Batman: Arkham Knight (2015) Review

After playing Asylum & City, I have now competed Rocksteady's Arkham trilogy with Arkham Knight and here is my review for the game. The premise of the game sees Gotham City evacuated after a terrorist threat from Scarecrow, along with a new villain called The Arkham Knight he aims to take down The Batman. On one night, Batman has to use all of his skills and gadgets in order to take down all of the villains currently lurking in Gotham. 

Characters

The late Kevin Conroy is back as Batman/Bruce Wayne and he is tremendous here and is probably his best performance in the trilogy. They really make it clear that this is the biggest challenge that Batman has ever been through and Conroy really conveys that. He is still intimidating as Batman but also has some emotional moments and scenes with other members of the Bat Family. 

John Noble takes over the role of Scarecrow and I really like the depiction of the character here. He is really calculating and cruel and Noble really delivers a chilling performance as this character that is worthy of taking over the responsibility of being the main villain. 

Jonathan Banks plays Commissioner Gordan here and this is the game where he has the most impact and Banks fills the role well with his gruff and intensity adding plenty to the character. The chemistry between himself and Conroy is really good and feels very believable. 

Ashley Greene and Matthew Mercer take over the roles as Oracle & Robin and I thought they felt pretty natural for this game and fit it in really well with Batman and the game. They are good in their roles and I thought they were great additions to this game. 

Story

The story here is all over the place, there is so much the game has to do that it loses its way. I really like the personal story Batman goes through in this game as he deals with all of the stress that comes with the night and other factors that come into play and it has a very interesting ending. But the game fumbles plenty of things, particularly the portrayal of The Arkham Knight, there was so much hype for him but it falls flat and he is a really disappointing part of the story here. Other characters from the previous games such as Two Face & Hush are totally underutilized and could have been a major part of the main plot instead of smaller side missions. 

Side Content

This game is huge, it is one of the biggest maps I have ever played and there is loads for Batman to do, along with lots of DLC where you play as not just Batman but other members of The Bat Family. Unfortunately, its a mixed bag in terms of the side content. There is some really good side content, for example the Professor Pyg investigation and Azrael's story are some of my favourite butt there is just too many misfires. Basically everything to do with The Arkham Knight's Militia is really repetitive and mind numbing and certain characters are in side missions that aren't given the time to matter or truly care. 

Gameplay

This is easily the most fluid combat system for any of the Arkham games and flows incredibly well. The extra use of gadgets in combat and the way that Batman moves more aggressively makes it a much more enjoyable experience. Onto the elephant in the room and that is The Batmobile, a huge part of the marketing was the use of The Batmobile and I can't deny that it is fun to use. Facing Tanks in the car and traversing through Gotham with it is really enjoyable but there is no denying that it is overused and does become a bit repetitive at times. 

Style

Maybe the best part of this game is the style. It is a beautiful game and this game came out 9 years ago looking way better then most modern day games. Gotham itself feels huge and looks great with the horrors of the night being emphasized well. 

Overall

Overall, Batman: Arkham Knight is a great game. Replaying the game has given me a different perspective and realise that there is lots to really enjoy here and that it deserves to be played by Batman fans and alike. 

Rating - 8/10