menu
menu

Batman: Arkham Knight

This Xbox video game focuses on Batman and his return to Gotham to fight crime

7.0

1109 Votes

  • Category Action
  • Program license Paid
  • Works under: Windows 8.1
  • Program available in English
  • Program by Warner Bros. Games

Batman is Back and Ready for Action

Batman fans have eagerly been awaiting the release of Batman Arkham Knight since it was announced on March 2014. The game certainly has a lot to live up to if it plans to meet expectations, partly because the Batman franchise is famous all around the world. So does Batman Arkham Knights make the grade? Read on to find out.

At first glance, Batman Arkham Knights is spectacular. The open world has been created with lots of attention to detail and design. The combat sequences are certainly thrilling and there are lots of new features for players to sink their teeth into. Players are presented with new strategies and things that they must learn before they can bring the bad guys to justice.

In this new version the Scarecrow has released his deadly Fear gas in an attempt to destroy Gotham City once and for all. People rush out of the city to avoid the gas, leaving Batman with plenty of room to track down the Scarecrow and stop his plans before it is too late. During his quest, Batman faces off against many of his old enemies such as Penguin, Two Face and the Riddler while teaming up with sidekicks Robin and Nightwing and wooing Poison Ivy and Catwoman.

If you were thinking that this sounds very similar to the plots of the other Arkham games, you would not be wrong. The only real variation here is the introduction of a new character who refers to himself as the real Arkham Knight. This twist causes Batman to be chased through the streets by a series of goons intent on eliminating him and letting the new Arkham Knight take his place.

A large part of the game consists of riding the Bat Mobile through obstacle courses. While the Bat Mobile has been hyped as being far advanced, it feels a lot more like a tank than the original. Players need to spend a lot of time learning how to control the Bat Mobile and its various weapons before they can start playing the game. The developers also promised gamers a brand new map to go with the Bat Mobile. While this map is certainly more detailed than ever before, it does not make up for the essential Batman experience that seems to be missing from this game.

After what seems like an eternity of learning to drive and following an obstacle course, Batman actually gets to fight. This is where the game really comes into its element, as the character is now much more fluid. The beatdown missions and epic takedown moves never seem to get old, although it would be better if there were more of these scenes instead of all the driving.

If Batman Arkham Knights has a main flaw it has to be the story. One of the things that has made Batman so popular among people of all ages as well as such an interesting character is the well developed story. Unfortunately, the story that is presented in the latest release doesn’t seem to measure up to the delayed delivery that fans tend to expect. The story feels a little thrown together as though it was simply an afterthought once the game had been developed.

Another big problem for PC users is that the game tends to crash and lock from time to time. This can be very frustrating and can ruin the fluid game play that helps to keep gamers engaged. Although the game developers have said that they are aware of the problem, no fixes have been released as yet.

It has to be admitted that the visual effects of this game are absolutely stunning and the rain effect is so good that you will want to climb to the top of the tallest building and simply stand and admire it for a while. This is enough to make up for some of the disappointments and will keep you amused and entertained for at least a few minutes. The rain effect comes complete with great sound effects that really make it feel like you are caught in a storm.

Fans of the Batman franchise are likely to agree that this release is true to the original at lease visually. People who are happy to focus on the look of the game as well as the combat sequences will get plenty of enjoyment out of playing Batman Arkham night. However, gamers who enjoy interesting and complicated plots with their games are likely to feel a little bit let down and PC users may want to wait for the fixes to be released. It has already been suggested that this is the last installment in the Arkham series and it might actually seem that this is a good thing after all.

Pros

  • Great game play variety
  • Interesting and creative crime solving sequences
  • The world in very detailed
  • Stunning visual graphics and sound effects
  • A large number of side missions are available

Cons

  • Combat tends to be very complex and difficult to get into
  • The PC version tends to crash and lock
  • Players are forced to use the Bat Mobile, taking away the freedom of choice
  • Feels a bit like one long driving test
Top 6 Batman: Arkham Knight Alternatives

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City  1.12

Sandbox game where players race around Vice City doing various things

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

Popular sequel in the GTA driver series

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas for Windows 8  1.0

San Andreas version of the GTA driving game

Geometry Dash  2.204

Challenges that involve geometry problems and shapes

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas for Windows 10  1.0.0.9

Play the outlaw-racing game on your fast PC

Left 4 Dead 2  1.0

Second installment in the popular and scary team-shooter game series