batman video game review
Test: Batman Arkham Knight: The perfect opus as a conclusion?Asylum, City, and to a lesser extent Origins ... In three episodes, the Batman Arkham saga has imposed a style in terms of video game superheroes. Since recovery, cited or downright copied by many games, the saga will have inspired many directors and comic book authors while continuing its path. It is therefore with great impatience that we await this last part of the Rocksteady trilogy which comes to close the story of a man entirely devoted to his city, his friends, his philosophy of life.
Note:
Given the elements revealed very quickly in the game, note that some information will have the appearance of spoils. However, difficult to ignore in this test. If you haven't finished Arkham City yet, reading the lines below is therefore not recommended. Similarly, if you want to keep the surprise intact before attacking the game, think twice before browsing this review which nevertheless avoids the real spoils linked to certain key scenes or, of course, the most important scriptural revelations.
While Origins told us the story of Bruce Wayne before the events of Asylum, Batman Arkham Knight takes place directly after the events of Arkham City in order to end this long night of suffering which will once again see the Chevalier Black wander in a Gotham this time bloodless due to the atrocities of the Scarecrow. If the City synopsis had been disappointing despite the participation of the great Paul Dini, what is the story of this Arkham Knight worth? Difficult to rule in a neat and clear cut as the feeling will vary according to your knowledge of the universe of Batman.
A SCENARIO WRITTEN BY FANS FOR FANS?
The first thing that surprises you when you play and discover Batman Arkham Knight is this familiar feeling that hugs the fan as the story progresses. A good point that turns very (too) quickly into default in the sense that Rocksteady has endeavored to use one of the most exciting bows in the life of the Dark Knight for his game. In fact, if fans of comics and / or bat animes could already speculate on the identity of the Arkham Knight, the writers felt compelled to add a few scenes and other significant passages in order to bring about a final revelation which loses a lot of its flavor, especially since it has to deal with much more intense and controlled animated or paper equivalents. A cruel paradox that wants the game to brush the fan in the direction of the hair while offering him a story whose end he knows from the start.We can then bet on the Scarecrow to bring some scenaristic surprises except that here too, it is rather missed since the presence of the super-villain remains anecdotal unlike his cataclysmic work referring in some ways to that of Hugo Strange in Arkham City. Same story for the Joker, who died at the end of City, but who has never been so present in a Batman Arkham. How? 'Or' What ? Quite simply through constant hallucinations (and this from the first hours) from which Batman suffers, the latter before (at the same time as the player) undergo the taunts and omnipresent remarks of the psychopath for more than 20 hours. In terms of history, Arkham Knight is therefore very involved and at the same time disappointing as much for the fans as for the laymen who may not understand the importance of the final revelation which will have a profound impact on the whole life of Bruce Wayne.
A GOTHAM CITY MORE BEAUTIFUL THAN EVER
In parallel with the progression of history, it is indeed the discovery of Gotham City that impresses the most. We knew talented English artists and they confirm with Arkham Knight that they have completely mastered their subject from a design point of view. Never has an open city teeming with so many details, never has Gotham City seemed so gloomy and sexy at the same time, sometimes swept by winds, lightning or freezing rain. Discovering this playground, both from the air and by road, is therefore a constant enchantment, despite a lack of life in the streets, thanks to the different districts this time sporting very marked identities. Chinatown, the port, the business district, each section of the city makes the player eager to discover everything. And the least we can say is that between the main adventure and the countless side quests, you will be able to visit a number of buildings while crossing the road of many villains.On this point, it should also be noted that the writers have chosen a main adventure redacted from boss fights (with two exceptions), the latter being mainly devoted to secondary objectives which will allow you to meet Double Face, Deathstroke, Man-Bat, the Penguin and many others. One way as another to appreciate the particular but still very licked design of the different protagonists, more vicious than ever, while trying to eliminate them to restore calm to Gotham.
WHEN A NEW ROMPT SOMEWHAT THE CHARM OF THE WHOLE
Beyond the visual aspect, the developers have nevertheless worked to refine the gameplay while integrating a big novelty, the Batmobile, which it will be possible to upgrade by sometimes orienting its evolution when Lucius Fox offers it . Weapon improvement? Integration of an IEM load? It will be up to you. In short, the communication of the game having mainly revolved around the vehicle, we could expect a significant presence of the machine during the game ... We were unfortunately far from the account as the construction of Arkham Knight seems to have been thought around of the Batmobile.This effectively translates into a larger city, with wider roads allowing players to cross the city while driving. You will then have the possibility, via a simple button, to call your iron steed to trace the route in order to get to your next objective, race against thugs or take advantage of action scenes thanks to the polymorphic capacity of the vehicle which can be change into a real tank. If, in one case as in the other, the driving is flexible and very arcade oriented (the sensations reminiscent of those of the best Criterion of the time or the Shox: Extreme Rally by EA BIG), as much as smashing the three quarters of the environments during pursuits turns out to be enjoyable, it is unfortunately the exaggerated use of the Batmobile which ends up boring.
Indeed, apart from a missed last straight line flanking us one after the other, a tank scene that is far too long, a boss fight a little loose and a chase already a little more original and fun, the will to put it at all costs forward the vehicle is so present throughout the game that it becomes completely dummy. Thus, in parallel with not very credible mooring points in all Arkham City that can only be fired by the vehicle, it is above all these missions constantly asking us to use the machine that annoys. Chasing an enemy vehicle is still going on, destroying defense installations, why not, but having to climb on rooftops to activate a mechanism using the Batmobile's winch becomes slightly laughable. In the end, this novelty remains stuck between a really fun gameplay and compulsory use destabilizing in the sense that this aspect does not suit the Dark Knight or at least the series as we knew it.
AN ALWAYS AWESOME LEGACY
If the Batmobile therefore remains the star of this opus, Rocksteady still lingered on the gameplay as a whole in order to make a number of small, useful and more anecdotal additions. Let's start with the free flow combat system which here becomes more dynamic thanks to the use of environmental elimination, counter attacks or duet combat. The first, by pressing two buttons, and as long as the enemy is surrounded by a bluish aura, will allow you to interact with the decor to eliminate an enemy or to use weapons dragging on the ground. The second, evolutions of normal counters, will give you the possibility, by orienting the stick towards the enemy during the counter, to strike harder. Finally, the last system will offer in some places to call on a companion to attack in duo. Then, once called upon the hero, you can direct him until calling on Batman and so on until the end of the fight. If the idea is funny, it still remains more visual than anything else and does not ultimately bring much.Apart from the brawls, we again find the possibility of investigating via the evolution of the phases of the crime scenes from Batman Arkham Origins. We will then have to rewind and accelerate a scene at times to find out what happened there. Likewise, Rocksteady also included an image analysis that strongly linked to what was in the movie Blade Runner. It will indeed be necessary to repeatedly analyze images, squared in several segments, coming from surveillance cameras. We will then choose a piece of the image that we will move forward or back in time until we find the desired index. Nice like the new gadgets including the voice synthesizer, useful for forcing guards to open doors remotely. We will also take advantage of a device to hack drones from a distance or turn them against the guards.
Finally, intimidation attacks will surprise the opponents to eliminate several of them in record time. It will suffice here to eliminate a first enemy and then quickly choose another opponent so that Batman attacks him via a deadly and classy ballet highlighted by means of a slow motion. This will prove to be particularly useful during the infiltration phases which also benefit from some adjustments. In addition to increased mobility, for example by using ventilation ducts to quickly find oneself under the floor (see extract above), we will also have the possibility, in addition to the smoke bomb, of choosing between two options (point d anchoring or launching Batarang) as long as we are spotted. This will then result in a slow motion of the action during which you will have to choose between the options offered. One way as another to make everything more accessible even if you will always have to be careful to get out of it, especially in the highest difficulty setting.
AN END OF TRILOGY IN APOTHEOSIS?
As we can see, the developers have not been idle but in addition to refining the gameplay, a few new features and the impressive visual work, Arkham Knight nevertheless has a little taste of unfinished business. This is surely due to its condition of final episode which should have sounded like a high point in the trilogy of Dark Knight and not like a "simple very good game" betting too much on its aspect "to act". Naturally this results in a little frustration although we still take a lot of pleasure in following Batou.Admittedly, the lifespan is again phenomenal, yes, we have fun by facing a very last time the challenges of Nigma, the challenges are still there to give us a hard time, but in its entirety, this episode doesn’t never reaches Arkham City. Arkham Knight indeed seems constantly too busy putting forward his Batmobile and using a rich script material, without putting it properly forward, this to the detriment of his characters and by extension of the player. However, do not tarnish the picture overly because if we note several imperfections, the title of Rocksteady still retains immense qualities allowing it to close a trilogy now counting among the most famous of our microcosm. Batman deserved such a monument to his glory and just for that, the English developers deserve all our respect and our congratulations.
The notes
+ Positive points
A much wider open world ...
Visually sumptuous
Gameplay is always a recipe
A lot of nice little novelties
The driving of the Batmobile is flexible and really nice
A huge lifespan
Negative points
… But missing a bit of life
The Batmobile is overused
Tank battles without much interest
The scenario that burns its cartridges in less than an hour as long as we know a minimum of the Batman universe
Some additions (like duo combat) are anecdotal
If the third episode of the Dark Knight trilogy of Rocksteady should have popped the screen, it is confined "simply" to the rank of excellent game. The fault of a flawed construction built around THE novelty of this opus, namely the Batmobile. In fact, the developers seem to have focused a little too much on this element to the detriment of the rest which remains despite everything of an extraordinary level. So, by combining stunning visuals, flexible and dynamic gameplay and solid lifespan, Batman Arkham Knight easily succeeds in establishing itself as one of the best superhero games to date without being the perfect ending that we were entitled to wait.
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