HARLEY QUINN'S REVENGE a Sour Coda For Batman: Arkham City

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Harley Quinn’s Revenge

Reviewed on: Xbox 360

Reviewed By: Seth Robison

Rama Rating: 5 out of 10

Timed to the release of a rightfully deserved “Game of the Year” edition of , the highly anticipated campaign expansion, Harley Quinn’s Revenge (out now for PS3/Xbox 360 for $10/800 MS Points) looks to add a triumphant coda to the core game’s epic by trying to tell a story that would be on its face original and intriguing, but instead sounds a sour, flat note.

Segmented from the core game experience entirely by both a new main menu option and by taking place in a cordoned off section of Arkham City, Harley Quinn’s Revenge picks up a ‘few weeks’ after the events of the end game sequence with its one true twist: half the experience features playing as the Tim Drake Robin. Previously confined to downloadable Riddler’s Revenge challenge maps, Robin plays in a similar fashion to the Dark Knight, but with his own interpretations of the core Bat-Gadgets, plus a shockingly useful bullet shield that doubles as a melee weapon, and a set of flashbang grenades.

The action toggles between Robin and Batman as they follow a parallel investigatory trail and sadly, through an extremely parallel setting for an overall linear gaming experience. Within the accessible Steel Mill area is a single new interior environment that features a small set of the typical Arkham set-pieces: environmental puzzles, some brawling and a pair of opportunities to engage in the franchise’s signature stealth/predator gameplay.

While Harley Quinn’s Revenge doesn’t fall into the classic downloadable content trap of feeling like it was something that should have been part of the core game to begin with, it doesn’t do the work to add anything new to the experience either. Outside of achievements/trophies, no new upgrades or unlocks to earn make fights just exercises in attrition. Fans can at least enjoy some more of the definitive Batman voice: Kevin Conroy and Tara Strong’s Quinn, but an opportunity to dive deeper into the world’s most famous rogues gallery, or to even bringing some existing ones back, is missed.

Adept gamers who have maintained their skills since the game’s initial release will complete the content in about two hours and outside of the chance to find thirty pop-able balloons that constitute the only side mission there is no reason to ever boot up Harley Quinn’s Revenge again.