Chris Sanderson reviews Batman: The Telltale Series – Episode 1…
At the Game Awards in 2015 we got our first hint of Telltale Games’ next big project and much to the surprise of many, it turned out to be a new Batman game. With almost no information given since then and only small hints and teasers given, I managed to get my hands on the game this past week and played the first episode, titled Realm of Shadows.
Having played a number of Telltale Games over the years such as The Walking Dead, Game of Thrones, Back to the Future and Jurassic Park, I was quite interested from the get go to find out what they had planned for a Batman story. The ability to jump into a story centred around Batman is just too good to miss. Since the developers don’t have to worry too much about what different game mechanics they can put in to make it a more engaging experience, Batman does not shy away from story and interactions as per previous entries from Telltale. As usual, the title has some fast paced quick time events that shows the Bat kicking some serious behind.
The game starts off with a man getting his head blown off, which for me sets the tone of whats to come – a brutal, bloody, murder fest where well get to kick some ass as the worlds greatest detective. The scene is set with goons making their way into Gotham City Hall, causing mayhem as they look for something of importance for whoever their employer may be. It is here where we see the man himself make his way into view from the opposite building. Like a bat out of hell (get it?) he opens his cape and quickly heads towards a goon standing by the window, crashes through the glass and takes him down. At this point I’m ready to serve the scum of Gotham a nice fresh slice of justice… with fists! Its game on. And the game doesn’t disappoint, using an array of gadgets and quick take downs these guys have no idea what hit them!
The game is set a couple of years or so after Bruce Wayne has taken on the mantle of Batman, based on conversations he has with Alfred concerning the wounds he has taken, but at the same time he seems accustomed to heading out late at night to fight crime. We get to go through the game as both Batman and Bruce and along the way we meet Selina Kyle aka Catwoman, who is a deadly new cat burglar capable of putting our Caped Crusader through his paces. The game features their first encounter, so they have yet to establish the relationship we have come to experience through the likes of the Arkham games. This gives the series a fresh look as we aren’t just jumping into his first fight as has been shown many times through movies and comics, but equally we aren’t the experienced veteran either. Another character we come across is Carmine Falcone (voiced by Richard McGonagle, aka Sully from Uncharted) who presents us with an interesting early game choice. Its difficult not to try and be the smart, hero type we all know Bruce is. There are options that allow you to say different things but I kept asking myself: “What would Batman say?” and choosing the cool mysterious option because there is always that feeling of “it doesn’t matter ill just kick your ass later… probably”.
Further on in the plot we are tasked with finding clues at a crime scene at Gotham Docks, where the player has to piece together clues through a system similar to that found in Detective Mode in the Arkham games. There are various items strewn throughout the area and you have to find, investigate and establish connections between multiple items to piece together a picture what occurred so the Bat-computer can guide you towards the culprit. This sequence is a lot of fun and although simple, does a good job of making you feel like a detective. Once you’ve found all the clues you need, you get a lead that brings you to Falcone’s hideout atop a tower in the middle of city. Here you get to plan your entrance and how you’ll take down the guards covering the entrances. You get a multiple choice scenario for each guard. Maybe you’ll want to take him down with a batarang to the light above and have it come hurdling down on top of him or smash his face against a stone pillar. The choice is yours. Once again this sequence was fantastic, putting me into the role of Batman and making me feel like I could do what I wanted instead of just following a preset linear path.
The voice acting is very good, but I can’t deny I was a little jolted hearing Troy Baker as Bruce Wayne, given that myself, and many other gamers, will be used to hearing him as Harvey Dent or The Joker from previous games. Alfred is voiced by Enn Reitel, which for me is the most jarring as Martin Jarvis is the voice of Alfred for me but again, the actor does a great job in the role. And finally its worth mentioning that Laura Bailey who you may know from other Telltale games such as The Wolf Among Us as well as many other titles plays the lovable but feisty Catwoman.
In the end Episode 1 of Batman: The Telltale Series is a fine piece of work and sets us up for more and bigger things to come, with a plot surrounding the Wayne legacy and Batman questioning who his allies are. Our choices look like they will truly matter in this series due to how you word your way through situations and conversations with big characters from the DC mythos. I can say the end of the episode got serious and even gave me goosebumps! With a story like this I cannot wait for Episode 2.
Pros:
– You feel like Batman as you play.
– Conversations with big characters from Batman Universe.
– Easy and fullfilling combat system.
– Smooth Gameplay.
– Feels a lot like a game based on Batman: The Animated Series.
Cons:
– Slow pacing at times.
Rating: 9/ 10
Chris Sanderson
. url=”.” . width=”100%” height=”150″ iframe=”true” /]
https://youtu.be/b7Ozs5mj5ao?list=PL18yMRIfoszEaHYNDTy5C-cH9Oa2gN5ng
