Every player has their personal gaming moments that they will never forget. For MeinMMO editor Nikolas Hernes, this moment comes from a Batman game. Although he has completed the game 5 times, the moment still works today.
I’m a big Batman fan, and for me, the Arkham game series is one of the best works of the Dark Knight. Although I love all 3 games, the first one, Arkham Asylum, stands out as the great highlight. The Gothic horror action game captivates me with every playthrough.
I’ve probably completed the game 5 or 6 times, and every few years I pull it out again. The interpretation of the villains is a major strength of the game – Scarecrow even steals the show from Joker and creates one of the best gaming moments of all time.
A moment that only works as a game
During the main story, a strange moment occurs when you walk through the halls of Arkham as Batman. Suddenly, you hear a short jingle, the image freezes, and it looks like your console or PC has crashed. Suddenly, the game restarts, and you find yourself back in the intro sequence with the Batmobile. But something feels off.
The moon looks different, and the sign at Arkham Asylum only says Madhouse
(Asylum
), and below it says Batman may be escaping patient
(Batman could be an escaped patient
). Suddenly, you see Joker at the wheel and Batman in the passenger seat.
As Joker, you now play through the intro scene. Batman is captured and escorted by two thugs and Harley Quinn. On the screen in the foyer, you only see Scarface, a talking ventriloquist dummy. After you overhear a conversation with Scarecrow, Joker, and Harley Quinn from Batman’s perspective, you’re at the Game Over
-screen.
You press “Try Again” and suddenly find yourself in the boss fight against Scarecrow. This moment is not only quite unusual for an action game and provides a brief fright – it’s an excellent portrayal of Scarecrow that a movie could never achieve.
You can see the whole sequence in the YouTube video from the channel Binge Gaming:
Scarecrow doesn’t just play with Batman’s perception
Scarecrow can’t match Batman in direct combat, but he is dangerous with his fear gas. In Arkham Asylum, he regularly plays with Batman’s perception, making him relive his worst memories. This works well in well-staged cutscenes, but especially with the scene mentioned above.
Through the broken screen, as a player, you initially think something is broken, and then you even play as Joker. Suddenly, you find yourself in a boss fight with Scarecrow, which is also a highlight of the game. Together with the sound that plays before the scene, this moment imprints itself into your mind and perfectly embodies the idea behind Scarecrow.
We, the ones playing Batman, are manipulated by him and wonder what is actually real in the game. Movies or series can’t achieve that. There, we are passive observers while, in Arkham Asylum, we are actively influenced. This portrayal of Scarecrow’s abilities is brilliant.
His character design must also be commended here. Rocksteady managed to make him seem just humanoid enough to make you question whether he is truly a human or already a monster – what he embodies in his boss fights.
This way, Scarecrow even puts Joker in the shadow – a statement one would never make in the Nolan film trilogy.
Do you also have a gaming moment that you will never forget, and what do you think of Scarecrow’s portrayal? Feel free to share your opinion in the comments. If you’re interested in Batman, we have a list for you: 7 villains of Batman that should finally get a big screen appearance instead of Joker
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