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Telltale Games have proven they know their way around a comic book adaptation with The Walking Dead and The Wolf Among Us, but Batman: The Telltale Series presents a whole new level of challenge for the studio. Even though Telltale is working within their own, unique version of Gotham City, a character like Batman will always come with a lengthy list of expectations and restrictions.
Can Telltale successfully pull off their trademark choice-based gameplay with Batman, or is the iconic character too much for them to handle? Let’s find out…
Batman: The Telltale Series – Realm Of Shadows (PC, Mac, Xbox One & PS4)
Artistic Achievement
The first chapter of Batman: The Telltale Series doesn’t get off to a thrilling start. In short order, Realm of Shadows treats us to Batman foiling a pretty standard break-in, Alfred doling out a lecture, and Bruce campaigning for Harvey Dent at a fancy Wayne Manor soiree. In other words, stuff Batman fans have seen countless times before. It all feels a bit lifeless, and some characters, like the game’s obnoxious meathead version of Dent, feel off.
Telltale’s new version of Gotham doesn’t feel particularly interesting or relevant either. Here in the real world, people are becoming more aware of the deep-rooted social and economic sources of crime, but Bruce Wayne continues to dumbly proclaim “criminals have ruined this once-great city,” sounding a little too much like Donald Trump for comfort. In the Batcave, we hear a steady stream of news reports about killer gangs and evil parking valets, which is supposed to make Gotham sound gritty and dangerous, but quickly tips over into parody. I realize Batman takes place in a comic book world, and strict realism isn’t required, but I feel like Telltale has it in them to do something better than this.
Thankfully, the episode begins to find its footing around the halfway mark as Telltale introduces more original concepts. Oswald Cobblepot (who no longer looks even remotely like a penguin) is reinvented as an old friend of Bruce’s from a once-prominent family, who’s returned to the city to ignite a revolution. It’s revealed the man who killed Bruce’s parents, Joe Chill, was mentally ill, and it’s hinted that Arkham Asylum and Gotham’s shameful treatment of people with mental disabilities may be at the heart of its “curse.” Catwoman skips all the usual secret identity nonsense and immediately identifies Bruce Wayne as Batman upon meeting him, leading to a scene that pops with sharp lines and sexual tension. Rather than having Gotham turn against Batman for the thousandth time, they instead turn on the Wayne family, with Batman largely remaining a public hero. This is all smart stuff, and if Telltale builds on these unique elements in further chapters, they have a shot at creating a truly worthwhile Batman tale.
Visually, Batman: TTS is leaps and bounds beyond past Telltale series, thanks to a new graphics engine. Characters are far more expressive, and environments are detailed and atmospheric. The game’s score won’t blow you away, but it does its own thing without borrowing too heavily from Danny Elfman or The Dark Knight. The usual Telltale voice actors are perhaps a bit over-familiar at this point, and Troy Baker is no Kevin Conroy, but overall the performances are rock solid. For the first time, Telltale’s presentation feels on par with the triple-A big boys.
Innovation
For the most part, Batman: The Telltale Series sticks to the studio’s standard blueprint. Lots of lengthy conversations with timed dialogue decisions, and “action scenes” that require an endless series of context-sensitive button presses. That said, Telltale does introduce a few Batman-related innovations as well.
Darkness! No Parents!
Batman: TTS brings back a little of the point-and-click puzzle solving some of their recent games have lacked, with new detective sequences that require you to find and match up pieces of evidence. There’s also a neat bit near the end of the episode, in which players use a drone to spy on the bad guys and formulate an ideal plan of attack. This isn’t an Arkham game, but it’s definitely more varied than most Telltale stuff.
Execution
Telltale needs to rethink the way they do action. Realm of Shadows opens with a lengthy throwdown between Batman, Catwoman, and a bunch of goons, and I was tired of the timed button mashing about a third of the way through. Telltale has steadily increased the variety of button presses you need to do, but that almost makes things worse – Batman’s action scenes are dull, yet just complex enough to be frustrating.
Fighting evil, defending the innocent, buying cool cars.
Thankfully, the branching conversations are still engaging. Realm of Shadows doesn’t throw any truly monumental decisions at you, but it does let you tinker with your allies and what kind of vigilante you want to be. Do you want to help the career of Jim Gordon or Vicki Vale? Do you want to back corrupt establishment guy Harvey Dent, or the potentially dangerous Oswald Cobblepot? Is your Batman a bone-breaking beast or does he take the high road? I’m interested to see where the butterfly effect (or, should I say, the bat wing effect) will take me. Add in the detective sequences mentioned above, and Batman: TTS distinguishes itself as one of Telltale’s best games yet from a design perspective.
Staying Power
Realm of Shadows delivers the standard two to three hours of gameplay offered up by most Telltale episodes. Considering the episode only costs $5, that’s a pretty solid value, and some dedicated Batmaniacs may find themselves revisiting the chapter to make different choices. There’s worse ways to spend a fin.
Bullsh*t Factor
Batman: The Telltale Series runs like molasses on PC. Granted, my laptop only met the game’s minimum requirements, but I also ran the game on relatively low settings, so there shouldn’t have been an issue. I’m not the only one to experience this, as other PC players have reported sluggish performance on machines much more capable than mine. I also ran into a handful of glitches, including one widely-reported one (don’t look at the Batcomputer’s codexes when you first enter the Batcave). As it stands, it’s probably best to avoid the PC version of Batman: TTS in favor of the Xbox One or PS4 versions, which are reportedly more polished.
Final Thoughts
Batman: The Telltale Series isn’t the knockout punch some may have expected, but there are hints this could become the series fans need and deserve. Some innovative new mechanics set the game apart, and Telltale’s tweaked versions of Batman and Gotham City have the potential to become pretty interesting.
If you’re a diehard Batman or Telltale fan, you’ve probably already downloaded and enjoyed Realm of Shadows. If you’re still on the fence, you may want to wait for a few more episodes (Same Bat-time, same Bat-channel!) before taking the leap.
Verdict: Worth A Chance
This review was based on a PC copy of Batman: The Telltale Series provided by Telltale Games.