Does Rocksteady’s 3rd entry add to the legacy of the bat or does it fall short of its goals?
With the final installment in the acclaimed Arkham franchise, Rocksteady wanted to pull out all the stops with bringing in almost every villain imaginable and introducing a brand new one in the Arkham Knight, but could they pull it off? As with all great series, you save the best for last and for this game the Batmobile makes its debut and it is a spectacular view to behold.
Story: As with all the Arkham game’s that preceded it, Arkham Knight begins months after the events of Arkham City with an attack from the Scarecrow calling for an evacuation of the city which sets the scene for the arrival of the Arkham Knight and his army of highly trained soldiers. With any game in this franchise, there is always a cost. As you continue to progress through the story, you will always be side tracked with smaller missions such as stopping Two-Face from robbing banks and thwarting Penguin as he smuggles in weapons, all of which can ether help to break up the “convoluted linear” story or drive you completely nuts with the constant addition of random small things that would leave you wondering “where are the police?”. Unlike the other two, if you are a fan of Batman you will know who the Arkham Knight is before you make it 25% through the game. The way this game ended is a perfect way to go out your own terms.
My Rating: 9.5 out of 10. It left a little to be desired but the story was set up to end on a high note.
Graphics: Rocksteady continued to add more depth to a gritty but fantastic world and the element effects were nothing short of amazing. However I ran into a few items that would take away from this dark but glorious world. With minor issues such as clipping characters during combat and cinematic, it is enough to take away from the experience.
My Rating: 9 out of 10. A perfect world but small things take away from it.
Gameplay: Much like the first two, Rocksteady’s style returns with more bells and whistles. With a more enhanced free flow combat system you can enter combos with ease and counter other enemies just as easily. Activating quick gadgets during combat is just as easy, with a hold of the R2 button and hitting any of the face buttons you can string in your favorite gadget into your killer combos. The only issue is with the interface, some buttons can still stick when trying to activate certain items which can leave to some level of frustration. The biggest item is the Batmobile although amazing to see it in the game, sometimes it felt as if you are trying to drive a city bus at high speeds.
My Rating: 9 out of 10. An almost perfect system, there are still some holes to fill and the Batmobile could use a small tune-up to make it a perfect ride.
Final Thought: A great way to end a historic franchise, its story although predictable left me feeling a sense of satisfaction with the how everything can come full circle. Final Score: 9.2 out of 10. A must have for any fan of Batman.
