One of the main reasons Batman has survived over the last seventy years has been the writers’ creation of the fiercest and most cunning villains of all time. And just like the comics, Batman’s video games need these villains to tell an enticing story. But how do you keep the same villains feeling fresh and vital? While the story and dialogue is extremely important, the character’s design can also tell a whole lot about the villain. David Hego, Batman: Arkham Knight’s art director comments on this challenge: “We tried to add something to the characters, so you’re still excited about them even after meeting them for the third time. How can we make these guys exciting, even after seeing them again? Every time, we make them look better and better and better, but at the same time, how can we improve the story behind them?”
Now the main villain of the trailer is Scarecrow, but Rocksteady has yet to reveal what the character looks like. Game Informer comments that Scarecrow will be scarred from his encounter with Killer Croc in Batman: Arkham City, but besides that little is known of his new character design. The public just knows that the Scarecrow is attempting to take over Gotham City with a chemical attack on Halloween. With that said, the screenshots of Batman: Arkham Knight’s villains are not anything new. The audience has seen both the Penguin and Two Face in the debut trailer, but it is extremely cool to see the personal screenshots of the villains with the lead character artist, Albert Feliu, describing them; last, the screenshot of The Riddler is extremely enticing because he allegedly plays a bigger role in Arkham Knight.
[promo title=”Penguin”][/promo]
The Penguin is a shell of his former dapper self.
The first thing that is noticeable about the Penguin is that he looks dirty, disheveled, and on the edge. His face and clothes look grimy and he is a ‘far cry’ from the dapper mastermind that the audience saw in Arkham City. As Game Informer points out, he is nowhere near as foul as Burton’s interpretation, but in the line of Arkham games, this seems like a different kind of Penguin. Albert Feliu, the lead character artist, comments on Batman: Arkham Knight’s villain:
“In Arkham City, he’s a collector, he works out of a museum and he looks like he’s in the mafia. This time, we went for autumnal mafia. We took the coat off, and the concept of Penguin was more of a dirty dude. Obviously his shirt is rolled up and sweaty, and he has food stains on it. But still, he’s really powerful. He’s got a golden chain, as well. We had to be a bit crazy with this character, and working with his design. And we shaved his head. He’s proper filthy, you know. It makes you want to punch him even more.”
Yes, Penguin was always a ‘wannabe thug,’ but the character seems to have come full circle and embraced the ‘dirty’ lifestyle of a gangster. For a person who has been ambivalent about the Penguin’s story lines, his character design makes me excited to see where Arkham Knight goes with the villain.