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Why I’m Happy Arkham Knight Will Be M-Rated

Why I’m Happy Arkham Knight Will Be M-Rated

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What’s with the countdown, you might ask? It’s simple. That’s my coping mechanism. Ever since Rocksteady first revealed they’d be delaying my most anticipated title of 2015, I’ve taken to reminding myself June isn’t all that far away. Without this, I’m likely to fall into a deep depression the likes of which even the Caped Crusader cannot rescue me from.

And in Arkham Knight , Batsy knows a thing or two about depression.While I’ll attempt to leave Arkham City ’s ending as spoiler-free as possible, let’s just say its conclusion left Batman with a little piece of his heart missing (and that’s no laughing matter…hint, hint). So how have those events affected our hero by the start of the third and final chapter? According to game director Sefton Hill, not very well. With the worst of the worst now gunning for control of Gotham and Bruce’s mental state more uncertain that it’s ever been, Hill told IGN that it’s:

“…unavoidable that some bad stuff is going to happen. But that doesn’t mean we changed our approach. We’re not including gratuitous blood or swearing. We want to deliver a true end with no compromises, and it takes us to some dark places…In the case of Arkham Knight, Batman is at his peak and most powerful. That’s why they also have to push him harder than before. You still get the power fantasy of being the Batman. But to counter that strength, the super villains are going to fight dirty and take him to dark places.”

While I’m not the biggest fan of the ESRB, (more specifically how the rating system works rather than the actual labels themselves) I have to admit an M-Rating here is completely appropriate. Watching the latest trailer above, it’s clear this game is not intended for the Saturday morning cartoon crowd. It’s a far cry from iterations such as The Brave and the Bold or even the original Animated Series from the ‘90s. However, I’m totally fine with that. It is the natural evolution of the series. The unintended consequence is an unfortunate loss of revenue Rocksteady will be forced to expect. In regards to cutting off a certain portion of the game’s fan-base, Hill admits he’s not “…blind to the fact that the M rating does mean some fans will miss out… I don’t want to be oblivious to that fact. It would have been wrong to water down the game and deliver a story we didn’t believe in to keep the game mass market or enable it for more people. We feel that’s the wrong way to go about it. We said we love the story and we don’t want to jeopardize that.”

Why I’m Happy Arkham Knight Will Be M-Rated

I for one am eternally grateful Arkham Knight will ship with that little “M” stamped on the box this summer. While plunging the franchise into a dark, gritty place wasn’t a necessity per say, it certainly seems like the next logical step to end things the right way. Plus, knowing Rocksteady didn’t compromise their art or neuter the story they wished to tell in hopes of simply moving a few extra units off store shelves shows me their level of commitment to the characters I love.

I guess what I’m trying to say here is: you’re my real hero, Rocksteady! I just may buy two copies of Arkham Knight now as a heartfelt thank you!

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