It is the anniversary of Thomas and Martha Wayne's murders and someone celebrates it by unleashing chaos in Gotham City.
Players can choose between four different hero characters to use. Batman himself is the strongest but slowest among them. Batgirl is the fastest and most agile character, but also the one with the weakest attacks. Robin is somewhat slower but stronger than Batgirl. Nightwing combines great strength and agility while excelling at neither. The main opponents are the Scarecrow, Clayface, Bane, and Big Bad Sin Tzu (voiced by Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa). Commissioner James Gordon appears but is not playable.
The game includes cameos by Harley Quinn, The Joker, Mr. Freeze, and Poison Ivy, still in the same prison cells they were locked in at the end of the previous game. The novel explains that they've been turned into living trophies by Sin Tzu.
Tropes present in this game:
- Adaptation Expansion: The novel greatly expands on Sin Tzu's backstory and his actions in the game.
- The All-Seeing A.I.: Justified with Scarecrow's minions, who are invulnerable to fear toxin. Scarecrow has removed their capacity for fear.
- And I Must Scream: Harley Quinn, The Joker, Mr. Freeze and Poison Ivy are turned into living trophies by Sin Tzu in the novel.
- Batman Cold Open: You start the game in Crime Alley, fighting random thugs and saving civilians. Later on you get to face more skilled and dangerous opponents.
- Bullfight Boss: As is typical, Bane is this.
- Cardboard Prison: Arkham Asylum and Blackgate Prison are both broken open, though in Arkham's case it's only Scarecrow, Clayface, and Bane that escape Arkham.
- Canon Immigrant: Created for the game, the titular Sin Tzu appeared in the comics in DC Rebirth in Suicide Squad Most Wanted: El Diablo and Killer Croc #3
- Continuity Nod: The four villains from Batman: Vengeance (Joker, Harley, Ivy and Freeze) are seen in the same cells at Arkham that they were placed in at the end of that game. The novel explains they've been turned into living trophies by Sin Tzu.
- Darker and Edgier: The novel is way darker than the game itself.
- Emotion Bomb: Scarecrow uses these, releasing a Fog of Doom. You then wander around punching it trying to find him.
- Exploding Barrels: For some reason absolutely every location has barrels of explosives, including Crime Alley. Partially justified in the case of Gotham Chemical
- Eviler than Thou: The novel has The Joker amongst the villains turned into living trophies by Sin Tzu.
- Expy: Sin Tzu is effectively this for the comic-canon version of Bane (ironic since Bane is present in the game, but as a clear Dumb Muscle), he...
- Doesn't go up against Batman at first, rather relying on other enemies to combat him first
- Releases inmates from Arkham and prison, forcing Batman to face people he already had taken care of
- Is designed to combat him both mentally and physically
- Seeks to fight Batman, without care for Gotham or any other factors
- Is a capable fighter normally, but enhances his powers through special Phlebotinum
- Orphaned at a young age
- Rose to power by linking together assorted individuals with great loyalty to him
- Gameplay and Story Segregation: Regardless of which character you play as, the cutscenes will always be of Batman and no one else.
- "Instant Death" Radius: When fighting Clayface if you haven't already stunned him, getting too close has him Shield Bash you with a wall he makes.
- Interface Screw: Appears twice
- Scarecrow's fear toxin slows you down, and turns the entire screen into a wavy mess.
- Sin Tzu's Meta-Sua energy inverts your controls.
- Mook Maker: Globs of clay in Gotham Chemical produce Clayface's mooks- separate clay selves.
- Also Clayface himself is this, they are all clay of his clay.
- Non Fatal Explosion: The only reliable way to take down a mook using explosives is to hit him with explosives straight on. Splash Damage won't do enough damage and if you're facing a mini-boss it might take down half their health bar. Maybe.
- Offscreen Villainy: Sin Tzu, beyond his Myopic Conqueror tendencies, has apparently sent an entire city population to re-education camps and forced thousands into slavery. The novel greatly expands on this.
- Outside-Context Problem: Sin Tzu is this, being a foreign criminal warlord captured by American Special Ops and brought to Arkham Asylum for study before breaking out to cause trouble.
- Pre Asskicking Oneliner:
- Before the the battle with Scarecrow:
Scarecrow: Batman! A bit late, aren't you? Commissioner Gordon is scared out of his mind I'm afraid.
Batman: Afraid? No. You're not afraid. But I'll teach you what fear is.
- Rescue Romance: Civilians will try this on Nightwing and Batgirl, though not every time. There is no response on their part.
- Secondary Adaptation: A 2003 video game based on The New Batman Adventures, which itself is based on the DC Comics character, Batman.
- Shapeshifter Weapon: Clayface really doesn't use his skills well. He turns his hands into hammers you can easily dodge, blades you can easily dodge, and his stomach into a wall that knocks you away from him.
- Static Stun Gun: You beat Clayface by stunning him with the two generators. Partially justified in that with a non-human system lightning's effects could be anything.
- Taunt Button/ Practical Taunt: You can taunt mooks and mini-bosses, giving you a 'Taunt Bonus' while attacking. However the mini-bosses can also taunt the mooks, making them faster and stronger.
- One must wonder why civilians are in Crime Alley.
- Then Let Me Be Evil: Clayface gives this reason for working with Sin Tzu to destroy Gotham, by turning other citizens into clay monsters like him.Clayface: They promised that the best scientific minds in the world would fix my condition. It never happened. I tried to rejoin society. But it rejected me. I tried to beat society. But they parked me in Arkham Asylum. So now I have a new plan. If I can't beat 'em , I'll have them join me!!
- Took a Level in Dumbass: Meta-Sua energy can only effect the weak willed. When did Bane become weak willed?
