Telltale Games recently premiered their episodic video game series based on Batman, and it has already become their greatest work since 2012’s The Walking Dead.
So I only have one question after playing through the first episode of Telltale’s Batman, and that would be when is Episode 2 going to be released?!
Episode 1, “Realm of Shadows”, kicked off what will hopefully be the start of a lengthy gaming series on the adventures of the Dark Knight. I have a feeling that the wait between each episode is going to be pretty painful, as I’m already suffering. What I’m saying is, “Realm of Shadows” was awesome.
Although it is indeed a point-and-click style adventure game, you’ll spend a lot of time in the batsuit, beating the hell out of Gotham’s crooks. It makes use of QTE’s that Telltale is known for during these sequences, with a meter building to powerful finishing blows if you hit the correct buttons quickly enough.
Batman and Catwoman in Telltale’s ‘Batman’ (Telltale Games)
“If I pretend I don’t see him, maybe he’ll go away.”
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Batman might beat a lot of people up, but he’s also the world’s greatest detective. Telltale incorporated this into the game as well, offering players the chance to investigate crime scenes using the Dark Knight’s various gadgetry, by “linking” different elements of the scene together to figure out what happened. It’s a lot of fun, but it’s also fairly straight-forward so you won’t spend a lot of time stuck at the crime scene.
But what really shines the most here is the story. Telltale is known for putting the primary focus on the writing and character interaction, more so than the action. That’s what separated Telltale’s The Walking Dead from every other zombie game, and made it so much better.
We’re picking up at pretty much the start of Batman’s career, as the Joker isn’t around yet and the Dark Knight gets his first introduction to Catwoman. While we see a lot of familiar elements, it’s exciting to think about playing through a new Batman story, helping to shape the plot however we want. Those Arkham games were fun, but only until now have I truly felt like I was Batman.
For the first time, players really get to step into the role of Bruce Wayne, gaining an understanding of what it’s like to be the man behind the alter-ego. For example, when you’re having a fundraiser at your mansion for your buddy Harvey Dent’s mayoral campaign, notorious crime boss Carmine Falcone shows up uninvited. With every other guest watching, do you shake Falcone’s hand to keep the peace, or disrespect him and potentially cause harmful repercussions?
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I give Telltale’s Batman a 10/10 so far, and I’m hoping Episode 2 will be just as thrilling of an experience. No release date has yet been given for the next chapter, but it’s rumored to arrive sometime in September. In the meantime, you can buy “Realm of Shadows” on PC, Xbox One, and PS4.