‘Batman: Arkham Knight’ Dev Talks Scarecrow, Master of Terror, M-Rating Details Revealed

As Warner Bros. ramps up the marketing machine for its upcoming open-world action game “Batman: Arkham Knight,” gamers are beginning to get a clearer picture of what’s in store. The past few weeks have focused squarely on the game’s villains, with particular attention given to its terrifying rendition of the Scarecrow. New information explains why the team chose Professor Jonathan Crane as the game’s primary antagonist and sheds light on why the ESRB slapped the game with an “M for Mature” rating.

Speaking with GamingBolt, Social Marketing Manager at Rocksteady Studios, Gaz Deaves explained that in some ways the Scarecrow acts as a mirror for the Caped Crusader. He stated that while Batman wields the concept of fear as a weapon, the Scarecrow is a true master of terror.

“The Scarecrow understands the value of being a symbol just as much as Batman, and uses that to create uncertainty and fear in his enemies.In terms of both gameplay and narrative, that makes him very interesting, because as a player you never know what to expect from him,” he said.

As previously reported, “Batman: Arkham Knight” was rated “M for Mature” by the ESRB, a first for the series. Game Director Sefton Hill has stated that the game’s rating is simply a consequence of the darker tale being told by the development team and that they did not go out of their way to court controversy. The ESRB website has finally put up a detailed rating summary which highlights some of the more violent and explicit elements of “Batman: Arkham Knight,” minor spoilers follow.

Eurogamer highlights a section in the ratings summary which states players can shoot unarmed characters and a hostage, unusual because Batman never uses guns or lethal force. The summary goes on to mention that a vehicle’s wheels are used to torture a captive, a character gets tortured on a bloody operating table and that Gotham features a red-light district with raunchy and explicit signage.

Developer Rocksteady Games has been open about its plans to show the evolution of the game’s villains across the Arkham games. Their appearance and character designs in “Batman: Arkham Knight” provide context for the journey taken by characters like the Riddler, Harley Quinn and the Scarecrow. “Batman: Arkham Knight” is scheduled to launch on June 2nd on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC.