Batman: Arkham Knight Review
Batman: Arkham Knight, the long-awaited conclusion of Rocksteady Studios‘ Batman: Arkham game trilogy, has finally arrived. When Batman: Arkham Asylum first arrived on the scene in 2009, the experience was a revelation for both video gamers and comic book enthusiasts. Although there were some good video games based on the DC Comics hero in the past, Batman’s history was marred by some awful games. Batman: Arkham Asylum was the first really modern or 3D video game that truly captured the feeling of becoming Batman. With amazing controls, combat and stealth gameplay, Rocksteady literally empowered players to encompass aspects of Batman that had never been realized before in electronic entertainment.
Batman: Arkham Asylum contained amazing features too numerous to mention, but the two major key ones were the freeflow combat system and the Predator gameplay. The freeflow combat system was quite brilliant and intuitive. It allowed players to build fun, seamless combos and attacks. The freeflow combat was a tremendous video game adaptation and show how Batman could take on a whole room of thugs and criminal scum. The Predator rooms focused on stealth and let players feel like the Dark Knight. Players had to use strategy and think of the best ways to stalk and take down criminal prey. However, the Predator gameplay gave players a strong sense of empowerment. Players could perch on a gargoyle and then promptly hang a criminal thug by a rope. Batman could sneak up on thugs and smash through walls to defeat them, or take cover in vents or underground grates. Plus, with all the various gadgets at their disposal, players could come up with numerous ways to complete Predator challenges.
Batman: Arkham City was a tremendous evolution and continuation of Asylum. It set players in an enclosed section of Gotham City that was transformed into a prison for the worst and most dangerous criminals on the planet. Like the first game, Arkham City had a deep and layered narrative involving the relationship of Batman and his arch enemy, The Joker. The story was not without its flaws, but it ended on a very interesting note, leaving players excited for what would come next. After years of waiting, Rocksteady finally revealed what would be the developer’s final foray into the Batman franchise with Batman: Arkham Knight. With the addition of a highly requested fan feature in the Batmobile, does the game meet the high standards of the previous franchise installments and manage to become Rocksteady’s magnum opus in the franchise? Unfortunately, it does not. In Arkham Knight, Batman is faced with one of his most formidable challenges ever. Despite the death of The Joker, The Scarecrow has returned and allied with Batman’s most dangerous enemies. Together, they seek to kill Batman for good and take complete control of Gotham City. Scarecrow is about to set off a chemical weapon that will engulf Gotham City and potentially the entire East Coast in his fear toxin. In addition, Scarecrow has an entire militia at his disposal, led by the enigmatic armored warrior called the Arkham Knight, who has made it his sole goal to personally end the Dark Knight forever.
To be perfectly clear, Batman: Arkham Knight is still a very good game. At times, it is even a great one. The developers at Rocksteady certainly did some impressive, new things in the overall look of the Arkham world. Visually, the game looks fantastic. Rocksteady has given players a whole new playground to explore with a large section of Gotham City to play around in, completely built from the ground up and even larger than what was available in Arkham City. As Batman, you can finally visit Wayne Tower and Oracle’s Clock Tower base of operations. Not to mention, the open-world sandbox is teeming with Easter eggs from all parts of DC comic book lore and mythology. Throughout all of Gotham, you can discover references to other heroes such as Green Arrow, The Flash, Superman and even Booster Gold. There are more obscure references to characters such as Zatanna. There is even a totally awesome audio cameo from the villainous Lex Luthor. Visually, the game looks amazing. The Rocksteady team improved the overall graphics, special effects and look of the Arkham world. The textures of buildings, surfaces and even concrete are packed with detail. Even the weather effects look insanely realistic. The character models look better and amped up. At times, the visuals are almost a little over-powering when you get to the brighter, glitzier parts of Gotham. However, even that area is interesting because it appears that the city of Gotham is changing, pulling itself out of the muck and into the future. The level design has more vertical height than any of the previous games in the franchise.
Rocksteady has maintained the same strong control and overall gameplay that helped make this franchise so adored in the first place. There are some tweaks and changes, but nothing that reinvents the wheel. I enjoyed some of the new combat attacks, and the ability to use gadget attacks on enemies while Batman is gliding down on his prey from the sky. Unfortunately, some of my favorite and preferred Predator takedowns from Arkham City have been removed from the game, like the ledge takedowns, but that is not a huge loss.
My favorite new feature is probably the Dual Play mechanic. I was quite concerned how effectively this would work, but I can safely say it comes off quite flawlessly. Dual Play allows Batman to play with another vigilante hero partner in a combat room. After Batman builds up his combo score high enough, he and his partner can pull off a double-team takedown move. In addition, players can seamlessly switch between heroes in the fight without having to break the combo. I was worried this feature might have issues or bugs, but Rocksteady pulled it off very well. It allows players the time to get the experience playing as other characters such as Nightwing, Robin and Catwoman. Basically, Rocksteady created a form of co-op gameplay for only one player in a single-player campaign. There is even a sequence where the player actually gets to use Batman and Robin in a Dual Play Predator room. I wish that the Dual Play feature in the game could beutilized more.
My other favorite addition is in the Predator gameplay with the Fear Multi-Takedown. After Batman builds up a Fear meter for specific Predator or combat encounters, specific criminals will be targeted, and Batman can pull off a chain of knockout takedowns on multiple enemies. This feature controls really well. Once you can chain five Fear Multi-Takedowns together, it truly adds to the visceral fear of the game series of “being the Batman.”
Next is to address the elephant in the room–the Batmobile. One could argue that fans are partly to blame for the Batmobile issue. In many ways, Rocksteady was simply answering fan demand and desire by incorporating the Batmobile in the game. For years, fans have wanted the chance to see the developers at Rocksteady have their hand at Batman’s ride. Surely, they would execute the Batmobile better than anyone else has ever done before. In a franchise where the catchphrase is “Be the Batman,” what better way to adapt the Batman experience than to give players the ability to drive the Batmobile? It probably started since Batman: Arkham Asylum, when the Batmobile played a role, but fans could not actually drive it. So Rocksteady finally answers the fan demand for the Batmobile with Arkham Knight. Unfortunately, the final product turned out to be a rather rotten carrot. When you first get the Batmobile, it is pretty exciting. The Batmobile has two modes: Battle Mode and Pursuit Mode. In Battle Mode, the Batmobile transformers into a type of artillery tank. In pursuit mode, it is fast and has to sideswipe enemy vehicles or get through The Riddler’s insane race courses. As the game progresses, the game forces constant Batmobile encounter after Batmobile encounter. Essentially, the Batmobile essentially wears out its welcome. In fact, all the major boss encounters basically utilize the Batmobile. In other words, the game has no meaningful boss fights or encounters that do not really involve the Batmobile.
The boss fight issue is a major disappointment. I liked the previous boss fights of the Arkham games, especially Arkham City and Batman: Arkham Origins. Rocksteady may not have worked on Arkham Origins, and the game had its flaws, but it executed the boss fights very well. The major fights with the Batmobile in the game are increasingly tedious and disappointing. The problem is that in Pursuit Mode, the Batmobile steers and controls terribly. This makes getting through various Riddler changes insanely difficult. Later on, players are forced to endure a stealth battle with tanks(!) using the Batmobile. These moments made me want to throw my controller and smash it into the wall. It was here, I wish there were some testers or voices of reason to maybe speak to the level designers and say, “Hey guys, don’t you think you are using a bit too much Batmobile in the game?” The first warning sign was probably all the numerous Rocksteady videos or developer chats in which they would not be quiet about the Batmobile. Basically, Arkham Knight spams players with the Batmobile, and it is the newest feature in the game I enjoyed the least. The other problem is that as the Batmobile combat battles become progressively harder, you are essentially forced to spend upgrade points on new Batmobile tech and upgrades instead of using those points on other new gadget techniques and abilities. More than anything, it is disappointing that the Batmobile fights replace any really exciting or meaningful boss encounters. Some of the Batmobile encounters, like the race tracks, were way too hard, especially on the Normal difficulty level. I would have liked to have seen the Batmobile encounters placed in a more balanced fashion and not so overly prevalent. I would have also liked to see some creative boss encounters, similar to those in Arkham Origins.
In terms of story, the game is a bit of a mixed bag. Sadly, renowned comic book and Batman: The Animated Series writer and producer Paul Dini did not return to compose the story for Arkham Knight. The writers and scenario designers definitely do a good job of capturing the spirit and lore of the Batman comics; but quite a few story decisions are rather questionable and a letdown. My gut feeling on Arkham Knight turned out to be 100 percent correct. All the secrecy over the character’s identity was both foolish and pointless. Had Rocksteady and Warner Bros. Interactive been upfront from the beginning, it would not have been a big deal; nor would that have taken away from the gameplay or narrative experience. However, the staff claimed that Arkham Knight was a completely original character. The game also makes a weird decision to romantically pair together two characters that is a significant departure from the comics. I almost get the sense that the writers got mixed up in some identities regarding romances in DC Comics history. If it was intentional, I would be curious to know why the change was made. In other ways, I really enjoy the way the story brings the Batman mythos to life in a playable video game. My favorite side quest mission involved the tracking down and pursuit of the serial killer, Professor Pyg.
Despite the death of The Joker, he still has a presence in the game. On one hand, I was overjoyed to listen to Mark Hamill’s tremendous voice work as The Joker. No one else quite capture’s The Joker’s menace or zeitgeist quite like Mark Hamill. However, even in death, it seems that more Joker appears than ever before in an Arkham game. Again, I enjoy the places the game goes with The Joker, since they feature some of the creepiest, more disturbing and most unsettling narrative moments in the game. It even adapts and peppers in some famous moments from Batman’s comic history, which I really liked seeing depicted in the game. However, it does come at the cost of not giving attention to other characters in the narrative. In Rocksteady’s favor, one can argue that it is simply trying to follow through with the other games. However, if you believed The Joker was ever taking a backseat to other villains for the Arkham franchise, you were wrong.
Another subtraction to the core game is the loss of the Challenge Maps. The Challenge Maps were an additional source of replay value for the game, and allowed players to compete against each other online by getting the highest score possible. The game does replace some of its Challenge Maps with the Augmented Reality (AR) Challenges, but they are not as copious or varied as the Challenge Maps. It appears Rocksteady will be adding more Challenge Maps, but only through DLC and the Season Pass. That is a bit of a disappointment.
In terms of the soundtrack and voice work, the game is still totally top notch. The music totally fits the franchise, and the leads nail their characters very well. Of course, Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill stand out the most in their respective roles of Batman and The Joker, characters they have played since the debut of Batman: The Animated Series in 1992. For many fans, these performers are the definitive versions of the characters, and the game makes it plain to see why. Despite his constant portrayal as a gruff and frightening beast, Conroy manages to take Batman to those deep, contemplative and emotional places you would not always expect from Batman. Despite claims of retiring in the role, Hamill as The Joker, was thoroughly enjoyable to watch. The staff clearly had fun coming up with more comically twisted lines for this character. Would I have liked to see these ideas trimmed down and incorporated a bit? Yes. But I still found things to enjoy about them. In addition, Jonathan Banks did a very good job as the new Commissioner Jim Gordon. Tara Strong complely nails Harley Quinn. I always enjoy Nolan North as The Penguin, and Wally Wingert as The Riddler. Overall, everyone plays, and generally encompasses, such iconic characters very well.
For replay value, the game does fairly well. To the credit of Rocksteady, the single-player campaign is quite hefty. There are many corners of Gotham City to explore and much reference material to uncover. If Batman routinely visits the GCPD building, players will be rewarded with some fun, evolving subplots. One subplot involves the fate of the police officer from the game’s prologue. Another subplot instance allows players to follow a whole misguided whirlwind, and unrequited, romance between a police officer and Poison Ivy. These moments are enjoyable because the Rocksteady staff peppered in additional story and dialogue options where none were needed. However, if fans want to take their time and immerse themselves into the game, it will reward them with things like some of the deeply hidden secrets, which go back to Arkham Asylum. New Game+ even throws in some surprising changes and alternate cutscenes that make the experience worth a look. The Red Hood and Harley Quinn Story packs as DLC pre-order bonuses, which are nice. They are basically like strung together Challenge Maps with a bit of an overlying narrative.
Of course, there are a number of unlockable alternate player skins for Batman and the other playable characters. I was a bit disappointed the skin changes for the Batmobile were only in color. Now, there will be classic renditions of the Batmobile that will be incorporated in the game later on via DLC; but it seems they will only be available for alternate race tracks and not in the game’s free mode play. The game has additional story content available as DLC, but the Season Pass is quite expensive at $39.99. Ultimately, the DLC price and value is up to the player, but it seems quite a bit considering the core game loses the Challenge Maps. The best option would probably be to wait for a Collector’s Edition or Game of the Year Edition that will likely be released later. If you do no mind waiting, that way players will have a cheaper alternative to buy the game and get all the content for a smaller price. Paying for a $39.99 Season Pass on top of $60-65 for a new game is quite excessive.
In conclusion, Batman: Arkham Knight, despite its ambitions, does not quite surpass the heights Rocksteady Studios previously released with the franchise. There are some fun and impressive new features, but the overall experience does not surpass Batman: Arkham City. I enjoyed the game a lot, but by the time I completed the main campaign I was almost dying for a lot less Batmobile. Still, overall, I am satisfied with the results that Rocksteady brought to the Batman franchise, combining a heavy, dark and gritty comic book-inspired narrative with tremendous combat and stealth gameplay. It will be interesting to see where the Arkham franchise goes from here, and if it will continue in the hands of another developer. Personally, I would not mind seeing what Monolith Productions could do with a Batman game after Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor. Hopefully, a Batman Beyond video game in the style of the Arkham franchise could still be a possibility some day.
Author’s Note: This review is based on a review code for the PlayStation 4 digital download version of the game provided by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment.