Batman Arkham Knight – Gameguide
Batman Arkham Knight opens in a curious fashion, with the dead body of the Joker being placed in a crematorium. You sit with controller in had watching his lifeless face, waiting for the flames to devour him. But nothing happens. You’re not sure what to do. Your thumb twitches and a flame shoots out briefly. Aha. The thumbsticks are waiting for you to burn the Joker.
So burn him you do.
Them, instead of taking the form of the Dark Knight, you are a policeman, getting a bite to eat in a diner, when the waitress comes up to you to ask for help with a man in the corner booth refusing to put his cigarette out. Again you are presented with a situation that doesn’t tell you exactly what to do.
And that is one of the big things with Arkham Knight, you’re pretty much left to figure things out yourself. Sure, there are hints and clues, but very little is handed to you on a plate. Which occasionally can be frustrating, but on the whole makes you feel like you are in control of what is happening.
Arkham Knight is the final game in a trilogy that has become the benchmark for how good superhero games can be. RockSteady have created two awesome games, setting themselves a lofty goal with the final game.
Gotham City has all but been evacuated after the Scarecrow threatened to release a toxin over the city, so Batman has to try and stop him (obviously). But Scarecrow is not alone, and has help in the form of the Penguin, Two Face and Firefly, all of who seem intent on causing chaos in the streets as a distraction for Batman. And then there is the mysterious figure, the Arkham Knight whose only goal seems to be the death of Batman.
So what is new in Arkham Night? The most obvious is the inclusion of the Batmobile, which when I first heard about it, was thinking it was just going to be a lame way to get around the city. I mean who wants to drive when you can glide around the city? But no, the Batmobile is also used in combat, as there are now tanks being deployed round the city that you have to destroy, along with other dangers. But it’s more than just combat as the Batmobile’s power winch comes in handy to get to places and do things that Batman just can’t do on his own.
The combat seems more fluid and has more options, but is just as easy to control as in the last game.
The visuals and character animations are of course stunning, as you would expect, though Gotham City looks a lot brighter with neon lights and such than the more darker monotones of the previous game.
But the real strength of Arkham Knight comes from the fact that I’m not a Batman fan, or superheros in general. Arkham Knight however manages to draw me in, keeps me entertained, keeps me wanting to go back for more, even when I’m hopelessly lost and have no idea what I’m doing. It’s an addictive adventure that ticks all the right boxes.
Reviewed on: XBox One
Rating: M Mature Audience. Contains violence
Reviewed by: Jonathan
GAMEGUIDE rating:
