Batman: Arkham. Photo / Supplied
This is where Batman meets his match. Scarecrow tips the dominoes over with his chemical attack on the good people of post-Joker Gotham City, but it's the titular anti-Batman who brings the intrigue in this thrilling climax to Rocksteady's Arkham series.
If the original, Arkham Asylum, was as tight as
a new pair of Chucks, then this final dance in the pale moonlight is as loose as a pair of old jandals. Batman's city is spread wide open for Arkham Knight but as beautiful as it is, it doesn't feel like an Arkham game for at least an hour or two. Once the familiar combat situations and detective work come into play, the "oh" gets replaced with "whoa" real quick - then it's on you to stay on the job. It's too easy to be distracted.
There's a cute but revealing point early on when Robin calls Batman to complain that their partnership doesn't feel much like a partnership at all. Sorry fella, but Bats is way more interested in his car. The Batmobile is practically a second character in this adventure, and it has little of its owner's easy grace. Just as Batman can run, jump, and grapple-hook his way across rooftops, expect to do the same in his car -- but with a far greater degree of difficulty and awkwardness. Also, the Batmobile is a tank when it wants to be. It makes sense, sort of, as a faster and stronger version of Bruce Wayne in an upscaled environment, but frankly it's more fun being Batman.
Arkham Knight is not this series' peak effort at all, but it still stands tall and proud, and you'll put down the controller feeling like a badass. That's what a Batman game is meant to do.
