If you didn’t play Batman: Arkham City when it first came out… well honestly, shame on you. It is an amazing game, and you should pick it up. But if you didn’t play it, I don’t think I’m spoiling anything by telling you that by the end of the game the Joker didn’t fare so well. Harley Quinn’s Revenge serves as an excellent epilogue to the main game’s story in which she has returned to seek… revenge on Batman. Exactly what it says on the tin, I guess.
The mini-campaign is completely separate from the main game on the menu and is restricted to only the Industrial District and the Steel Mill (which has been refurbished since the end of Arkham City). As a result, it tends to feel less intimidating than the entire city had in the main campaign, which is unfortunate. Being the overwhelmed lone hero in a city-wide prison was part of why Arkham City worked so well. In comparison, Harley Quinn’s Revenge seems fairly small ball.
You play a good portion of the game as Robin, which is a very welcome change of pace. Because he has different gadgets than Batman, familiar obstacles feel new again. Unfortunately the episode is too short and the explorable area too small to really scratch the itch I’ve had to take the Boy Wonder out into the sandbox city proper.
The story of the episode is quite strong. As the characters deal with the fallout of the original game, we get to see them in a different light. I always felt the ending of Arkham city was too a bit too abrupt and melodramatic (if you’ve played the game you probably know what I mean). Harley Quinn’s Revenge serves to let the narrative dust settle. For someone like me who craves resolution, it’s pitch perfect. The voice work maintains the high standard set by the franchise, with the classic actors returning once more.
The gameplay itself is largely unchanged. Playing Arkham City was amazing and this plays exactly like Arkham City, though I noticed a few little glitchy moments that I don’t recall in the original. Nothing major, just a few twitchy animations and an enemy that didn’t seem to care when I accidentally walked in front of him. The DLC has a good mix of all the different playstyles in the original game. It’s as if the developers wanted to require the player to use every gadget in the game at least once more. There is even a new set of collectable/destructibles, though I must say I missed the more cerebral task of collecting Riddler trophies.
For me, Harley Quinn’s Revenge was well worth the $10 price tag, if only as an excuse to get my copy of Batman: Arkham City off the shelf again. The story is great, the Robin sections are fun, if a little short, and I’m proud to say I’ve picked up a some achievements and challenge medals I missed out on my first time through, with an eye on a few more.
