Downloadable skins, challenge maps and multiplayer modes might satiate some gamers, but that's never been the case for me. I play video games for stories, for characters I care about. If you promise me downloadable content such as Red Dead Redemption's Undead Nightmare or Mass Effect 2's Arrival, I'll painstakingly maintain my saves and refuse to loan out discs so that I can play when the expansion comes. If you go the Dead Space 2 route and just give me a new gun for multiplayer or a Resistance 3 double XP weekend, chances are I'll never come back to your game when I'm done with the single-player campaign.
This is the kind of DLC that all DLC should be.
I'd rather a developer go dark for six months and come back with a two-hour story such as Harley Quinn's Revenge than ever give me some character pack or even Arkham City's own Nightwing challenge maps. Lots of single-player franchises are tossing in multiplayer to try and keep gamers from selling the games back, but creators need to realize gamers love many of those games because of the single-player story. That's the DLC people want. Developers have built this awesome world, so just give us more to do in it.“
Developer Rocksteady seems to get that With Harley Quinn's Revenge. Arkham City's been evacuated, but Harley's gone back in and set-up shop at the Joker’s old hideout. Batman went in after some kidnapped cops two days ago, and he hasn't been heard from since. As Robin, you begin tracking the Caped Crusader down.
Obviously playing as Robin is huge -- he has his zip kick where grapples into someone's chest and his bullet shield to get past turrets -- but it's almost more exciting to listen and watch Rocksteady expand on the game's grim ending rather than play. As soon as the DLC starts, Oracle and Robin have this conversation about how Batman hasn't been the same since the events of Arkham City -- since Joker, since Talia. Barbara says that those deaths have changed the Dark Knight, and that immediately resonated with me. Batman has always been screwed up in the head, but if his closest allies think he’s even more off… holy hell.Harley Quinn's Revenge doesn't hold your hand. There's no time for a tutorial; go save Batman. Snipers and groups combining knife-wielding villains and stun gun foes are ready for you as soon as the game gets going, so don't expect to be eased back into combat.
The game even does a Lost-style flashback. After playing a bit as Robin and finding Batman's utility belt sans Bruce, Harley Quinn's Revenge jumps back two days and puts you in Batman's boots. Talk to Commissioner Gordon, get into the hideout, and find out what the hell is about to go wrong.
Not a bad setup and definitely one I'm anxious to play more of in just a few weeks. UPDATE: Warner Bros. has confirmed that Harley Quinn's Revenge will cost 800 Microsoft Points or $9.99 on the PlayStation Network. Also, Robin won't be able to roam the entirety of Arkham City -- just this mission and his previously released challenge maps. Greg is the executive editor of IGN PlayStation, cohost of Podcast Beyond and host of Up at Noon. Follow IGN on Twitter, and keep track of Greg's shenanigans on IGN and Twitter. Beyond!