Is Batman: Arkham Knight Worth Your Time?

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After months of anticipation the supposedly last entry into Rocksteady’s Batman Arkham Series has arrived with Batman: Arkham Knight. With Joker’s demise at the end of Arkham City it seemed as if the streets were open for anyone to take over. City actually had a hint at the main villain for this game with a boat floating with information to a plan that Scarecrow is working on. After four years it has finally come to pass as he alongside a mysterious man calling himself the Arkham Knight. With an army behind him he sets out to end the Batman once and for all. Is everything that leads up to it worth your money and time?

A Feeling of Finality
With it being described as the last installment it certainly has that feeling of finality to it. These words are even echoed throughout the game by various characters and it certainly aims to wrap up many elements from past Arkham games. Even some side mission characters return to finish their storylines alongside new foes. One small element I cherish is that they also acknowledge Arkham Origins, which was created by Warner Bros. Montreal and I still believe to be a great entry in the franchise. A personal issue though in general is the fact that  it is ending the franchise, as there are so many stories that still could be told. Yet that is a feeling I always have when it comes to Batman, who simply has such a rich mythology that seems almost endless. Here is still some hope that maybe Warner Bros. Montreal will continue the franchise and the stories that can be told even if they are prologues.

A Worthy Story?
I believe this story might rub some people the wrong way, but I personally absolutely adore the way the tale is told. An old face returns to haunt our favorite caped crusader, while it feels as if the entire Arkham storyline is coming to an appropriate close. Furthermore, Scarecrow actually proves to be quite an interesting adversary this time around with quite a cruel plan to let Batman face his truest fears. The story keeps one on the loop at all times with some fantastic twists on the road. One thing I will point out is that anyone who has read the comics might already have figured out who the Arkahm Knight is, but I personally was hoping for this storyline to happen and loved the twist, as it hit me on some emotional levels throughout.

To Be The Batman
One thing the Arkham series has always allowed players was to feel like you were Batman. This time around it is no different as the essential action elements are still here. Free-Flow combat feels as smooth as it ever has with some fantastic additions such as being able to pick up the enemies weapons or using the environment to your advantage. Predator missions are still as fun as they were before, but are a bit more difficult when they take place in the outdoors, as I commonly ended up being seen by the enemy, but it could be the result of me not being the best at stealth sections. Still, the gameplay is fine as always with one major addition this time around.

The Batmobile Controversial?
I am having a hard time understanding why this new gameplay element is such a controversial one. Some people are stating that Batman driving a gigantic tank with guns attached to it goes against his character, but does anyone remember the Tumbler? Batman Begins introduced us to a tank-like car that even had a few mounted guns at the front and even the upcoming new Batmobile coming in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice isn’t too different from the one we see in Arkham Knight. Especially considering the small touches such as people only being knocked out with special ammunition or that by touch they are electrocuted. Especially when I consider that in this game Batman shoves people’s faces into electric fences without hesitating I really don’t believe that the Batmobile seems like a fitting tool to fight against an army. Is it too perfect that the tanks he fights are drones? Yes, but it seems to be by design that the Arkham Knight and Scarecrow chose drones to keep him busy. Personally, I adore the way he Batmobile handles and it is easy to change between driving and guns, which is a nice touch allowing for some flexibility while driving. While it is difficult to handle in specific sections like driving on top of roof tops, but after Batman Begins I always wanted to be able to do it myself, so can’t complain.

In the end, this game is amazing as the ones that came before. The storyline is a perfect way to end the franchise or at least the Rocksteady trilogy. I still hope the world expands into a DC Gaming Universe, as there are a variety of hints towards Superman throughout the game and it seems that Rocksteady might be heading into that direction. If you love Batman and his universe do not miss out your chance to play this game and it is visually stunning, a true next gen game that many have been waiting for. I won’t do a spoiler section this time around as I believe this is a game you need to experience on your own and unlike a film, it takes a bit longer to go through the entire story. I will point out that I have played this game on the PlayStation 4, so I have no experience with what occured on the PC version, so I can only tell you that the console version is worth your time!

What are your thoughts on the game? Did you play through it? Leave a comment below but please be careful of spoilers for those who have not yet played the game!

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