Batman: Arkham Knight

I'll start this review off with a bold statement:

The Arkham games (Asylum, City, and even Origins to a certain degree) form one of the best series in videogame history, easily Top 5 within the last decade. Furthermore, they represent the best superhero games ever made, which somehow is a really hard genre to capture appropriately in a game.

Since its announcement, Arkham Knight has been a Day 1 purchase for me and one of my most anticipated games of the year. Given that Rocksteady was back at the helm, which was missing in Arkham Origins resulting in a slightly lower quality game, fans knew this was going to be something special. On top of that, it was announced that it was an exclusive for next-gen consoles, indicating that it would take advantage of their hardware specifically, giving us one of the most capable and gorgeous Batman games yet. AND THEN, it was revealed that the Arkham Knight was a Rocksteady-original villain, meaning that they were going to continue after the shocking events of City with a wholly original story. To say that I was excited would be a massive understatement.

Not that I was really ever worried, but Rocksteady brought the hammer and delivered their best Batman game yet (assuming you're not playing on PC).

Staggering attention to detail...

Often I have these game reviews planned out in my head seeing as how they have several weeks to gestate, but I honestly don't even know what aspect I want to gloat about first. So while I'll let my writing organize itself, I'll start off with what the game struggles with. You may be wondering, "How's the Batmobile that I've been hearing so much controversy about?". Easy answer: it's not even remotely "bad" and I enjoyed the hell out of having the Batmobile in the game. The only times I ever felt like the Batmobile was a liability was during the Riddler's obstacle courses, mainly the last one which is pretty much impossible unless you switch to first-person driving view. So you won't really find me complaining about the vehicle segments here. In fact, I'll be praising them later. Continuing on, there isn't much that I didn't like about the game past the final Riddler races. I'd argue there are WAY too many Riddler trophies, especially given the reward you receive once you collect all of them. My other issues reside with the story's somewhat lackluster ending and final encounter as well as a disappointing boss fight with a villain introduced late in the game (let's just say that this boss is the only area where Origins is superior to Knight). Other than a few occasions with minor control issues and one instance where I fell through the map, Knight is virtually bug-free and my complaints end there.

One of the first things you'll notice about Arkham Knight as soon as you start playing is the graphical upgrade. It's astounding and the attention to detail around Gotham is striking. Everything from raindrops pelting Batman's cape, intricate Gothic-inspired architecture, detailed character models, and wide range of views indicate that you're playing this game on a next gen console. It's one of the best looking games out for this generation currently and I applaud Rocksteady for making the decision to go "next-gen" exclusive. It's time that we as gamers begin to part ways with the previous generation so that this one may flourish. Batman's character animations are better than ever and the game is gorgeous to watch in action, almost like a beautiful opera of traversal, beatdowns, stalking, and cutscenes. It feels like a movie, but plays like a videogame.

Morgan Freeman!? On my wrist?! Sold!

"I'm very much considering moving to a
smaller city..."

The gameplay itself is largely untouched from previous installments apart from some really smart minor tweaks. Combat has much better timing now and it still provides that intense rush of trying to build your combo all while trying to pick apart the large list of enemy varieties they throw at you. Predator mode is the most "untouched", but it didn't need any sort of facelift anyway. I was disappointed they took away the sonic Batarang to attract enemies, but players will make do. Traversal is also similar, but some upgrades to the grappling hook, among other tools, makes this Dark Knight the fastest, most efficient one yet. Even the much talked about Batmobile is easy to control in both car and tank mode. Car mode is quite arcade-y, but still easy to navigate around the nearly 100% destructible streets of Gotham. The Batmobile's true moment to shine however is its tank mode, which offers some of the game's more difficult and intense moments, but also serves as a complete change of pace. The tank segments get incredibly hectic, but I soon found myself addicted to them and my hands/fingers reacting out of nature rather than effort. *Pro Tip*: immediately change the tank mode control to "Toggle" rather than "Hold". It makes a world of difference, and is the single largest point of contention for most people complaining about the Batmobile sections. Expanding further, one quickly realizes that all of this gameplay is seamlessly intertwined with one another. As you control the Dark Knight you can go from gliding around the city, into a dive bomb that places you directly in the seat of the Batmobile, eject from the Batmobile to land on a perch, silently take down some foes, and beat down the last foe, even going so far as to "combo" with the Batmobile in the middle of a fight for it to shoot the gang member in mid air with a non-lethal round. It's been said with every Arkham game before, but truly, Arkham Knight makes you the Batman, 100% percent.  

Burnout: Gotham Edition

Quick Batman! Someone left the Devil's
dishwasher open again!

Rivaling the gameplay would be the story, which isn't surprising considering what studio was at the helm. Arkham City had one of the best stories of any videogame I've ever played and one of the best Batman stories as well. Knight may not outright surpass its predecessor but I'd argue it gets really close to equaling it. For the entirety of the game there is a sense of finality...somehow we know this will be the end of Batman, one way or another. Scarecrow has taken over the city and continues his trend of being one of this series' best villains. He partners with the Arkham Knight, who's identity is a driving mystery, in order to acquire an army. I was obsessed with finding out who the Arkham Knight was, though I admit the story telegraphs the reveal a few steps too far. By the time you find out, it's less of a surprise and more of a "that was one of my Top 3 guesses" moment. But the path to getting there is riveting and the events that happen afterword are also exciting. The big "climax" is solid and surprising from a story standpoint, but disappointing in the gameplay realm. Minor qualms aside, this is probably the best story in a videogame I've played for quite some time and it is even more impressive that its nearly wholly original but yet it pays fantastic homage to the lore that came before it. That lore is a core aspect of the game series as the world is a fascinating blend of Batman's history, Easter eggs, call backs, and comic lore. Some of it certain fans will appreciate more than others but one can't deny the sheer amount of detail and surprises hidden throughout this gem of a city.

Little known fact: Batman has a choking fetish

As is the case with any videogame that I loved, I could go on and on and on about it. But for the sake of my reader's time (as well as my own), I'll summarize and conclude. Batman Arkham Knight represents a pinnacle of gaming in a staggering number of different regards. It looks stunningly gorgeous, tells a story that rivals and surpasses most films, combines the history and lore of one of the world's most popular characters effectively, has a well implemented upgrade system and open world, and excels at several various types of gameplay. It's a genre-defining game and, in my humble opinion, a series best.

That is, of course, if you can handle the Batmobile.

CONS:

• Far too many Riddler trophies, once again. This time it matters because there is actually a solid reason to collect them all
• The Riddler lap races feel out of place and the final one is nearly impossible unless you change views
• Batmobile default controls are poor
• Gameplay-wise, the ending is a bit anticlimactic
• Plot telegraphs who the Arkham Knight is too much
• A few of the boss battles, one in particular, are disappointing

PROS:

• Graphically, this is one of the most impressive next gen games thus far. Rocksteady made the 100% correct call in making it exclusive to current gen consoles
• The voice work for every character is nearly unrivaled
• The world and map are outstanding, with an immense amount of detail and hidden treasures to find
• Rocksteady shows a deep appreciation for the lore of Batman and their knowledge and care for the material is obvious throughout
• Features a fantastic story that takes a dark look at the pitfalls of being the Batman, all wrapped into a compelling original story
• The mystery of the Arkham Knight was insanely compelling to me. I was dying to know who it was
• The Scarecrow is a intimidating and scary villain as well
• Controls and plays like a dream. And I'm talking ALL aspects. The Batmobile is a winner, especially the tank mode, stealth mode is still fantastic, fighting gets the blood pumping, and traversal is better than ever. Several small tweaks have made this the best Batman game yet
• It's a satisfying conclusion to the Arkham series for Rocksteady and it's both the BEST superhero game and Batman game ever. If you've ever wanted to be the Batman, this is your ticket

Rath's Review Score: 9.5/10