The first screenshot and details have been released on the newest DLC for Batman: Arkham Knight, as Batgirl makes her playable debut in the gritty franchise in the A Matter of Family pack.
She played a supporting role in the main story as Barbara Gordon, aka Oracle, as her hacking expertise helped Batman battle against Scarecrow and the Arkham Knight. However, this new story will travel back in time to before the events of Arkham Asylum, when she donned her own mask and cape to battle the criminals of Gotham alongside the Dark Knight.
In this DLC, she will team up with Robin to rescue her father, Commissioner Gordon, who had been kidnapped by the Joker. It is set in Seagate Amusement Park and abandoned funhouse built on an oil rig, where the only entertainment is provided by the deranged clown’s traps and thugs. Batgirl and Robin will be contained within this death trap, and will have to rely on their wits as much as their fists to escape alive with Gordon.
Justin Vasquez, the designer of the DLC, explained how his team sought to differentiate Batgirl from the Caped Crusader and his other playable allies that feature in Arkham Knight by focusing on her intelligence and hacking skills:
“Hacking is really what separates her from the other characters. It’s a gameplay mechanic with which the player can create situations for Batgirl to really shine,” says Vasquez.
“Our intention was that Batgirl should be less powerful than Batman, but that Batgirl plus hacking could give her opportunities do things that not even Batman can pull off.”
For those familiar to Batman comic books, this is a welcome addition to its video game series, with Batgirl becoming its second female protagonist after the antiheroine Catwoman. Furthermore, with Joker being responsible for binding her to a wheelchair as Oracle (a reference to the graphic novel The Killing Joke), this is the ideal villain for Batgirl to confront.
The DLC will be made available on July 14th for Season Pass holders for free, and then will be placed on general sale on July 21st for $6.99. As for now, this additional content will only be for the PS4 and Xbox One editions of Arkham Knight due to the complications plaguing the PC version.
