The first three episodes in the Arkham Episodes DLC content for Batman: Arkham Knight have been released. Starring Harley Quinn, Red Hood, and Batgirl, respectively in said order, the  story driven content gives players a break from playing as The Dark Knight, giving them three different stories; the break out of Poison Ivy (Harley Quinn), the revival of Jason Todd (Red Hood), and the beginning of Barbara Gordon’s transformation into Oracle (Batgirl). Perhaps the most important element in each piece of the DLC is the fact that each character actually felt like they played differently from one another, including a comparison of Batman being added into the mix.

Arkham Episodes is an 2015 series of downloadable story-driven content for Batman: Arkham Knight. It is developed by Rocksteady, and published by Warner Bros. Interactive, and is available on PC, Playstation 4, and Xbox One.

Batgirl getting ready to kick Joker thug ass.

The story driven DLC content has been one of the staples of the Batman: Arkham franchise since its introduction in Batman: Arkham City. Giving players the option to tackle thugs as someone other than Batman, the Arkham Episodes felt like legitimate downloadable content that truly expands the game, albeit for an unfortunate two hours a piece at most, which leaves you begging for more.

Red Hood killing a Black Mask thug.

THE GOOD: The main selling point of Arkham Episodes is the fact that not only do you get to play as different characters in the first three episodes, but each character truly feels different. From Red Hood’s use of live ammunition, to Harley Quinn’s insanity and split personality, to Batgirl’s unique hacking skills, none of these characters felt the same throughout each play through. While Harley Quinn & Red Hood’s level of exploration was rather limited, Batgirl was given an open area relatively close in size to Arkham Asylum.  And I’ve already mentioned this once in my original Arkham Knight review, but playing as Harley Quinn, thus far is my most favorite video game experience of 2015, it was an awesome ride.

Good times with Harley Quinn.

THE BAD: The only issue I have with Arkham Episodes is the fact that each episode is incredibly short, only being about two or so hours in length, with no real replay value, except for A Matter of Family.

Batgirl steals the show.

OVERALL THOUGHTS: Arkham Episodes brings quality with its story driven content, though limited in playtime. Each character never felt like a carbon copy of Batman, and they had their own unique abilities and fighting styles. As mentioned the only downer is the playtime, and lack of exploration barring A Matter of Family, but the end result of Arkham Knight’s opening story driven DLC is an successful one.