Batman Arkham Knight
For: PS4/XBO/PC
From: Rocksteady
Four and a half stars (out of five)
OK, here is the premise: Gotham sits quietly after the conclusion of the previous game, with the expected gang war not forthcoming.
Usually I am against games creating their own characters; they just never seem to match up to the established ones from the comics.
Arkham Knight, however, is an exception. He feels as if he belongs and is a worthy addition.
I will not go too much more into the story; that is for you to play and enjoy. Just trust that Rocksteady is still absolutely at the top of its game.
Let's move on to how the game looks.
In a word, phenomenal.
It is the little things that really make it.
The seemingly constant drizzle.
The way light reflects off surfaces.
The truly spectacular ocean effects.
It is the little things that make or break a game, and this game pours so much into them.
Now, gameplay.
If you have played the previous two (and Arkham Origins from WB Montreal), you will know what you are in for here.
Flowing combat that rewards patient and calculating players rather than button mashing, against a wide variety of foes.
Admittedly in Arkham Knight the difficulty is stepped up with the inclusion of charging enemies, ninja enemy types who are particularly slippery, and many others.
It really forces you to think and have constant awareness of your surroundings and what each enemy is up to, which is both good and bad.
For experienced gamers, this adds a new level of depth and challenge to the game.
For newbies or casual players, this makes it extremely difficult.
Further complicating the experience is the vast array of gadgets and controls to remember.
Sure, you can get through most fights just punching and countering, but it feels as if you are missing out on the true experience.
That true experience includes you throwing batarangs at foes, grabbing them with a grappling hook, which can be rather difficult to remember let alone complete in the heat of battle.
Now, the most divisive part of Batman Arkham Knight: the inclusion of the batmobile.
Generally, the reception to it has been positive.
The batmobile (and to a lesser extent the batwing) play a pretty significant role in the movies, especially the latest Christopher Nolan films.
However, I do not think people expected it would play such a significant role in this game.
You had best get used to driving it and shooting unmanned tanks from it, because you are going to be doing that a lot.
I can't help but feel it begins to wear out its welcome as the game goes on.
The handling put me off, as it feels very floaty and wobbly on the road.
It does not feel as if it has the weight to it that you would think it would.
I suppose that is just something you get used to.
All in all, Batman Arkham Knight ticks all the boxes.
It is not a perfect experience but it is pretty close.
This is probably the best game that has been released on this console generation thus far.
If this is a sign of things to come, bring it on.
