After having witnessed his parents’ lives stolen by a sleazy criminal who would have killed anyone for a petty pittance, Bruce Wayne has sought to control the chaotic darkness of Gotham City by co-opting the very fear that consumes it. By donning the cowl of the Batman, it’s safe to say that the billionaire playboy cum masked vigilante has seen his fair share of grimness. In fact, many would argue that Batman willfully courts doom in an effort to fully understand the concept, so as to battle it by embodying it, as we have seen multiple times in glimpses of Rocksteady Studios‘ upcoming finale to its Dark Knight trilogy, Batman: Arkham Knight.
With Batman: Arkham Knight nearing its release, the television ad campaign in support of the game has been relentless to say the least. For instance, we’ve seen the Caped Crusader numerous times during the NBA Finals this week, as he glowers over his city, urging its denizens to overcome their fearful limitations and “Be the Batman“. Now, with hype for Rocksteady Studios’ Arkham denouement culminating, the game developer has teased a grim ending for Batman in their latest ad for Batman: Arkham Knight.
The TV spot begins with an unknown voice—possibly the voice cast‘s Jonathan Banks’ as Commissioner Gordon—and it sets a dour tone, saying, “This is how it happened. This is how the Batman died.” Then, in a clever bit of corporate synergy, the rest of the ad decks the audience with a bunch of explosive action including Batmobile destruction and dual-play beatdowns with Batman’s allies while the chorus of Muse’s latest single “Mercy” rocks out over the gameplay.
While the gameplay being shown is nothing short of staggeringly beautiful, the song really throws off the brooding vibe we’ve come to expect from Batman: Arkham Knight footage. One reason why this might be the case, is that unrelated tie-ins often tend to smack of shoehorned attempts at upward revenue streams more so than quality control. However, it must be said that Muse is a great rock band of completely of their own accord.
Nonetheless, even with death being the potential destiny for Batman in Arkham Knight‘s story, as we all know from years of rebooted and re-imagined franchises, characters’ fates are rarely set in stone, and the Dark Knight is no exception. Having said that, Batman is facing his deadliest foes yet in the toxin-wielding Scarecrow and the militaristic Arkham Knight. And with the two villains hell-bent on bringing Gotham to its knees, Batman: Arkham Knight could very well be the World’s Greatest Detective final and fatal case.
Batman: Arkham Knight is set to release on June 23, 2015 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.