During my initial playthrough of Batman: Arkham Knight, I quickly realized that Batman faced a new enemy who was even more dastardly than the recently departed Joker. This new foe, aptly named the Arkham Knight, looked cool enough, with a sort of neo-gothic, Templar-styled costume absent of any nonsense disposition. He also was revealed to have his own personal army of thugs to back him up—and, oh yeah, unlike Bats, he isn’t afraid of spilling a little blood here and there…actually more like numerous buckets of blood.
Courtesy – Warner Bros.
The first positive sign was Batman: Arkham Knight’s open world design. Similarly covered in my review of Grand Theft Auto V, you can take Batman, flowing cape, gruff disposition and all, plop him down into the seat of his newly redesigned Batmobile (it looks tres cool), and blaze down the streets of Gotham City, taking on an assortment of missions in any order you desire.
Courtesy – Warner Bros.
Anyone who appreciated Frank Miller’s take on the Batman comic books series will be instantly enthralled (as was I) with British game developer, Rocksteady Studio’s, interpretation of Gotham; it’s seedier, squalid, and really captures the overall darker vibe of Miller’s version. It also feels like a living, breathing city now, as opposed to the amusement park feeling that the previous titles offered.
I murmured to myself with glee as the young comic book nerd in me emerged once again; my blood was pumping as I tooled the Batmobile down Gotham’s grungy streets and transformed it into battle mode, dispatching heavily armored tanks as well as other adversaries. Soon, I came across hostage rescue missions, where I had to learn the whole gamut of Batman’s patented gadgetry, and learn to outwit my foes. This vast arsenal of toys has always helped the Dark Knight even the playing field against enemies, and is the comic book world’s tour de force with regards to isometric warfare.
Courtesy – Warner Bros.
I scouted out enemies from an elevation advantage, and then chose my prime time to attack, raining down on them with the gusto of an angry storm. Other times, I simply sat back and fired away at anything that Batman couldn’t get around, blasting through instead. What I appreciated about this new title was that you have options.
Similar to the Hitman game series, you can choose how you would like to approach any task or mission, adding a new strategic layer to this final game in Warner Bro’s Batman game series. Those of us in the PC gaming community who may have been a little miffed and disappointed with the previous Batman titles will most likely come to appreciate that the developers finally got it right this time, and nailed that old, indescribable comic book feeling.
In that same vein, when it comes to Batman getting down and dirty with the fisticuffs, the developers have really reached the pinnacle of pugilistic perfection with this game. I guffawed with mischievous excitement as I maneuvered Batman through phalanxes of criminals like a hot katana through warm butter, leaving a trail of shattered bones and smashed in faces in my hyper-violent vortex of anti-heroism. America’s obsession with violent vigilantes is fully realized and Batman: Arkham Knight’s level of kick-assery is one notch above ten.
Courtesy – Warner Bros.
In terms of graphics, a meatier PC gaming rig is optimal in order to get the whole enchilada with regards to enjoying optimal visuals, and those lucky enough to own 4k gaming machines will probably be on cloud nine in no time flat. Gotham has never looked as romantically scuzzy and skeevy as in this incarnation; on more than one occasion, I found myself just perched atop a building, gazing down upon the city’s mean streets, breathing in the detail and dark splendor of it all.
Courtesy – Warner Bros.
Story? Who needs a story? Just kidding. Heaping helpings of schmaltzy comic book reminiscence undulated over me as I delved deeper into Batman: Arkham Knight’s immersive and engaging narrative. This is the first Batman game that I’ve played where I really felt like I was in Miller’s world. It just feels right.
The beautiful graphics come at a price though, and PC gamers who want to make full use of the game’s incredible Unreal 3 engine graphics may want to invest in a leaner and meaner gaming machine. Those who do update their hardware, however, will be treated to visuals which pair well with the remarkable storyline, rife with intrigue, mystery, and adventure…okay, and well pugilistic mayhem as well…There—I said it!
Score: 87%
Kane’s Suggestion:
Want to get the most out of this monolithic beast of a game? Here is a suggestion that bring this title to life—and now’s the perfect time to upgrade your machine as Cyberpower PC has some great Summer Sale deals going on that is friendly to your wallet, such as this:
