence of Batman. Lockdown is due to hit late September. If gamers are going to be limited to only using the Tumbler Batmobile in some consolation prize AR challenge or WB Montreal is developing the Nightwing story mission… then that’s it. No more. Just let that x-ray meteor in outer space wipe us out once and for all.
So far the Harley Quinn, Red Hood, and Batgirl DLC have all been disappointing to say the least. WB needs to give gamers good meaty story in our Arkham games; even if it couldn’t be ready for the launch window. Give players something that finishes this generation defining game on a high note or just let it be done with.
Though I’d highly advise against it; the 1989 movie pack is available for those without a season pass for the too high price of $1.99. If you’re looking for a DC Comics gaming fix just play the Arkham Knight campaign over again or better yet jump into DC Universe Online which recently added the world of the fan favorite “Bombshells” to the game.
