Batman: The Enemy Within's Second Episode Keeps The Suspense High

Batman: The Enemy Within is a must-play, and the second episode of the second season is only solidifying that fact. The Pact not only continues the surprising twists and turns of the second season of Telltale’s take on The Dark Knight, it surpasses it to the point where I’m left shouting at my computer screen for more.

The last we saw the Caped Crusader, he was just hit with a shocking blow from Amanda Waller immediately following the death of The Riddler. With the information Waller has, Batman/Bruce Wayne must walk a thin line between helping Gordon and the rest of the Gotham Police while staying in the good graces of Waller and the Agency. Of course, that’s not the only thin line players are forced to navigate.

New in Episode Two is Dr. Harleen Quinzel, better known as Harley Quinn. And Mr. Freeze. And Bane. Now that The Riddler is out of the picture, his “co-workers” are taking center stage to resume operations to… I’m not sure, actually. Probably destroy Gotham for some reason or another. The only one who has clear motives is Mr. Freeze, looking to save his frozen wife from a life stuck in an ice cube.

The reinterpretation of each character is fascinating to see. The most drastic is Harley Quinn, who before this game has been mostly played the sidekick role to Joker. In Telltale’s universe, Quinn is the established villain, with proto-Joker John Doe acting as a loyal puppy, trying to win his way into Quinn’s heart. This take on Quinn also seems even more psychotic than previous versions, with Quinn opting to use a sledgehammer instead of a comically sized mallet or baseball bat. Each time she was onscreen, I was afraid for what carnage might happen next.

Bane and Mr. Freeze are a bit more like the characters we’ve seen in other versions of Batman. This version of Bane seems to take more influence from Batman and Robin over The Dark Knight Rises, but does so in a way that doesn’t reduce the character to a campy meathead. Telltale turns Bane into a Lucha Libre fan, addicted to machismo and proving his strength against others.

Mr. Freeze is pretty similar to previous incarnations, but does spare his audience the pain of his ice-based puns. Like before, this Mr. Freeze just wants to save his wife, even if it means committing acts of crime.

As mentioned in the previous episode’s review, The Enemy Within changes up the Telltale formula slightly, making choices more complex than choosing A or B. Instead, episodes end by telling you how other characters feel based on your decisions. This makes decisionmaking harder and more meaningful, as you know your choices aren’t going to have such obvious results. Instead, the culmination of your decisions will matter more than any one choice. This new feature adds to the feeling that you are truly crafting your own story, and makes you wonder what the reactions would be for any choices you didn’t make.

Batman’s greatest strength so far in the second season is making every moment count. Both the first episode and The Pact end on massive cliffhangers, with the latter even tying in events from the first season, so decisions made many episodes ago look like they will start having some major impacts soon.

The only major concern I have for The Enemy Within is the size of the cast. While there are still a vast number of major Batman baddies we haven’t encountered yet, The Pact has barreled ahead by introducing three new villains. I hope each character gets a satisfying moment to shine and a solid conclusion, instead of falling to the wayside.

Telltale’s Batman is a must-play for any Batman fan, and should be on the radar of anyone else looking for an excellent story. Seriously, get a group of friends together and start up Batman with Crowd Play turned on. You’ll definitely have a great time.

So what do you think? Are you excited for what’s next in Telltale’s take on Batman? Do you think there are too many characters getting jammed into the story? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.