“A clean shot to the head,” drones the villain known as Arkham Knight. “That’s all it will take.” At every opportunity, the Knight speaks of the horrific deeds he might perform, doing his best to drive fear into Batman’s heart throughout the open-world adventure game that features his name. Scarecrow similarly trades on Batman’s doubts, attempting to convince the troubled hero of his own impotence at every turn. “All eyes, all hopes upon a man who fails his friends,” calls out Scarecrow through Gotham’s public networks, reminding Bruce Wayne that he, too, bears responsibility for the losses his loved ones endure.

Batman is a troubled hero, and past Arkham games haven’t shied away from exploring his dark side. Arkham Knight is no exception: the caped crusader growls his way through one confrontation after another in which he must question his role in Gotham’s current crisis. We’ve seen these themes before, many times over, and Batman: Arkham Knight’s villains repeat t…