Hello, ladies, gentlemen and those of a non-binary nature, my name is Daibhi, and this is the Gamerhub community. Whilst I’ve been away, I got gripped into the world of Batman and the videogames based on the character, which brought this game to my attention. Batman: The Telltale Series offers a fresh take on the iconic superhero. Like other Telltale games, this one presents a complex narrative of events in episodic format whilst challenging not just to fight the villains, but to make difficult decisions that ultimately shape the narrative of the game. In this review, I’ll go through the game’s key aspects and explain to you why it’s an absolute must-play for all gamers, regardless of whether they are Batman fans or not.

Story and Characters

It’s seldom in any medium apart from comics and graphic novels that we see the duality of Bruce Wayne and Batman explored quite like this game does. I don’t think any of the other video games have managed this, and most of the movies have a heavier focus on the eponymous Dark Knight than this game does, but that’s where this game absolutely shines. It allows us to see the beautifully twisted life led by the billionaire. Every decision made by Bruce can have a consequence on Batman, and most of Batman’s choices end up affecting Bruce Wayne.

The characters are masterfully written and crafted, with a focus on characters that was unusual for video games made in the era it was made. The rogues gallery include the beautiful yet enigmatic Catwoman, the tragic and chilling Two-Face and a take on The Penguin I can guarantee that you’ve never seen before. Indeed, Penguin’s character might still be English, but he’s reimagined in such nuance and depth that you find yourself wondering why it hasn’t been done in the movies this way. This game also includes brand new characters into the mix, such as the “Children of Arkham” to add extra intrigue.

Gameplay and Decisions.

As an episodic adventure game made in the traditional Telltale style, Batman: The Telltale Series emphasises choice and consequences. Throughout this game, gamers are faced with critical decisions that impact the route and progression of the game’s plot. These choices range from choosing Batman’s approach to a conflict to determining the fate of certain characters (notably one potential district attorney with schizophrenia). This “choose your own adventure” style of gameplay is something I’ve found really refreshing, and it kept me invested and engaged in the gameplay despite the length of this game. Prepare to be hooked and stuck in for the long-haul, because this game is equal parts long and addictive.

The Quick Time Events (QTEs) add a layer of action to the gameplay, making you feel like you’re in the midst of Batman’s intense battles, but I will warn you that they do get repetitive from time to time, and a failure here usually leads to branching story as opposed to a game over screen, maintaining the focus on the narrative as opposed to traditional games.

Graphics and Art Style

Visually, this game adopts the traditional Telltale style of art, reminiscent of a comic book brought to life. This stylised approach adds a layer of authenticity to the Batman universe. Gotham City is dark and moody, capturing the essence of the comics. The character designs, whilst different from traditional interpretations really do blend in with the game’s visual aesthetic.

Batman: The Telltale Series excels in the art style by embracing a comic book inspired design. The characters are both familiar and uniquely reimagined, while Gotham City embraces the Art-Deco-come-neo-gothic architecture and is a truly dark and atmospheric backdrop, paying homage to the comics, with Frank Miller’s Gotham City in particular.

Performance and Technical aspects

Okay folks, lets get the elephant in the room out of the way: The launch of this game was far from perfect. Upon initial releaswe, the game faced several performance-related challenges, particularly on certain platforms. Some players notices huge frame rate drops during certain scenes which disrupted the fluidity of the gameplay and ruined what should have been an immersive experience. However, on more modern consoles, such as my trusty Xbox One X which handled this game beautifully, this isn’t really an issue. In addition to frame rate drops, lots of gamers encountered technical glitches. These ranged from graphical hiccups, like character models clipping through objects, to serious glitchs with characters freezing in place or dialogue syncing problems which really do ruin the game at points. I’m happy to report that the only technical issue I had was that occasionally the game would crash and make my life a lot more stressful. Even with the patched updates, this game has some issues that I would urge you to put up with in order to have a great gaming experience.

Conclusion

Batman: The Telltale Series stands as a remarkable achievement in the video game medium and as interactive storytelling. It elevates the superhero video game genre by focusing on the moral complexities of the world of Batman and his billionaire alter ego. The narrative depth, character development and emphasis on choices and consequences set this apart from other games in the genre and mark this game out as a true gem, and I’m grateful that it’s available on Microsoft’s Game Pass.

While facing technical challenges on release, these have more-or-less been solved and this allows gamers to fully immerse ourselves in the gripping narrative that has a lot of twists and turns. The art style encapsulates the style of the comics to an insane degree. The voice acting is spectacular, with a particular nod given to Troy Baker, who makes this game memorable by not impersonating the late Kevin Conroy’s performances across the DC universe.

Ultimately, Batman: The Telltale Series invites us all to become an integral part of the Batman mythos. It challenges us to make morally weighty decisions that reverberate throughout the story. If you’re an adventure game player, or a Batman fan, this game really should be in your collection. It’s not just yet another Batman game; it’s a truly unforgettable adventure into the broken psyche of the Dark Knight.

Joystick Rating 4/5

For the Gamerhub community, I’ve been Daibhi and you are all legends