Batman: Arkham Knight

photo fair use by kotaku.com

The Knight is darkest just before the dawn

by Matthew Cooper

Prior to 2009’s Batman: Arkham Asylum, Batman video games had not had the best track record. Upon release, developer Rocksteady Studios took the industry by storm with a game that perfectly captured the caped crusader and his expansive rogues gallery, as well as introducing a terrific new combat system and enjoyable stealth elements. The sequel, Batman: Arkham City took everything to a whole new level by bringing in an open world and improving on every aspect of the first game. Arkham City was not only a fantastic sequel but also one of the best video games ever made.

Four years later, Batman: Arkham Knight releases on new-gen consoles and PC only. With it, Rocksteady and publisher Warner Brothers Interactive Entertainment improve on their formula once again and craft a near perfect conclusion to their Arkham trilogy (Arkham Origins is out, and that’s probably for the best).

Arkham Knight picks up shortly after City, with Gotham still recovering from the events that occurred in the end of that game. On Halloween, Scarecrow threatens to unleash his fear toxin across the city, leading to a city-wide evacuation. Taking advantage of the opportunity, criminals flock to the streets as Gotham turns into a war zone. Enter, The Batman.

Asylum and City were two of the best Batman stories ever told and Arkham Knight is no different. Rocksteady proves that they completely understand the character. Every detail, every facet of his being is tuned to perfection. Arkham Knight uses The Scarecrow to delve into the dark side of Batman’s personality, exploring the demons that have been haunted him throughout his life. It’s an incredibly grim game and Rocksteady takes full advantage of the new M rating. Arkham Knight features Batman at his darkest hour and over the course of the approximately 15 hour campaign (depending on how many side missions you choose to do along the way), he makes some questionable decisions that blur the line between right and wrong. The story is gripping and psychological and full of memorable moments and surprises that I won’t dare spoil here.
Rocksteady also created an original character for their final game, the titular Arkham Knight. The Knight serves as the military commander to Scarecrow’s operations, claiming to know almost everything about Batman, and brings with him and army of militia soldiers and unmanned tanks. This leads to the biggest new addition to the series, the Batmobile.

photo fair use by gamespot.com

The Batmobile is weaved into the heart of Arkham Knight and, for the most part, it’s a joy to use. Driving the classic vehicle is empowering. Chasing through the streets of Gotham is frantic fun while tank battles (using very deadly looking non-lethal rounds, but hey, Batman doesn’t kill) are good, but not quite up to par with the other combat systems and show up just a bit too often. There are also some awesome puzzle sections that use a combination of the Batmobile and Batman’s gadgets.
While using the Batmobile as a mode of transportation is good fun, it can’t top gliding through the air, a system that Rocksteady has perfected in Arkham Knight. Upgrades to the grapnel boost from City and the Batmobile’s ejector seat launch Batman great distances into the sky and it’s just a blast to control. It’s definitely the most fun I’ve ever had traversing a stunning open world environment.
And make no mistake, Arkham Knight’s version of Gotham City is absolutely stunning. Every building has been carefully designed and placed. Brightly illuminated billboards and neon signs light up the city it a fantastic display of colors. Character models look great and animations are lifelike. Simply put, Arkham Knight is one of the best looking games ever crafted.

Arkham Knight also sees the return of the previous game’s phenomenal melee combat. The system that other games have been trying to copy without success has never been better. Batman’s hits land harder than ever before and the dual takedowns employed when fighting alongside an ally are expertly choreographed. New gadget takedowns and a handful of new enemy types also help make things fresh without altering the system that is quite possibly the best combat in any video game.

There’s a lot of content and a lot of surprises in Batman: Arkham Knight that will keep players busy for a considerable amount of time. During my playthrough on PS4, I encountered one very minor frame rate drop and a single instance of bad lip syncing, both of which occurred before I installed the day-one patch. It’s a nearly technically flawless game (unless you want to play the game on PC at the moment) and one of best experiences I’ve had with an action game. Whether or not this is the best game in the Arkham trilogy is subjective, but Arkham Knight is a terrific game and a very strong contender for game of the year.

The Verdict:

Batman: Arkham Knight is a fantastic conclusion to the trilogy and nearly perfects all the things people loved about the previous games.

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