In a move that is likely to appeal to neither Batman Beyond fans or fans of the newer Batman games, those who pre-order Batman: Arkham City from the European Gamestop online store will get a free Batman Beyond skin for their troubles. Like with Robin, it’s clear to me that the team at Rocksteady are working hard to make the character palatable to Arkham City‘s target audience, and have lost the essence of the character in the process. The whole point of Robin is to provide a counterpoint to Batman, with that juxtaposition working to make both of the characters’ unique traits shine in comparison. Making Robin just another brooding, musclebound vigilante renders the character meaningless.
It looks like they’ve done the same thing with Batman Beyond. The once, sleek, slender, somewhat realistically proportioned superhero has been transformed into another shredded, sinewy, bulky bit of bodybuilder beefcake.
As a huge fan of the more streamlined, iconic look of Batman seen in the better Batman comics and animated shows, I already had a hard enough time adjusting to the shiny, rippling, Bisely-esque Batman seen in Batman: Arkham Asylum. It looks like they’re taking that look even farther with some aspects of the sequel. In case you couldn’t tell, I’m not into it.
GameStop offer Batman Beyond Skin for Batman: Arkham City [NeoGAF]
