In many ways the Arkham trilogy of Batman video games mirrors the Dark Knight trilogy of Batman films. Both started with a surprisingly solid first chapter, delivered a sequel that went above and beyond their predecessors and then ended with a conclusion that was fitting, though perhaps not the high point of the series.
Batman: Arkham Knight mimics and expands upon so much of what has made the previous entries some of the greatest comic book video games of all time. There's a breathtaking (if dark and, aside from the criminals in the streets, somewhat lifeless) version of Gotham to explore, free flow combat that feels both brutal and precise, and an intriguing story filled with a large cast of DC Comics characters. If you liked what Arkham City had to offer, chances are high you'll be happy to come back.
In fact, much of the Arkham Knight experience feels very similar to Arkham City, despite being on a new generation of consoles. It's much prettier, graphically (unless you're playing on PC, as that version launched with a large list of problems), but it also bears a well-worn feel when it comes to its setting. Many of the moves and gadgets you might be familiar with also make a return here, and sometimes the game goes ahead and assumes you know the drill for these already. It's not enough to ruin the experience if this is your first Batman game, but you'll get more out of the gameplay (not to mention the story) if you've been through the Arkham drill before.
What Arkham Knight tries to add to differentiate itself from its predecessors is the Batmobile -- an addition that brings mixed results.
Some aspects of the Dark Knight's iconic vehicle are awesome. For instance, you can remotely call it in from just about any point in the city, and it will barrel through the streets toward you in a cinematic fashion. This also works if you're plummeting down to the street, allowing you to quickly move from aerial traversal to chasing down criminals in a car.
With a hold or tap of a button, the Batmobile also turns into a formidable tank, allowing you to make quick work of the drone tanks that have invaded the streets of Gotham. These explosive tank battles in the urban environment can be mostly enjoyable, though later on in the story the game attempts to ramp up the difficulty simply by throwing more and more enemy vehicles at you at once, which can be more frustrating than challenging.
But there are some downsides as well, like some environmental puzzles that require you to slowly manipulate the car and your surroundings to get from Point A to Point B, which end up being tedious rather than than brain twisting. There are also, somewhat surprisingly, some Mario Kart-like tracks that The Riddler has built underground to test Batman (because high speed races are always the best riddles, right?), which can be frustrating rather than fun.
Most of this, while entertaining, primarily serves to move the story forward. Following the death of The Joker in the last game, the "big bad" in Arkham Knight is Scarecrow, who hopes to bring Gotham (and Batman) down by releasing fear gas on the city's population with the hope that it will cause the innocent people to tear themselves apart.
Scarecrow is joined by the titular Arkham Knight, a character new to the DC Universe ... sort of. That was the claim from the people at Warner Bros., but it quickly becomes clear that the man underneath the Arkham Knight's mask has some sort of history with the Caped Crusader.
Still, his identity provides a fun guessing game for those with a passing knowledge of Batman (though the answer might be obvious to the more diehard fans), and Batman's journey is full of some good twists and turns -- some of which are quite dark, contributing to the game's "M for Mature" ESRB rating -- ultimately ending with a satisfying conclusion that wraps up the trilogy neatly.
When the story is done (or when you just need a break from it), there's a wealth of additional side content to explore, from side stories featuring iconic Batman villains (like The Penguin and Two-Face) and additional activities. Most of it is enjoyable, though at times it feels like less would have been more. The Riddler activities in particular feel stretched too thin, with well over 200 riddles and trophies scattered throughout the city, many of which don't feel necessary. If you want to get 100 percent completion in the game, you're going to have to work for it.
All told, though, I was happy to experience most of what Batman: Arkham Knight had to offer. Traversing the city was entertaining, the combat was satisfying and I was happy with where the story ultimately ended up. If the Dark Knight's video game journey has to end here (for now, anyway. Developer Rocksteady says that this is the last Batman game they want to make), then it's ending on a high note.
This game was reviewed on a PS4 copy provided by Warner Bros. Interactive for the purpose of this review.
