Batman is dead. Well, not really, but that’s the terrifying rumor floating through the snowy, blood-stained streets of the Industrial District at the start of the DLC. Honestly, if you played the main campaign of Arkham City, you know the Dark Knight wasn't exactly in a "celebratory" mood after carrying the Joker's body out of the Monarch Theatre. He was broken. Batman: Arkham City Harley Quinn’s Revenge picks up those shattered pieces and tries to turn them into a final showdown, and it’s a lot weirder and darker than most people remember.
Released back in May 2012, this expansion served as the definitive epilogue to Rocksteady’s masterpiece. It wasn't just a handful of challenge maps; it was a narrative bridge. You aren't just playing as the Bat this time. You’re splitting your time between a grieving, arguably unhinged Bruce Wayne and a much more agile Tim Drake. Yeah, Robin is finally out of the challenge rooms and in the actual story. It’s a bit of a shock at first.
What Actually Happens in Harley Quinn’s Revenge?
The timeline is a bit jumpy. Basically, the story kicks off two weeks after the main game ends. Harley Quinn has gone full "mourning widow," but with more guns and a lot of black-and-red spray paint. She’s taken over the Sionis Steel Mill, kidnapped several GCPD officers, and somehow managed to make Batman vanish.
You start as Robin. Oracle is in your ear, sounding genuinely panicked because Bruce hasn't been answering his comms. It turns out Batman went in to save the cops, got blindsided, and has been missing for two days. When Robin finds Batman's utility belt just lying on the floor, you know things have gone south.
The game then flashes back to show Batman’s perspective. You see a man who is clearly not okay. He’s silent, brutal, and ignoring Commissioner Gordon’s warnings. He’s walking right into a trap because, frankly, he probably feels like he deserves it.
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Playing as the Boy Wonder
Robin feels different. He’s faster. His movements have this youthful energy that Batman lacks. While Batman is a tank, Robin is a gymnast with a very heavy stick.
- The Bo Staff: It’s his primary tool. It’s great for crowd control, and he has this cool Bullet Shield upgrade that lets him charge at thugs holding firearms.
- Snap Flash: This is a sticky bomb you can plant on a goon’s back during a fight. You wait for the right moment, trigger it, and boom—instant stun for everyone nearby.
- Zip-Kick: Instead of just pulling himself to a ledge, Robin can use his grapple to launch himself feet-first into a criminal's chest. It’s satisfying every single time.
The Dark Details You Might Have Missed
If you’re rushing through the two-hour runtime, you’ll miss the environmental storytelling that Rocksteady is famous for. The Steel Mill has been redesigned. It’s no longer the Joker’s funhouse; it’s a shrine to a dead man. There’s a massive "memorial" statue of the Joker made of scrap metal. It’s grotesque.
But the real kicker—the thing fans still debate—is the "baby" situation. In the main game, you could find a positive pregnancy test in the manager’s office. In Batman: Arkham City Harley Quinn’s Revenge, you find the follow-up. Next to a crib containing a Joker-painted Scarface puppet, there are dozens of negative tests and a box for a pregnancy test that notes a "false positive" is possible. It’s a heavy, depressing detail that explains why Harley is so much more volatile here than she ever was before. She didn't just lose her "Puddin"; she lost the future she thought she was having.
Is the DLC Actually Good?
People have opinions. Some love it because it provides closure. Others feel it's too short. It’ll take you maybe 90 minutes to two hours to wrap up the story. If you’re a completionist, you’ll spend another hour hunting down the 30 Harley Balloons scattered around the shipyard. There are no Riddler trophies here. No side quests. It’s a straight shot to the finish line.
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The final boss fight? It's... okay. It’s basically a massive brawl against waves of thugs and some "Wonder City" robots that Harley has repainted. It’s not as complex as the Mr. Freeze fight from the main game, but it serves its purpose. The real tension comes from the ticking clock. Harley rigs the place to blow, and you’ve got to defuse bombs while Batman is literally trapped in a giant glass ball.
Why It Still Matters Today
In 2026, looking back at the "Arkhamverse," this DLC feels like the first time the series truly dealt with the psychological fallout of being Batman. It set the stage for Arkham Knight. It showed us a Bruce Wayne who was losing his grip.
It also proved that Robin could carry a game. Before this, Tim Drake was mostly a footnote in the games. Seeing him save Batman’s life—and he totally does, Batman would be toast without him—changed the dynamic of the "Bat-Family" in the eyes of players.
Actionable Steps for Your Next Playthrough
If you’re going back to play this on the Return to Arkham collection or PC, here’s how to get the most out of it:
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- Look for the Crib: Seriously, go into the side room in the Steel Mill as Batman during the flashback. The details there change the entire context of Harley's character.
- Master the Shield: Don't just use Robin's shield to block. Use the "Shield Bash" (usually a combo of your gadget and strike buttons) to knock down shielded enemies or those annoying stun-baton guys.
- Find the Balloons Early: Most are in the Shipyard area. If you wait until the end, the "ticking bomb" section makes it impossible to explore freely.
- Listen to the Thugs: The dialogue between Harley’s henchmen is gold. They’re terrified of her. They talk about how much scarier she is than the Joker because she’s unpredictable in a "sad" way, not just a "crazy" way.
The expansion isn't perfect. It's confined. It's linear. But as a final goodbye to the Arkham City map, it’s essential. It turns a superhero power fantasy into a gothic tragedy about grief and revenge.
You can find the DLC as part of the Batman: Arkham City Game of the Year Edition on Steam, PlayStation, and Xbox stores. It's usually bundled in the Arkham Collection for a few dollars during sales. If you haven't played it since 2012, it’s worth a revisit just to see how much DNA it shared with the later sequels.
Make sure you've finished the main story first, though. The game doesn't even let you start the DLC without a massive spoiler warning, and for good reason. The ending of the main game is the only thing that gives this "revenge" any weight. Once you're done, you'll have a much better understanding of why Batman is so distant at the start of the next chapter in the series.