Batman: Arkham Knight isn't quite a perfect finale, thanks to what might be the most-divisive feature in any 2015 release, but the game turned out far better than we expected. Perfect or not, Batman: Arkham Knight is easily one of the best new games to emerge in 2015. And it feels like the best possible way to retire the Dark Knight's hood and cowl for the next few years.
Batman: Arkham Knight picks up shortly after the events of Arkham City, though the game never offers an exact time frame for its campaign. This time around, Batman must defend Gotham from Scarecrow, and the iconic villain is joined by a new foe known only as the Arkham Knight. In the beginning, Batman knows next to nothing about his newest enemy, other than that he leads the mercenary force occupying Gotham. But the process of uncovering the Arkham Knight's identity, and prying Gotham free of his grip, proves every bit as engaging as Batman's efforts to stop Dr. Crane.
Of course, those won't be the only familiar faces standing between Batman and peace in Gotham. More than a dozen of Batman's most iconic enemies make appearances in Arkham Knight, including several we've seen in previous Arkham games. And longtime comic fans will undoubtedly appreciate the many, many iconic events referenced throughout the Batman: Arkham Knight campaign.
My biggest complaint about Batman: Arkham Knight is a general dissatisfaction with Rocksteady Studio's implementation of the Batmobile. That's not to say the rest of Arkham Knight is flawless, or couldn't be improved in some semi-obvious ways. But including a bit of the usual filler content we tend to see in open-world games bothered me far less than Rocksteady forcing tank combat into a Batman game and then not giving players a choice about whether or not to engage with it.
From a narrative standpoint, Batman: Arkham Knight might be the best of the four Arkham titles already published by WB Interactive. From the first button prompt, Batman: Arkham Knight offers a gripping story that kept me awake hours after I'd usually be asleep, dedicated to eradicating crime from the streets of Gotham. Even if it would only be for one night.
Of course, eliminating crime in a world this size is no small task. While Batman: Arkham Knight's map may not compare to some AAA releases, like Dragon Age: Inquisition or The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, the Gotham City is five times larger than the mapped portions of Arkham City. While Rocksteady obviously intended for players to navigate the expanded world with Batman's rolling crime lab, new upgrades for the Dark Knight's grappling hook make gliding a viable (and far superior) alternative.
Many of Batman's gadgets are noticeably improved in Batman: Arkham Knight. Some have even been incorporated into the game's Free Flow combat system in ways that offer a surprising amount of balance for some of the more-frustrating aspects of the Arkham series' combat encounter. For the most part, players now have multiple ways to deal with any basic enemy type from the Arkham Knight campaign, many of which rely on the gadgets that have always been key to Batman's success.
It's also important to remember Arkham Knight takes place shortly after the events of Arkham City, and (for the most part) Batman's arsenal of gadgets reflects that fact from the get-go. There are still a few moments when outside parties, meaning Alfred or Lucius Fox, must provide Batman with the upgrade(s) he needs to keep making progress. Interestingly, Arkham Knight players are given a bit of control over how they'll improve their arsenal, but most of the extra tech is designed specifically for the Batmobile.
An influx of gadgets aren't the only noticeable change to the Arkham series' oft-imitated combat system. Every major wrinkle we've ever seen in the Free Flow system, from repetitive attack moves to a lack of mob aggression from enemies, has been ironed out in Batman: Arkham Knight. And many of the Dark Knight's existing techniques have been improved, particularly the takedowns used in stealth situations.
Batman: Arkham Knight isn't just mechanically gratifying, either. As I mentioned before, the final entry in Rocksteady's Arkham series features one of the most engaging stories of the last few years. And the game's condensed city makes it easy to bounce from one objective to the next until you've lost all track of time. But that wouldn't be possible if the game's admittedly great story wasn't bolstered by a stellar lineup of side quests featuring villains from throughout the Batman timeline.
Batman's many costumed enemies have set up shop throughout the city of Gotham and each of Arkham Knight's Most Wanted quests provides an entertaining distraction from the primary story. Characters who've appeared in previous Arkham games tend to reference those adventures, giving some tasks a bit of extra nostalgia, and all of the sub-plots tie into the main story surprisingly well. Truth be told, there was only character that I wasn't particularly thrilled to see. Unfortunately, it's the one character who never seems to go away for very long in Batman: Arkham Knight.
Minor spoilers, for those who've yet to see the first hour or so of Batman: Arkham Knight, but it seems even death couldn't guarantee us a Joker-free Arkham game. For reasons I'll let the story explain, Mr. J returns yet again in Arkham Knight and I don't think I'm alone when I say it might be the most irritating incarnation of the character I've ever seen. He's not quite ever-present but Joker shows his face often enough for the gimmick to feel more than a little forced.
There are moments where all you'll want is for Joker to shut the hell up, at least long enough for you to process a thought, but the newest voice in Batman's head at least gives Rocksteady an opportunity to do something not typically seen in new games. As more studios move away from narrated gaming experiences, in favor of player-led adventures and sandbox games, gamers frequently lose sight of the internal battles playing out in the mind of a character.
But that's certainly not the case with a Joker-infected Bruce Wayne. Batman's new maniac-in-residence lets us follow Batman's thought processes, albeit in a rather twisted fashion, as he pieces together the mystery of the Arkham Knight's identity. And the near-constant chatter from Batman's crazed nemesis gives us one side of the internal debate many of us participate in before making life decisions. It's one thing for Batman to mutter an explanation for an action but hearing Joker push back against implied arguments from his new host offer an insight we haven't seen in previous Arkham titles.
Arkham Knight would probably be my first "perfect" game of 2015 were it not for the studio's disastrous inclusion of the Batmobile. How anyone has found a way to enjoy their time with Batman's transforming vehicle is beyond me -- though some folks do apparently like it -- and I would have happily traded a few more stealth segments for all of the Batmobile content in Arkham Knight.
I can't even be reasonable about it. The best thing I can say about the Batmobile portions of Arkham Knight is that they aren't the worst things I've experienced in 20-plus years of gaming. But it's pretty damn close. As if offensively bad driving mechanics weren't enough, Rocksteady rinses and repeats the same boring tank battles more than a dozen times across the Arkham Knight campaign.
Battle Mode is a terrible idea. One that goes against everything Batman stood for up to this point. And don't even get me started on the idiocy behind the idea of non-lethal 60mm tank rounds. By the time I reached a boss, that must be fought from the driver's seat, I was ready to write a review that would make Angry Joe look like the world's calmest gamer. You literally cannot see the game's ending unless you're willing to engage with what should have been the first feature cut from Arkham Knight. I'm not sure who thought that was a great idea. But they were mistaken.
That bit aside, Batman: Arkham Knight has easily been one of the year's best gaming experiences, from the first moments of the game's story to the optional ending waiting for those who finish all of the content Batman: Arkham Knight has to offer. Hell, it was good enough for me to ignore my seething hatred of the game's Batmobile content -- no small task for someone with bipolar disorder -- and plow through quests almost entirely devoted to Battle Mode in exchange for more of the game's story.
At times, it feels like Batman: Arkham Knight could've used a bit more content curation; especially when it comes to the 243 Riddler trophies you'll need to collect this time around. I have few complaints about the game's narrative moments but there are times when it begins to feel like no one told Rocksteady you don't actually have to include everything you make for a game.
While almost certainly not the last time we'll see the Dark Knight on consoles, Batman: Arkham Knight is a better ending for the Arkham series than I ever expected. Casual fans will appreciate the unambiguous ending provided to those who simply finish the campaign and those who've read Batman comics for the last few years/decades can enjoy all of the cameos and references packed into Arkham Knight.
Batman: Arkham Knight has its flaws, particularly on PC, but its problems aren't nearly bad enough to derail one of the year's best games. In fact, some of the things I hate most about the game will go on to be highlights for other consumers. But, regardless of your taste, Batman: Arkham Knight has reset the bar of expectations for any/all future adventure games starring the Caped Crusader. The game may not be perfect but something tells us it's going to be a while before anybody tops the Arkham Knight.
Score - 4/5
Note: While we're confident the PC version will eventually be every bit as entertaining as the PS4 and Xbox One versions of Batman: Arkham Knight, it's worth pointing out that the current PC build is a steaming pile of crap. So, if that's the version you're interested in, we'd suggest waiting until Rocksteady finishes the game.
Be sure to check back with iDigitalTimes.com and follow Scott on Twitter for additional Batman: Arkham Knight coverage throughout the rest of 2015 and for however long Rocksteady continues to support Batman: Arkham Knight in the months ahead.
What did you think of Batman: Arkham Knight? Disagree with our stance on the Batmobile? Want to vent your own frustrations with the least-enjoyable mechanic featured in Batman: Arkham Knight?
Let us know in the comments section!
