This review contains spoilers
Released at the midpoint of the tens, Arkham Knight encompasses the best and worst AAA gaming had to offer in that specific period: Jaw-dropping graphics, perfect voice acting courtesy of Hamill and Conroy, and an awful, choppy launch. The deflating reveal of the Arkham Knight's identity didn't help matters either. But is that all the game is, a disaster and nothing more?
No, not really - it's just mediocre. Scarecrow takes the spot of "Overanalyzing asshole that shouts from the PA system" from Hugo Strange this time around, and all of his dialogue is repetitive. The militia side missions feel like Ubisoft-tier padding with no meaningful variance outside of enemy placement, and apparently the Riddler became a Top Gear nut in between games 'cause his whole personality is silly car challenges. Most of the villain quests are one-note in design, but I quite liked Two-Face's missions. They're simple, encourage speed, and push the player to use tools to maximize damage in a short window of time. This leads right into the combat, which I feel excels when the goal is to eliminate targets as fast as possible - the abundance of techniques ensures it never gets stale. My opinion on freeflow combat over the years has fluctuated from 'genius' to 'braindead' to today, where the most passion I can muster for it is a half-hearted 'okay'. At its best, it's a game of rhythm, but most of the time you're dazzling a big guy with your cape and mashing buttons. The predator sections are fun, no real complaints there. I used to be a bit hard on it for being detective mode-heavy, but considering how Batman's whole schtick is preparedness and knowing everything before acting, it's a necessary evil.
My feelings on the story go back and forth, mostly because of Mark Hamill's performance. It's absolute peak, and makes everything bearable when he's on screen. I initially thought seeing Joker prance around in Batman's mind would be incredibly annoying, especially after his permanent end in City. I thought wrong, as he's definitely the best part of the plot. Most of the other elements I'm not too fond of, the Arkham Knight especially. Using Jason Todd is predictable but not a terrible choice, it's just that he's got nothing good in terms of gameplay or plot. There's what, a couple of tank sections and a prolonged predator section? It feels like a real dud.
I don't like that the elements in this game make me flip-flop from liking it to not. There are too many weak parts for me to really enjoy it, but the amount of good content is undeniable. Also I didn't really finish it because the game told me that I needed to capture the Riddler if I wanted to see the ending.
The Riddler sucks, man.
No, not really - it's just mediocre. Scarecrow takes the spot of "Overanalyzing asshole that shouts from the PA system" from Hugo Strange this time around, and all of his dialogue is repetitive. The militia side missions feel like Ubisoft-tier padding with no meaningful variance outside of enemy placement, and apparently the Riddler became a Top Gear nut in between games 'cause his whole personality is silly car challenges. Most of the villain quests are one-note in design, but I quite liked Two-Face's missions. They're simple, encourage speed, and push the player to use tools to maximize damage in a short window of time. This leads right into the combat, which I feel excels when the goal is to eliminate targets as fast as possible - the abundance of techniques ensures it never gets stale. My opinion on freeflow combat over the years has fluctuated from 'genius' to 'braindead' to today, where the most passion I can muster for it is a half-hearted 'okay'. At its best, it's a game of rhythm, but most of the time you're dazzling a big guy with your cape and mashing buttons. The predator sections are fun, no real complaints there. I used to be a bit hard on it for being detective mode-heavy, but considering how Batman's whole schtick is preparedness and knowing everything before acting, it's a necessary evil.
My feelings on the story go back and forth, mostly because of Mark Hamill's performance. It's absolute peak, and makes everything bearable when he's on screen. I initially thought seeing Joker prance around in Batman's mind would be incredibly annoying, especially after his permanent end in City. I thought wrong, as he's definitely the best part of the plot. Most of the other elements I'm not too fond of, the Arkham Knight especially. Using Jason Todd is predictable but not a terrible choice, it's just that he's got nothing good in terms of gameplay or plot. There's what, a couple of tank sections and a prolonged predator section? It feels like a real dud.
I don't like that the elements in this game make me flip-flop from liking it to not. There are too many weak parts for me to really enjoy it, but the amount of good content is undeniable. Also I didn't really finish it because the game told me that I needed to capture the Riddler if I wanted to see the ending.
The Riddler sucks, man.