This article incorporates spoilers for the ultimate episode of Telltale’s Batman Season Two.
Before writing began on the ultimate episode of Telltale’s Batman, there was a whiteboard within the writers’ room with notes on it. Well, there was one notice on it. In giant letters, circled in black board marker, sat a single phrase: “Joker”.
Both seasons had been constructing as much as this – the second the place Telltale offers start to its personal model of an iconic villain, the Clown Prince of Crime.
“DC gave us a lot of freedom,” episode 5 lead author Meghan Thornton tells me. “There were definitely lines we couldn’t cross, but they approved everything. We had to make a solid pitch to them and give them our reasons, but they had an open mind.”
Giving Telltale room to breathe allowed the writing workforce to mess with participant expectations whereas staying true to the characters. Sure, we all know Harley Quinn and Joker have a poisonous, off-balance relationship, however what if the scales have been tipped in Harley’s favour?
Messing with the ability dynamics of those acquainted relationships is what makes Telltale’s tackle Batman so refreshing. In John Doe, an Arkham Asylum affected person who doesn’t even know his personal identify, we’re launched to a Joker earlier than he even picks up the lipstick. You are given room to mould him nonetheless you need.
“We still don’t actually know a lot about him,” Thornton explains. “He is a clean slate and Bruce’s influence builds him, which is great for a choice-based game.”
It was a fragile stability, telling the Joker’s origin story – how he truly leans into his persona – with out destroying the character’s mystique, however Telltale managed it. Telltale’s Batman exhibits us a unique aspect to Joker – a Joker who’s quick-tempered, but in some way weak and harmless on the similar time.
Everyone loves Joker the long-lasting villain, however Telltale’s Batman has the ability to make you see him as a good friend. Depending on the alternatives you make, the ultimate episode offers start to one among two Jokers: villain or vigilante.
“I grew up a Batman fan and I love Joker and, of course, I love [Mark] Hamill’s Joker,” Thornton says. “I felt very snug writing the villain Joker, particularly given his ardour for Bruce that was constructed all through the season. It gave it an actual supply. It didn’t really feel like Joker was this chaos monster.
“On the vigilante side, seeing what they did with the season before I came on, with his character, making him so appealing, and in a way really innocent, even though he did terrible things – it was really fun to explore and write a somewhat tragic tale. It was a heartbreaking thing to write and really powerful for me as a writer.”
This is a Joker that appears so near redemption. If he turns into a villain, it’s as a result of he feels betrayed by Bruce. If he grow to be a vigilante, it’s as a result of he’s impressed by Batman. But he’s nonetheless the Joker, and he doesn’t have Bruce Wayne’s steadfast ethical code. He can’t be saved. That didn’t cease individuals from making an attempt, nonetheless.
There are numerous selections all through the season that may break Joker both method. To get him to grow to be vigilante, you need to again him up in a pivotal scene in episode 4 3 times in a row. Three instances! You must belief this man you’ve seen do horrific issues in numerous incarnations three consecutive instances whereas lives cling within the stability. So, how many individuals did this?
As unlikely as it might appear, Telltale’s artistic communications specialist Scott Butterworth says the participant break up was nearly 50/50, favouring Vigilante Joker. “I think people warmed to him and people wanted to see a different story than they’d seen before with Joker,” Thornton muses.
Of course, creating two totally different takes on the villain meant extra work than ever for the narrative recreation studio. If you’ve ever performed a season of any Telltale recreation twice, you’ll know all of them find yourself in the same place regardless of the small adjustments that occur alongside the best way. One character’s dying would possibly imply the introduction of a brand new character who takes their place, as an example. This isn’t the case with Batman.
“From a writing standpoint, it was two completely different stories – we had two different throughlines, his character behaves totally differently,” Thornton explains. “You have a completely different experience if you play through again.”
So the place does this go away the way forward for the collection? Batman ends with one among two fully totally different variations of the Joker, Catwoman may very well be free or underneath the management of a quasi Suicide Squad, the Dark Knight may have a sidekick or not, and Bruce Wayne might have even hung up the cowl. With so many variables, is it even attainable for Telltale to return to the Caped Crusader?
“I think it would be possible creatively to do another season, but I can’t speak for the future of the franchise,” Thornton teases.
The publish How Telltale reinvented The Joker appeared first on VG247.
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