Batman: Arkham Asylum, Arkham City, and Arkham Knight are three of the greatest video games based on comic book characters. Though most games of their kind are awful, Rocksteady, the company that made these games, got it right. Arkham Asylum set itself apart with basic stealth mechanics, fluent combat, and good storytelling. Then, the other games built off of it with new abilities, better graphics and more. However, Arkham Knight has lost some qualities from the first and second games.
For one, the extensive amount of technology in Arkham Knight has made it almost science fictional. Do not misunderstand, the new Batmobile and Batsuit are awesome additions; however, it almost gives the impression that this game is set in the far future. Batman has always used technology to give himself the edge over criminals, but never to this extent. The Batmobile in particular makes batman more capable of dealing with an entire army, yet makes it impossible for him to have dealt with the Arkham Knight without it. The new voice synthesizer and other gadgets are not too advanced, but the massive amount of drones and some of the weaponry on them seem a bit much. Rocksteady definitely set out to make Arkham Knight this way, but all of this technology seems excessive. As one of the militia said in the game, “More money has been spent on this op than some countries spend in a year.”
The way that Rocksteady involved the Batmobile is fun and makes the player feel powerful driving into almost everything on the road without taking any damage and blowing up drones. Though, operating a tank seems like one of the last things Batman would do. Not to mention that he actually uses a 60mm cannon while in it. Batman uses a gun, which goes against one of his biggest rules. He has not used a gun in any of the other games, nor has he ever used it so often in any movie or comic book. Rocksteady including this new form of combat feels fresh and fun to Arkham players. The game is more fun because of it, but Batman is not a soldier.
The story of Arkham Knight is no doubt a good one that portrays Batman and his enemies well. Kevin Conroy (Batman), Mark Hamill (the Joker), and the other voice actors do a great job representing these DC characters; however, there is less emphasis on the story and more emphasis on gameplay and graphics. Rocksteady has created a superb story for the conclusion of its trilogy, but some aspects of it could have been better. Take for example the fact that the Red Hood, or Jason Todd, freed Batman at the end of the story, then just left. Not only is this a wasted opportunity for Batman and him to make amends, but it leaves out the ending for the Arkham Knight. The game was named after him, and he should have gotten a better ending. One of the greatest aspects of this story is that the Joker is in Batman’s head for most of the game. It is both interesting and ironic to hear his input on the things happening in the game. However, I expected a few more laughs out of him than I got while playing the game. At the beginning of Arkham Asylum, Joker says, “That reminds me, I really need to get me some new shoes.” Saying this after Killer Croc threatened to eat Batman made this a hilarious joke that made the Joker a more likable character. He is still somewhat goofy in Arkham Knight, but hardly ever makes the player laugh out loud. The story is as good as the other games in its own way, but could have risen above them with a few added details.
Rocksteady has changed their main priorities with this last installment. The game feels fresh and epic with many things that carried on from the previous games. Some things, however, would have made it even better.
Want another article about Batman: Arkham Knight? Click here to read IGN's review.
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