I’ve been putting some decent hours in on this game now, not through attrition and feeling that I have to get it done, but through sheer want and need to see how it progresses.
Honestly, after being burned out on Arkham games for a couple of years, I wasn’t massively enthused to get into this, and my expectations weren’t too high, but this game, man, this game!
Story
The game and series has existed long enough for me to warrant spoiling plotlines, but I’ll do my best to skirt around things.
This is a dark game, simple as that. I can’t recall being as affected emotionally by a game’s story, in a while. Maybe not since The Witcher 3?
Actual death of people, some brutal cutscenes of past allies being tortured then killed. Being made to realise that all of this is Batman’s fault, by simply being associated with Batman, so many people have been impacted, tortured, captured, killed…….
It’s a really brutal view on the impact Batman has on the world around him, pushing all of these super villains to want revenge, and seeing that they’ll go as far as is required to get the job done.
Seeing this, and then being Batman and coming to terms with it from his perspective, dealing with it, how does he break the news of a death to another ally? What’s the impact? Is it better left unsaid until this is all over?
All the while, Batman is infected with Joker’s blood from Arkham City, and he’s slowly losing himself, and being impacted mentally by the Joker. His dead arch-nemesis that just won’t leave him be.
Slipping into madness is handled really well, with memories popping up when you turn around, the Joker being there to pass comment on your latest actions, even though he’s not really there…..it’s impressive and really adds to the weight of the story.
I’m engaged. I want to know who the Arkham Knight is, I want to stop all the other super villains from seeing their tasks through, and I want to see the light of day again. This seems like a night that might never end, though. Or it there may be an end, that won’t neccessarily be seen by Batman.
Honestly, I can’t wait to dive back in and chip away and the plethora of content available, and work out who it is that knows me so well.
It’s dark, it’s brutal, it’s a stunning end to a stunning series.
Photo mode
I stumbled upon photo mode last night, which is a perfect addition to this dark and brooding, but lively game. You can pause the action at any point and find your angle, focus, depth of field etc and get a snap of what’s going on. It’s effortless and it’s a really nice touch.
I had a quick play with it and here are some of the results.
Thoughts
Frankly, this game has not only been a massive surprise to me, but a revelation. So much to do without feeling overwhelmed, a great variety of way to tackle thugs, new gadgets etc.
A stark, bold story with cutscenes and voice acting that carry it above some of the other more recent games I’ve played.
I’m thoroughly enjoying this. One more Riddler mission, one more Penguin mission, a couple of Two-Face missions, one final man-bat encounter to go, but first, I need to sort Scarecrow and the damned Arkham Knight out!
Oooh…..dual takedowns with Robin, Catwoman and Nightwing, and stalking prey with Robin! Total highlights. What a game, so many experiences and joys!