I feel like I’ve typed this sentence innumerable times now in the course of writing various articles on this site, but I’ll say it again: Batman: Arkham Asylum and Arkham City are two of the best superhero video games ever made. They are hands-down the best Batman video games ever made. They wake up the part of us, deep down, that as little kids made us crave to be just like Batman. It’s this weird kind of fantasy fulfillment triggered by the gritty visuals, incredible voice acting, stealth and detective segments, and a combat system that makes you feel like a total badass with minimal effort.
Since Return to Arkham is on indefinite delay, the only Batman game we’ve had to look forward to this summer is Batman: The Telltale Series. To be honest, I’m not sure what I think about Telltale making a Batman game. We can always count on Telltale to, well, tell a good tale, but can we count on it to make a narrative adventure game worthy of the Arkham legacy? Those games are so hands-on; so action-packed; so gratifying because they give us complete and lucid control of one of our favorite heroes. A Telltale game is typically a much more passive affair.
The first episode, Realm of Shadows , has gone live at last. There are some serious technical issues with the game at the moment, which is unfortunately to be expected from a Telltale game at launch – they’re a little like Bethesda in that way. The PC version has been unplayable opening day due to a bug that causes the game to default to a user’s on-board, integrated graphics. Frustrated players were reporting stuttering, unplayable messes and demanding refunds. The PS4 and Xbox One versions are thankfully playable, but suffer from frequent framerate dips. I’m sure all of those issues will be ironed out eventually, but they’re worth mentioning because Telltale needs to be held accountable.
For the sake of this article, technical issues aside, I’m more interested in content and gameplay. Based on critic and user reviews, it’s safe to say that this is a Telltale game through and through. If you’ve played any of their past narratives, you know exactly what to expect. For anyone new to the developer, you should know that what you’re in for is a more on-rails type of experience. Gameplay primarily consists of split-second decisions, branching down one conversation tree after another, and quick time events. This isn’t the kind of open-world action / adventure game you’re used to from the Arkham games.
That’s not necessarily a bad thing, mind you. After all, that same part of us that deep down still wants to be Batman was most likely molded by passive narratives; old Batman movies and The Animated Series . If Telltale can do what it does best and tell a gripping story, then this could be the beginning of something great. The jury still seems to be out in that regard. Review scores have been very safe sevens almost across the board, and the general sentiment seems to be more, “I’ll see where this is going,” and less, “I’m hooked.” For those on the fence, I did hear that the voice acting is quite strong, and that the series stars a younger, more emotionally volatile Bruce Wayne. Sometimes Batman can be a little too stoic for showbiz, so I’m glad to hear that Telltale’s Dark Knight has a bit of spunk.
Let’s be cautiously optimistic, shall we? If we go into Telltale’s Batman expecting a spiritual successor to the Arkham games, we will most certainly come away disappointed. I’ll personally be waiting until the third episode to decide whether or not to jump in, but so far it seems likely that I will. I’m a sucker for Telltale’s style, even if their engine is… well, the engine needs work. But the series has promise. It’s dark, it’s violent, and it’s Telltale’s most broadly-appealing work due to its iconic protagonist.
What do you guys think? Is Batman the right fit for Telltale’s formula, or should he stick to action games (as if he has a choice)? Are any of you on the fence about this one? What’s holding you back from buying the season pass, and what would convince you to jump in? Have any of you played through the first episode? If so, let us know your thoughts.