Batman: Arkham Knight Batgirl DLC - 9 Big Things It Finally Gets Right
9. It Nails The Atmosphere
Say what you will about the Arkham sequels, but none of them have quite managed to capture the claustrophobic and eerie atmosphere of Arkham Asylum. It's a relief then to see that a Matter of Family has returned the series to its roots. By putting the player in a semi-linear environment inspired by all things fair-like and macabre, WBM have really added a sense of encroaching danger and madness to Knight's proceedings. Retrofitted by The Joker to be his own purpose-built torture trap, the offshore fairground proves to be a character of its own, much like Arkham Asylum was when first explored by players in 2009. As Batgirl advances through the story the more areas of the rig are unveiled, each with their own theme and challenges. It's very reminiscent of Batman: The Animated Series, but that's just how Bat-fans will like it. This isn't to say that Arkham City and Gotham itself lack character, but confining the events of the story to a smaller area with a greater emphasis on detail means a Matter of Family's fairground takes the cake for captivating settings.
WhatCulture's very own resident movie guy, Ewan has been working in the content creation biz for over 10 years now, having started as a freelance contributor to WhatCulture Gaming all the way back in 2015. After graduating with a First-Class Honours in History from Northumbria University in 2017 (where he won a prize for a totally killer dissertation on the Watergate years), Ewan took on the role of Comics Editor at WhatCulture and quickly developed WhatCulture Comics into one of the biggest superhero-focused channels on YouTube. He followed this with a brief hiatus at Screen Rant in 2021, where he worked across the Gaming and Film sections as a writer and editor, before returning to WhatCulture as a Senior Content Producer / Presenter in 2023. He started his own podcast, We Love Dad Movies, in 2022, and has contributed several written pieces to the Eisner-nominated comics website Shelfdust as well.
In his current role, Ewan incorporates his love of cinema, comic books, and history into written pieces and video essays for WhatCulture's Film & TV channel, as well as WhatCulture Gaming and WhatCulture Horror, with a particular focus on nineties-era Dad Movies, old school Westerns, and Golden Age Hollywood Noir. John Carpenter is his fave, and he thinks Batman Beyond should never have been cancelled. If that's your vibe, you'll probably like his stuff.
