Very conflicted feelings on this one. Most all of the gameplay mechanics are solid. Combat, exploration, boss fights and even the Riddler trophies -- excuse me, "Enigma datapacks" -- were all good fun. The vocal performances were also a highlight; as much as I like to drag on Troy Baker, his war of personality with Roger Craig Smith's Dark Knight was fun to witness.
However, there are some glaring mishaps. Once the shock gloves are introduced, the gameplay is kind of broken, even on hard mode. I also played this on the PS3, which was pretty unstable and led to countless crashes and glitches which severely hampered the experience. In a gameplay sense, while the exploration is still fun, everything is so empty! The limitations of the consoles this game was featured on is really felt, as the lack of any vehicles on the road and no citizens breaks from the immersion.
Even as the weakest entry in the mainline Arkham series, it's still damn fun and a game I hope eventually gets the remaster it deserves.
3/5 - Above average
However, there are some glaring mishaps. Once the shock gloves are introduced, the gameplay is kind of broken, even on hard mode. I also played this on the PS3, which was pretty unstable and led to countless crashes and glitches which severely hampered the experience. In a gameplay sense, while the exploration is still fun, everything is so empty! The limitations of the consoles this game was featured on is really felt, as the lack of any vehicles on the road and no citizens breaks from the immersion.
Even as the weakest entry in the mainline Arkham series, it's still damn fun and a game I hope eventually gets the remaster it deserves.
3/5 - Above average