Games involving DC’s caped crusader have helped provide revolutionary highs and a couple of disappointing lows; thankfully,Batman: Arkham Shadowtakes the iconic character into the VR medium with a hard-hitting triumph despite a few annoying issues. AfterSuicide Squad: Kill the Justice Leaguefailedto captivate fans of theArkhamfranchise, developer Camouflaj’sBatman: Arkham Shadow’s brilliant writing and immersive gameplay are exactly whatBatmangame fans have been waiting for.
After 2015’s beautifulBatman: Arkham Knightfrom developer Rocksteady was released, it set a high bar for superhero games. Few have arguably come close to crafting a gaming experience that captures the mood and feel of characters like Batman and Spider-Man, especially with the immersive capabilities of modern VR technology, until now.
Batman: Arkham Shadow
It’s the Fourth of July, and Gotham City is under attack by a new threat: the mysterious Rat King and his cultish devotees. As widespread rioting engulfs the city, Batman races to prevent this so-called “Day of Wrath” before it all goes wrong.Experience the World of Batman Like Never Before:Immerse yourself in all the grit of Gotham City with the power of VR, and take down its most notorious criminals.Realized exclusively for VR—choose from fan favorite gadgets and bold fighting styles reimagined from the beloved Arkham franchise.
One reason thatBatman: Arkhamgames have been so beloved was their world-building, writing, and action, all combined to make players feel like they were The Dark Knight. While the technology isn’t perfect,Batman: Arkham Shadowdoes a fantastic job with its compelling story and gameplay to make players feel more like Batman than ever before,while also revolutionizing how action games can work with VR.
An Original Batman Story That Deconstructs The Mythos
Arkham Shadow Feels Like A Full Game Compared To Batman: Arkham VR
Batman’s decades of DC lore means there’s a wealth of iconic storylines any game based on the legendary character could adapt, and yetArkham Shadowavoids adapting one directly. That actually adds to how fantasticBatman: Arkham Shadow’s writing and story are.
The game’s events occur six months after theunderratedBatman:Arkham Origins, and several fan-favorite characters appear long before they make their villainous turns. Even though fans of the franchise are more than well aware of the fate its characters meet,BASmanages to shock players with its plot twists and presentation that surpass previousArkhamgames in many ways.
A mysterious new enemy, known as The Rat King, has begun forming a dangerous cult across Gotham City, and it’s up to Batman, Commissioner Gordan, and District Attorney Harvey Dent to stop the violent gang before a looming day of reckoning. Without spoiling too much, a large section of the game has Batman go undercover as an inmate in Blackgate prison to find the Rat King, which leads to some unfortunate pacing issues.
What Order You Should Play The Batman: Arkham Games In
The Batman Arkham series is one of the most beloved franchises in gaming, but there are a lot of spin-offs that may make jumping in feel daunting.
The game’s story takes place closer to the start of Batman’s career than the end. It involves a version of Bruce Wayne, who is still learning how to manage the persona and what it can mean to the citizens of Gotham. The messaging is beautifully contrasted with the Rat King’s following, who worship the villain as a god who will bring solutions to all of their problems.As Batman learns more about his foe, he is forced to confront the effects and difficulties a symbol can bring about,a lesson that is growing painfully relevant in the real world.
Gotham In VR Feels Like A Dream That Doesn’t Last Long Enough
Blackgate Prison Feels Less Vibrant To Explore Than Gotham
Opening a door and seeing Batman’s shadow fill a room from his perspective never gets old.
Gotham’s iconic atmosphere is brilliantly recreated in VR; however, more than half of the game takes place in Blackgate prison. WhileBASdoes a great job creating engaging missions there,beating up criminals and solving puzzles in Gotham is a highlightplayers will likely want more of. Still, the prison is filled with plenty of beloved characters, portrayed by ludicrously fantastic actors, that make time in confinement feel more like a well-produced television series, which is both a blessing and a curse forBatman: Arkham Shadow.
The Game’s Cast Is So Talented It’s Criminal
Many Great Batman Voice Actors Return for Arkham Shadow
One aspect of VR gaming that often goes under-appreciated and underutilized is that, since it more effectively immerses the player in the game world, it enables its characters and performances to feel much more personable. Fundamentally,the cast directly interacts with, rather thanatthe player.The body language, voice acting, and head tracking of the game’s characters help make the game feel more real than most video games can convey. This becomes especially apparent during many ofBatman: Arkham Shadow’s dialogue-heavy Blackgate scenes and flashbacks involving Bruce and Harvey Dent’s reworked bond.
Troy Baker has proven more than capable of delivering intense and emotional performances in games likeThe Last of Us, but his depiction of Harvey Dent is one filled with hope, regret, and frustration that easily ranks as one of the most fantastic portrayals of the character. But he isn’t alone withBatman: Arkham Shadowincluding several captivating performances of beloved charactersand sides of them that fans have yet to be able to see so effectively in past adaptations.
DC Just Made A Dream Batman Villain Casting Real & I’m Devastated It’s Not For A Movie
DC just pulled off a spot-on Batman villain casting - but has managed to do so in a way that avoids selecting the actor for a movie or show role.
Iconic talents like Tara Strong as Dr. Harleen Quinzel return, but newcomerElijah Wood’s version of the future Scarecrow, Dr. Jonathan Crane, provides a bone-chilling portrayal of the empathy-lacking, fear-obsessed doctor. Roger Craig Smith’s version of Batman also does a great job voicing a less experienced and sometimes emotionally compromised version of the beloved character.
While the cast’s performances create several edge-of-your-seat moments,BAS’s fluid and revolutionary gameplay is so enjoyable that itslong story sections feel more like an award-winning prison drama than a gamewhere players are hoping to beat up foes with their fists and bat-themed gadgets.
Gameplay That’s The Closest Players Can Get To Being Batman
Other Franchises Can Learn A Lot From Arkham Shadow’s VR Combat
TheBatman: Arkhamseries inspired countless action games with its free-flowing, gadget-filled combat and simple controls. And thankfully, developer Camouflaj found a way to adapt the franchise’s addicting fighting mechanics into the VR format. When battling enemies, an icon appears over their bodies and all players need to do is punch in that general direction, quickly bringing Batman’s fist into the enemy. Battles require punches to be made in specific areas to land, but with stuns, combos, ultimate attacks, and gadgets eventually unlocking, players develop an excellent variety of combat tactics.
Fans of previousBatmanaction gamesshould have a good idea of the foes they’ll be brawling against inBAS. Electric stick-wielding guards must be countered, and large brutes need to be stunned before a highly satisfying flurry of punches can be executed. Incoming attacks are still signaled so players can counter, which is easy to accomplish with a push of the left stick, helping Batman evade or even hop behind an enemy. The combat’s fluidity is an achievement for a VR title.Hopefully,Batman: Arkham Shadowpushes future VR games forward likeArkham Asylumdid for third-person action games.
Batman: Arkham Shadow’s stealth sections are thankfully as fun as in previousArkhamgames. VR has done little to dull the excitement of laying traps for unsuspected foes, scoring silent takedowns from air ducts and overhanging gargoyle statues. While gameplay feels tight and responsive during the stealth and combat sections, other moments of exploration contained a share of bugs like invisible walls where they shouldn’t be, sound cues going off at the wrong times or repeating consistently, and sometimes even falling through the game world, all issues that resolved after a quick reset but happened often enough to bring up.
Final Thoughts & Review Score
Screen Rant Gives Batman: Arkham Shadow A 9 Out Of 10
Thankfully,BAS’s performance issues do not happen enough to ruin the game’s enjoyment, but some of them were a lot more annoying than others. If players take their time, enjoy all the clever dialogue, hidden lore, tricky puzzles, and discover the many collectibles,Batman: Arkham Shadowcan easily take 15 - 20 hours to complete. The Meta Quest 3’s battery will force players to take breaks every couple of hours in order to recharge.
BASeffectively uses VR to surpass previous installments with several clever decisions that deliver an emotional and brilliant story packed with satisfying gameplay. Combat and Predator Stealth challenges can be accessed from the main menu, complete with online leaderboards, and are a great way to jump into some fast action, especially between some of the game’s longer story sections.
Hopefully, future updates will improve the bugs and add more to the six challenges in the game, butBatman: Arkham Shadowis the next stage of immersion for the franchise, thanks in part to its fluid gameplay mechanics and stellar performances.
Reviewed on the Meta Quest 3
A Meta Quest 3 Headset and game code forBatman: Arkham Shadowwas provided toScreenRantfor the purpose of this review.
