Batman Arkham Knight - Review

The 3rd installment to Rocksteady's Arkham trilogy has finally been released a few weeks ago, and man has it gotten positive reviews so far. Could it be due to the let down of the previous Arkham Origins game that brought player's expectations down? Fortunately for Arkham Knight, it's not the case. Rocksteady has definitely proved themselves to be an innovative creative firm when it comes to game play and storytelling.

Arkham Knight takes place after the events of Arkham Asylum and Arkham City...but mostly focusing on post-death of the Joker. If you haven't played Rocksteady's previous Arkham games, it's probably a good idea to ensure you do. That being said, the story is linear enough that any player could quite easily pick up the last of the trilogy and work out what has happened so far, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. From the get go, you are thrown into the deep end where you're having to battle thugs on the street etc...therefore, it's starting the game with a big bang.

Regarding the story line, the identity of the mysterious "Arkham Knight" isn't revealed until towards the end of the story mode, however, if you're somewhat familiar with the Batman mythos, it's quite easy to guess who it is. The story drops hints throughout the game until it's final reveal, which can been seen as a bit of a let down, but didn't not destroy the over arching story line, and deter away from the main antagonist, Scarecrow.

Without spoiling the game too much for players that are yet to start the game, Scarecrow has engaged an attack on Gotham City, in which he has united with fellow Bat-villains to finally destroy Batman Just to name a few, The Penguin, Two-face, The Riddler are only a handful boss battles you'll have to go through to complete the game.There are shock factors that occur towards the end of the story, but that's something you'll have to find out by completing the game.

Arkham Knight hasn't vastly improved it's gameplay or controls, not because they didn't want to, but more so because they didn't need to. For the most part, controlling Batman in fight scenes always gives you an epic and satisfying feeling. With all the additions in gadgets, Arkham Knight has definitely hit the nail on the head when it comes to its game play. However, the notable addition would be the ability to control the Bat-Mobile! Driving the Bat-Mobile though the city is an absolute pleasure, especially being able to utilize it's 'tank' mode. There are a few moments where having to complete certain levels in the Bat-mobile gets a little pointless, however, is always fun to do.

And lastly, it wouldn't be a Batman: Arkham game if it wasn't for the Riddler's trophies and puzzles (Riddles) you have to solve! The task of going through the city to complete Riddles might seem tedious to some players as there are over 200 Riddles to complete before you're able to tick off the Riddler boss battle. Nonetheless, at least it lets you glide through the city, or drive the Bat-mobile while speaking in your Christian Bale Batman voice.

The Arkham series has only improved with it's visuals, graphics and presentation. Rocksteady has really created an environment where Gotham seems real from it's derelict areas to the prestigious Wayne Tower. Details of the scenery and characters have been taken care of, to the point where gliding through the city as Batman, you start questioning if the leather cape and rain are filmed, or CG.

To Summarize, Rocksteady Studios have definitely upped the game in their Arkham series. As much as there are moments in the game where tasks do feel tedious, it's still somewhat satisfying when you complete them. Additionally, the story is somewhat predictable to a Bat-fan, however, we can't entirely fault the game on that.

Arkham Knight is definitely worth purchasing, in which we're sure all players will want to complete the main campaign as well as all side missions. The only question now is...what next? With Rocksteady Studios completing their Arkham series...we're hoping they move onto another super-hero game.

The Score

9.0

Review code provided by WB Games

The Pros

+Rocksteady's greatest entry in the series

+You are, in every sense, Batman

The Cons

-The final villain reveal is fairly easy to guess, even if you are not a DC fan

-Riddler trophies are irksome