Review: Batman Arkham Knight

Chris Barnes Chris Barnes
Contributor
September 15th, 2015

I'm a 35 year old Canadian living in Ontario. I read comics, I love to draw and I collect comic art. I also teach karate, play hockey, and am a dad to 3 girls! My comic book passion lies with Batman and his pals with Nightwing taking a very close #2 favourite position. I began collecting comic art in 2013 and I have several commissions done by Ken Lashley and an amazing Francis Manapul Batman. As well I have sold a few of my own creations!

Price:
Excellent

Reviewed by:
Rating:
5
On September 15, 2015
Last modified:September 19, 2016

Summary:

There is so much that's new and exciting about this game it's impossible to not love it!

Price:
Excellent

Reviewed by:
Rating:

5
On September 15, 2015
Last modified:September 19, 2016

Summary:

There is so much that's new and exciting about this game it's impossible to not love it!

Arkham Knight has arrived and we have a comprehensive review for you here on ComiConverse.

Review: Batman Arkham Knight

Arkham Knight is the third installment of Rocksteady's Batman franchise (Arkham Origins was done by a different studio) and in so many ways it's bigger and deeper than any of the other Batman games so far. The developers have taken a lot of what we all loved about the previous games and turned it up to 11. They also took a few other things and swept them right out of the game unfortunately.  This review is based on the PS4 version of the game.

Batman Arkham Knight

Credit: Batman Arkham Knight

Same Bat Time - Same Bat Gameplay:

The basic Batman-based gameplay is the same. You can traverse around Gotham with ease either on foot or using your grapple gun and booster, you can beat the living daylights out of groups of criminals and you can become a stealthy shadowy figure taking out armed thugs without anyone even noticing.

There is a fairly lengthy main story and plenty of side missions featuring big name Batman villains and The Riddler is back to planted trophies. Breakable objects and clues everywhere throughout the city.

Those are fairly broad strokes about what's the same within the game, but let's face it if the game was completely the same we wouldn't shell out nearly $80 for the main product.

Building On Perfection:

Batman Arkham Knight

Credit: Arkham Knight

Clearly, the story is all new.  The main villain is Scarecrow and he's got a plan to destroy Gotham and take down the Batman all with the help of his new right hand man, the Arkham Knight.  The Arkham Knight is an all new character created by Rocksteady just for the game.  The main story takes many twists and turns and honestly had my jaw dropping a few times while I played through it.

The city itself is massive!

In Arkham Knight the Gotham you explore is spread across three islands and is significantly larger than the area in Arkham City, not only by area covered but in height.  It seems like this vertical aspect of Gotham really stretches into the sky.

One of my favourite things about this iteration of Gotham is that some of the interiors are built right into the outside map. For instance, on one side-mission you are rescuing a person being held in a small building with a skylight, duct work and windows. Where in previous versions of the Arkham games you'd find a way in and then the game would load and then you'd go save the guy.  In this game I was gliding over the city, noticed what was going on and smashed through the skylight!

Epic Batman type stuff!

The Combat

The fighting controls in Arkham Knight are very similar to all it's predecessors with a few extra moves and a few things taken away. Added in are more powerful gadget moves used by holding down buttons, a few more multi-move combos, like my personal favourite the grapple, cape stun, side kick.

Gone is the bat-swarm maneuver and in its place is either a weapon pick up (that's right now you can pick up that baseball bat and use it) or an environmental takedown indicated by a thug and a set piece being highlighted blue. You can also use a Batmobile takedown if you're wheels are nearby.

Batman Arkham Knight

Credit: Batman Arkham Knight

The Car:

Did I mention the Batmobile?

It's an all new and huge part of the game.  First off, it's fun to drive (even if you like to cause more property damage than the villains do, like me! )

It looks badass!

Sort of a cross between the Batman Begins vehicle and a more traditional sporty Batmobile. There are many missions and segments in the game where driving skills becomes a must, but don't worry there are plenty of places to practice.

The Batmobile also switches to become a tank!

Don't worry, all the bullets and shells you fire are launched at robots, There is a distinctly different gun sound if you shoot toward people (Batman does not kill after all).

The tank combat sections are interesting. Not as fun as fighting hand to hand in my opinion, but still challenging; especially if you are trying to get high scores.

Stealth Mode:

Of course, sneaking around and silently taking down the bad guys is still present, and you have many of the usual options available to you; hanging down from the rafters, popping up from the floor grates.  However, now you have a few more gadgets and one very cool addition in particular comes into play: fear takedowns.

Batman Arkham Knight

Credit: Batman Arkham Knight

The fear takedowns are initiated much like the silent ones, anytime you truly get the drop on a thug you can start a fear takedown chain. Once you start time slows down, you pick your next target and press the button again. They are spectacular and oh so satisfying to pull off.

Want to clear a room fast?

Learn to utilise this skill!

However once it's done (you begin with the ability to takedown three dudes) you'll have to find a silent takedown before you can use the fear takedown again.

Duel Play:

Possibly my favourite parts of the game come when Robin (and other characters during side missions) become part of the story and playable alongside Batman. This occurs in both fighting and stealth aspects and it's so much fun!

There are duel takedowns in each instance and the characterizations of your favourite Batman partners are perfect.

What Got Left Out:

Left out, or more accurately, changed so much that the creators fooled the internet into thinking it's gone

All over the internet is the statement that the challenge maps are gone, what's really true however is that they have been changed beyond recognition.

There is still a section from the main menu to access AR Challenges. These challenges cover all aspects of the game: fighting, stealth, driving, tank combat and even mixtures of these elements. So technically the challenge maps do still exist.

What is gone (at the moment at least) is the ability to use every character for the fighting and stealth challenges. Also, at the moment, the number of fighting and stealth challenges is severely limited.

Hopefully within the promised six months of new content, this omission is rectified.

To Summarize:

There is so much that's new and exciting about this game it's impossible to not love it!

The Batmobile, duel play fighting, fear takedowns, a vast city, so many side missions and a compelling main story. Sure the number of AR Challenges is a bit lacking and I sorely miss being able to play them as whoever I want, but the amazing outweighs the bad. Also I didn't even review the free downloads like Harley's little romp through the Bludhaven PD, the Red Hood story if you preordered from EB games (or gamestop), or the New 52 and other alternate costumes (which you can use during the main game right from the outset this time).

Batman Arkham Knight

Credit: Batman Arkham Knight

Batman: Arkham Knight is a stellar game and well worth your time and money, especially with new content for months to come.

 

Have you played Batman: Arkham Knight?

What do you think of our review?

Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.

 

Chris Barnes is a Contributor to ComiConverse. Follow him on Twitter: @Chrispy47

Batman: Arkham Knight

  • 5

Excellent

There is so much that's new and exciting about this game it's impossible to not love it!

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