Batman: Arkham Knight

Editor's Notes

Digital Xbox One version reviewed. The review is light on spoilers.

Introduction

'Batman: Arkham Knight' is the final title in Rocksteady’s critically acclaimed Batman trilogy ('Origins' was developed by Warner Brothers Montreal). It has been in development since at least 2012, and is available only for eighth-generation consoles and PC.

The Game Itself: Our Reviewer's Take

'Arkham Knight' takes place some time after 'Arkham City'. Crime in Gotham has subsided to a dull roar after the Joker’s demise, as the big crime lords like Two-Face and the Penguin seemed to have faded away. This was all a ruse of course, and as the game begins, a chemical terror attack instigated by Scarecrow drives most people out of Gotham, leaving only criminals and Batman behind to fight for the city’s future. Batman soon learns that Scarecrow is working with other supervillains, including a mysterious figure called the Arkham Knight who is very angry with him.

At first blush, the game feels much like any 'Arkham'. Batman uses his signature utility belt and collection of gadgets to fight henchmen, solve crimes, and traverse the open world of Gotham. I quickly discovered that Batman and all of his abilities have been given a shot of steroids. Combat, stealth, and movement are much more powerful. Batman has always been rather violent, what with all of his bone-snapping and face-smashing, but now he’s downright mean.

He can use melee weapons, either by picking them up off the ground or stealing them from enemies. He can make use of the environment to incapacitate foes a la 'Sleeping Dogs', slamming their heads into fuse boxes or dropping light fixtures onto them. Sidekicks from the Bat family, like Robin, Nightwing, and even Catwoman show up in combat to assist him. When in the game’s stealthy Predator mode, the Bat can dispatch enemies in rapid succession via slow-mo "fear takedowns". These new moves are empowering and delightful but do make the game easier - playing on Hard is recommended for any kind of challenge.

And then of course there is the Batmobile. I tried to keep my preconceived notions in check, hoping that Rocksteady’s firm insistence on the iconic tank/car would pay off and result in either a great addition to the gameplay or an optional gimmick that could be safely ignored. What we get is not much of either, but not all hope is lost. The car is featured in many, many of the game’s story segments, where it is used for movement, combat, and even puzzles. Controlling it at first is awkward, with an orthodox drive mode and then a strafing, scorpion-like combat mode with guns and missiles and other decidedly un-Batmanlike things. As I played around with it more, it began to grow on me. Not all of the races are good, not all of the wall-crawling platforming is good, but there is fun to be had with the Batmobile. The lamer moments, like sliding around while blowing up unmanned tank drones, are offset by genuinely cool ones, like when I absentmindedly pressed A + X during a fistfight and the nearby Batmobile blasted a thug with its neutralizer cannon.

Even without as much influence from the Joker, the game’s storyline is darker and more graphic than previous entries. It reminded me of Frank Miller’s take on the comic series with his 'Dark Knight' run, which also influenced the recent films. Batman himself is monolithic. His emotionless facade cracks very rarely, such as when visiting Talia’s section in the GCPD evidence room, or when Robin calls up to offer his assistance in Gotham, which is very risky for the young crime fighter. The matchup of Scarecrow and the Arkham Knight is questionable, but Scarecrow himself gives a sinister performance, much deeper than the boilerplate appearance he had in 'Arkham Asylum'. Other parts of the plot are surprising and delicious - I will keep them a secret, but suffice to say that things are not looking good for our hero. While the overall narrative is good, the script has some issues. There are hammy, melodramatic bits that squander the excellent voice acting. I don’t include the Riddler, who is supposed to be hammy.