Video Game Review - Batman: Arkham Knight

A Game Review by Hank:

Two kinds of gamers play Batman: one that just loves the character and wants to experience a Batman story first-hand…and another that wants to become the ultimate Dark Knight and 100% the game and challenges.  While the former gamer should be content with the Arkham Knight story, the latter gamer might find the video game lacking in several areas.  But one thing is for certain, as of this moment, this is Rocksteady Studios’ last hurrah in the Batman universe and they didn't hold back in terms of size or story.

"When I asked you to surprise Barbara on her birthday, leaving the Joker bound and gagged 

in her closet was not what I had in mind."

"Sorry, Jim, but that was the only thing I had on hand that could be wrapped in such short notice." 

STORY:

All is well in the city of Gotham until the Scarecrow decides he wants to unleash a humongous bomb filled with his latest batch of fear toxin on the entire city.  This brings about mass hysteria as every last citizen attempts to depart the city, leaving behind only the GCPD, every villain, and Bats.  What follows is the Batman trying to clean up every square inch of Gotham in one very long night.

If you're looking to play Batman: Arkham Knight for the story, then you're in good hands.  Rocksteady didn't pull any punches throughout.  You'll get twists, excitement, drama, tie-ins to comic book stories, action, and if you like the Joker…a truck load of humor.  Without all the side quests and mini games and riddles thrown about the gigantic Gotham, the main story will take around 12 hours to complete.  And it picks up after the events of Arkham City, so if you haven't finished that game, it's highly recommended you do so before diving into this one.  The main protagonist in Batman: Arkham Knight is the Scarecrow, but there's also another main villain thrown in for kicks, and that's the Arkham Knight.  The Knight is like Batman in a lot of ways, except he doesn't care about taking a life.  You may think the reveal of the character is the highlight of game, but the sad thing is it's a letdown when you finally do find out who it is.  And that's a shame.  But the build-up until that point is excellent, so just try to enjoy the ride before it ends. 

Now if you're wondering if that hurts the story, don't worry, there are still plenty of thrills and twists to be had while pounding baddies into the ground.  And the one thing Arkham Knight can be commended for is the balance of emotion.  You'll be sad one moment and the next be laughing like a hyena.  So be prepared to be tossed all over the place.  And the story is much darker than the previous titles because it dives into the mind of Batman.  His loves.  His fears.  And everything in between.  So even if you're not looking to 100% the game, you'll still get your money's worth in just the story alone. 

"When I say take it back, you take it back."

"Ow. Ow. Okay. Okay. I'm sorry for calling you Nightwing."

"I'm mean how hard is it to distinguish us? He doesn't have bat ears. I have the bat ears. Sheesh."

VOICE OVER AND DIALOGUE:

The Rocksteady Batman titles wouldn't be as great as they are without all the fantastic villains that show up to bother the Dark Knight.  But those villains wouldn't be half as much fun if it wasn't for the talent behind the voices.  Obviously, reclaiming the throne as the Batman is the unbelievable Kevin Conroy.  If you don't know who that is…shame on you.  (Take a week and watch Batman: The Animated Series and you'll understand.)  Is his dialogue perfect throughout?  No.  There are a lot of cheesy lines in the story.  But that doesn't mean his voice acting is terrible.  He's one of the best Batmen out there.  So sit back and enjoy the greatness.  On top of that, the most famous Jedi, Mark Hamill, returns to lend his voice to the Joker once more.  If there's anyone that steals the show, it's him.  He is the highlight throughout the story and when he doesn't show up you'll actually miss his ridiculousness.  And the Joker has one of the biggest moments of the game where his vocals come into play and it is glorious.  Besides the two big names, the rest of the voice acting is excellent also.  John Noble as the sinister Scarecrow and Tara Strong as the hilarious Harley Quinn both give standout performances in their respected roles.  While the rest of cast, Troy Baker included, help support the magnificence happening everywhere else.

GRAPHICS AND DESIGN:

There is no doubt about it, Arkham Knight, is one slick looking game.  From the city streets to the sewers to the interior of buildings, Rocksteady knows the Batman universe and has represented it stupendously.  And with the humongous size of Gotham, you'd think there'd be some loading screens as you traveled around the city from one island to the next.  Nope.  Driving couldn't be smoother, while gliding through the air and taking in the beautiful sights is more fun than it should be.  And character designs are unbelievable looking.  Batman's suit, once again, is one of the best looking designs for the character you'll ever see.  The sexy women of the DC universe are gorgeous and when it comes down to creepy, the design of the Scarecrow is frigging horrendously perfect.  No one has been able to capture DC like Rocksteady's design department and just the aesthetics alone are enough to make you want to play the game.

UPGRADES GALORE:

Upgrades to Wayne Technology have returned in a big way.  If you liked upgrading the Batman in the previous titles than you'll love Arkham Knight, because there's so much to upgrade in this game you might actually get lost in the menus.  You can upgrade the suit, combat, the way the car handles tank mode, the way the car handles driving, the grappling hook, or even the ability to use gadgets as you fly into your enemies.  Are all the upgrades necessary?  No.  The main story can be beaten without worrying too much about upgrades, but if you want 100% completion and the true ending, then upgrades should be selected cautiously.  At times it can feel overwhelming with every menu available, but an overdose of upgrades is better than no upgrades at all.  So if you’re looking to build your ultimate Dark Knight, then fear not, all the customizing is at your fingertips.

"Batman, hold my hand."

"Seriously, Dick?  I thought you outgrew that?" 

"I bet you still hold Robin's hand when he asks."

"Still playing favorites? This is why I broke up with you."

"What? I broke up with--"

"Enough! Give me your hand."

GAMEPLAY AND COMBAT:

Everything you remember from Arkham City, the tremendous group fights, brain-hurting Riddler puzzles, grappling hooks, gadgets, stealth takedowns, and even detective mode...is brought back in Arkham Knight, with some parts even grander than you remember.  The button configurations are balanced and the Dark Knight reacts to your movements smoothly 99% of the time.  Occasionally you will have Bats accidentally fall off a wall or get trapped behind a trash can, but it’s a huge game and silliness from time to time will happen.  But no Batman game would be complete without hordes of foes to slap around.  This time you’ll have the ogre types which require stomach pounding, medics that’ll revive fallen baddies, ninjas that’ll cut you up and even grunts with shock sticks.  Each new foe helps ramp up the combat and make it required that you actually pay attention to what you're doing when facing thirty men at the same time.  If not, it is lights out for Bats and you’ll be starting all over again.  Now, are there parts where Bats will occasionally punch the wrong guy, wiping your multiplier?  Yep.  Is it frustrating?  Yep.  Is it enough to make you quit the game?  No.  In fact, with a little patience and probably a couple of do-overs, you'll move through the main story without throwing the controller or pulling out all your hair.   

Adding to the fun of kicking everyone's ass are duel combat sequences.  Bats will team up with Robin, Nightwing, or Catwoman to bring down waves of enemies.  The sequences aren't a major part of the game, but they do help freshen up the combat and make it a tad gentler on your multiplier.  You can even switch effortlessly between the two characters during these battles which allows you to get a feel for different fighting styles.

The only thing that might be a downer for some is the disappearance of boss battles in the game.  Sure you’ll kind of face off against the Arkham Knight, but nothing compares to the one on one boss battles of Arkham City and Asylum.  Does this hurt the narrative?  No.  Because most of the face-offs are done in cut scenes and the story will just play out.  So if you're one of the gamers that loved boss battles from the previous titles, then you might be heavily disappointed.  But that’s alright, because filling that gap is Gotham's most wanted: a series of side missions for your Batjoyment.

"Ivy, I just want you to know that--"

"You've always loved me, Batman?"

"--I analyzed that rash you have on 70% of your body. 9/10 dermatologists recommend 

Calamine lotion and some type of steroid."

SIDE MISSIONS & CHALLENGE MAPS:

It’s true…Batman: Arkham Knight is riddled with side missions.  They are everywhere. You get to choose from taking down the Riddler by driving along his many Batmobile courses or solving his brain-crushing riddles, to stopping bank robberies, fighting the Man-Bat, blowing up the Penguin's money, saving firefighters, bomb disposal, to even finding a serial killer and more.  So there are numerous activities in Gotham that will keep any gamer busy.  And to get the true ending of game (the one after the main story is over) you have to 100% it.  This could take a very long time considering how much help you receive along the way.  On the plus side these missions are fun and go along with the narrative of the story being told.  The downside is they can't be played through in one whole arc.  Instead, you're teased with a side mission and then you’ll have to wait until you complete more of the main mission to finish it.  But the real question is…why?  Why, in 2015 are gamers still subject to parts of a map that aren't accessible?  Within Gotham, you basically can't go everywhere with the Batmobile until unlocking all the bridges.  And the only way to do that is by playing the main story.  So what happens is you get excited about a side mission, but then get literally road blocked from continuing it.  You might even go onto the main story and forget all about that side mission you obtained an hour ago.  This is the only part of the game that ruins pacing.  If a gamer decides he wants to play through a side mission before going on to anything else, why doesn’t he have that choice?  Why does he have to play the main story to unlock certain areas?  Aren’t we in a time of gaming where you should be able to tell your own Dark Knight story and weave your own path?  Oh well…at least there are plenty of side missions to be had, even if you have to wait till the end to do them.

If it feels like the game is weighted down by side missions, then it’ll feel lightened in the challenge map department.  There are only a few different maps among the challenges and after a while they become slightly repetitive.  It seems the meat of the content was sunk into side missions.  Does this hurt Arkham Knight?  Only if challenge maps were a big part of the Batman games for you.  If you respond more toward the story, then this shouldn’t bother you in the least.  If you’re looking for more content once the main story and side missions are over, then you’ll probably take to the internet for some raging with fellow challenge map lovers.

THE BATMOBILE:

In almost every mission of the game the Batmobile is needed.  Now, the inclusion of the vehicle is unbelievably awesome.  Spinning donuts or ramming into brick walls and watching them crumble is fantastic.  But having the need for the car in basically the entire story might be a sore spot for gamers that loved the previous Rocksteady titles.  If you're not familiar with the gameplay, the Batmobile can turn into a tank like vehicle and blow the crap out of air and ground drones throughout the game.  It's also used to access inaccessible areas of Gotham by using a wench and maneuvering the vehicle over obstacles.  In other words, the car becomes the other playable character in Arkham Knight.  And that wouldn't be so bad if you had a choice to use it or not.  But the problem lies in being forced to use it throughout the game.  It's needed almost everywhere.  So if you like the Batmobile, then you'll love this game.  If you see it somewhat as a nuisance…then you might have a humongous problem with Arkham Knight.  Either way, you're stuck with it throughout and have to make the best of it.  So in between chasing down foes and blowing up drones, take the time to enjoy the car by smashing into everything you can and spinning a few donuts in the GCPD’s parking lot for laughs.

"Fellow officers, there's only one man that could make this suicide run and bring back what we need."

"Oracle, send me the location of the closest Dunkin Donuts." 

CONCLUSION:

Batman: Arkham Knight is a fantastic end to a great Batman run by Rocksteady.  They brought graphics, increased the gameplay, upgraded the map, added a vehicle, and even kept the proper voice talent throughout.  With only a few minor gripes on side missions, challenge maps, and the continuous use of the Batmobile, Arkham Knight still brings the goods in terms of story and overall twists and turns.  This puts Batman: Arkham Knight easily in the running for P&P’s 2015 game of the year.  So if you enjoyed the previous Rocksteady outings of Batman, then don’t think twice about picking this up. 

4 out of 5 Stars (minus a star for stunted side missions, a forced Batmobile, and the Arkham Knight reveal)

Writer & Editor: Hank – Twitter / Twitch

P&P's Winner of E3 2015: Sony Playstation

This weekend, P&P is on vacation.  That means that you’re getting Saturday’s article right now.  At this moment, you’re probably too shocked to read on.  And that’s understandable.  So take a moment to catch your breath and then proceed as normal.  But don’t worry because P&P will return to its regular schedule next week. Thanks for reading and enjoy.  

"Listen, I'm not going to tell you again.  Stop crapping on my house.  It takes me a week to

clean it, dammit.  And don't give me that look, I'm not falling for it."

An Article by Glitchiee

with an Introduction by Hank:

INTRODUCTION:

E3: the battleground that gives giant video game companies the opportunity to strap on boxing gloves and pound the crap out of each other, dominated every video game forum and streaming service last week.  And each new video game and announcement made gamers rip off their clothes and run wild, while declaring their very own victor.  Yes, E3 2015 was an amazing week for pixelated adventure enthusiasts.

And not only did gamers get to see the humongous console manufacturers return, but even new-comers arrived at the show.  For instance, Bethesda, threw their hat into the ring and shocked audiences with amazing gameplay from Doom and then devoted a large chunk of their time to the highly anticipated Fallout 4.  Microsoft came out of the gate with a couple of exclusives, while mainly focusing on new technology headed to their different divisions.  Square Enix put everyone to sleep with long drawn-out chatter, until finally showcasing the next Hitman game, and EA had gamers and Star Wars fans creaming in their pants from the impressive Battlefront trailers.

But that leaves one very important player in the gaming world.  There was one press conference that began with a game that hasn't seen the light of day in a better part of a decade.  This same press conference showcased game after game after game, leaving explanations and technology as an afterthought to the gaming world.  Who is this mysterious champ of E3 2015?  It's the one company that has outsold all other consoles since the current generation released.  The one company that continues to put games first, before anything else.  Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, P&P's winner of E3 2015 is…Sony Playstation.

"I feel like I'm forgetting something.  Pack the Fiber Wire, bury the neighbor, and...and...oh and

return those Glee DVD's to the library.  Damn, that's going to be a hefty fine." 

THE GAMES:

Sony started off the show with a trailer for The Last Guardian: a sneak peek into a beautiful world containing a young boy and his gigantic bird/dog creature.  Followed up by Horizon: Zero Dawn: a story revolving around life after some catastrophic event that has decimated our current way of living, and turned humans into hunters that stalk mechanical prey.  Hello Games brought the expanse of the universe to the show with their ground breaking game No Man's Sky.  This massive game—one whose scope has not even been fully created yet—allows players to wander around the universe and visit planets that are randomly generated as they are selected.

Next up were the Final Fantasy offerings.  A staple for RPG players, Final Fantasy is a huge crowd pleaser.  Breathing new life into the franchise, World of Final Fantasy was announced, showcasing a fun take on the series by creating chibi versions of characters and monsters that team up to fight.  Think Pokemon meets Final Fantasy.  But the crowd really exploded when the next trailer appeared on the screen, confirming what so many fans of the series have been yearning for.  That's right…a Final Fantasy 7 remake.  While the trailer was all the information that was released, Sony quite possibly could have won E3 from that alone.

"I don't know where the hell I am or what the hell I'm supposed to be doing, but this sure 

does look pretty."

Directly following FF7 was another big announcement in the form of Shenmue 3.  Their Kickstarter campaign was introduced on stage, along with footage from the first two games explaining that this project was a direct sequel to Shenmue 2.  With amazingly beautiful graphics, Shenmue 3 sets out to finish up what was left undone in Shenmue 2.  Having this project featured on stage during the conference ensured its funding, reaching their goals almost instantly.

Batman: Arkham Knight from Rocksteady, also popped up on stage from the point of view of a police officer.  When the cop politely asks a patron in a diner to stop smoking, you're shocked to discover the patron is the Scarecrow.  What follows is a terror-filled glimpse of darkness and chaos, bringing the Scarecrow's Nightmare Missions as an exclusive to only Playstation.  Things then toned down in the creepy department but ramped up in the hype department with Disney Infinity 3.0.  Disney Infinity 3.0 brought the Star Wars world to life with Twilight of the Republic and Rise Against the Empire play sets.  Along with the Disney Infinity announcement came the Star Wars: Battlefront gameplay bombshell.  Focusing on the survival mode of the game, Star Wars: Battlefront looks just like the movies and had long-time fans go berserk from the footage.

Sony then wrapped up their conference with another extremely anticipated Playstation exclusive, Uncharted 4: A Thief's End.  After a slight controller mishap, the gameplay started, showcasing an amazing mission filled with guns, car chases, hilarious dialogue, and fantastic feats in typical Uncharted fashion.  And as always, the return of Nathan Drake was the perfect way to close out Sony's Press conference, leaving viewers on a high note that other presenters found difficult to top.

"Get a good look at the Fax machine, Tom, cause this is the last time I'm showing you how to work it.

Next time you end up on the floor like your buddy, Phil, over there."

MORE THAN JUST GAMES:

It may seem that Sony only presented games during their conference—even though video games were the mainstay of the show—that was not all they had to offer.  Sony unleashed Project Morpheus: a virtual reality venture looking to take console gaming to the next level by making every game compatible.  But not only that, the system also allows you to play alongside friends.  So now you can literally escape into another world and bring your buddies along for the ride.

Playstation additionally revealed its partnership with Spotify, allowing you to listen to your favorite tunes straight from your console, and also announced Playstation View: Sony's live streaming service for television.  Playstation View allows gamers to subscribe a la carte to channels you want to watch and forget about the rest.  With Sony stepping into the realm of becoming a home entertainment center, both of these are a humongous leap forward for Playstation.

"So how does it feel?"

"Like I'm wearing 5 pounds of sunglasses and holding a plastic squirt gun." 

CONCLUSION:

Sony brought out the big guns when it came to their E3 conference.  There wasn't a single moment when action slowed, or excitement diminished, or boredom reared its ugly head.  From new games such as Horizon: Zero Dawn to fan favorites such as the Uncharted series and Assassin's Creed, Sony did not disappoint with their showcase.  Mixed in between these large titles were Indie games from Devolver Digital, and a few other games like Fire Watch, and the extremely creative Dreams from Media Molecule.  On top of all that, there was no needless chatter in between the trailers or game play highlights.  Sony hasn't let up the pressure since the release of the PS4 and certainly didn't tap the brakes during this year's conference, making them the clear winner of E3 2015.

Writer: Glitchiee – Twitter / Twitch

Editor: Hank – Twitter / Twitch