Batman: Arkham Shadow Goes All In On Character Psychology [Video]

Batman: Arkham Shadow may be the newest installment in a long-running gaming franchise, but it offers something refreshingly unique.

The game, recently released exclusively for virtual reality on Meta Quest 3/3S, is serious about responsibly exploring its characters’ minds. Terms like psychotic, for example, aren’t tossed around when characters are violent.

And once Batman enters Blackgate Prison under an alias, on a mission to find the villain Rat King before he strikes, he grows conflicted about his understanding of what motivates the criminals he encounters. As it turns out, when Batman attends a group therapy session led by Dr. Harleen Frances Quinzel (later known as Harley Quinn), he has just as much to say about childhood trauma as the other inmates.

These and other choices were intentional, says Arkham Shadow director Ryan Payton. In 2023, he discovered a series of GQ videos featuring psychiatrist Dr. H. Eric Bender breaking down mental health scenes from popular movies and television, including clips from …