Summary
In the long line ofBatman: Arkhamgames,Batman: Arkham Shadowcontinues to bring the Caped Crusader’s world to life, but in Meta Quest 3. The VR experience brings a lot of new to the franchise, with immersive gameplay and storytelling, but it also takes elements from past games.
From storytelling beats to video game mechanics, Arkham Shadow has surprised longtime fans with how impressive it is for a VR game. Virtual reality has advanced so much in such a short time since it became a mainstream format, as shown by Arkham Shadow managing to do some things better than in past games.
6The Most Focused Main Story
It Doesn’t Have To Juggle Multiple Plots And Subplots
A benefit of the VR direction is that there is no open world to explore, just open-ended levels such as Blackgate Prisonand other locations in Gotham City. There are side objectives, but they are mainly for collectibles and none of them are Riddler-based. As a result,Batman: Arkham Shadowhas the most streamlined story, which is not to its detriment.
There isn’t a plethora of villains for Batman to fight, and the focus is more on Batman being undercover at Blackgate as Matches Malone and the investigations he conducts. In a way, it is deceptively simple because theArkham Shadowstory provides a strong narrative with memorable sequences, performances, and even twists that some fans may not expect.
5Detective Work
More Thought Is Put Into Solving Crime Scenes
As in previous games, there are sequences where Batman must collect evidence to solve a crime.Detective crime-solving is an important partof Batman’s skillet, butBatman: Arkham Shadowtests the players' cognitive skills as well, by having them deduce who is the culprit behind an act of violence or where the Rat cult will strike next.
In previous games, Batman would simply solve everything himself thanks to his fancy AR technology.Batman: Arkham Shadowexpanded upon it, making the player feel even more like Batman. Sometimes, even the smallest additions can do wonders to a sequel or prequel.
4Continuity Is Important
It Manages To Connect To Nearly Every Arkhamverse Game
Whether it is how Gotham City looks or ties into events of otherArkhamgames, continuity is an important aspect. Other games often struggled with this, as tones, characters, and aesthetics would shift drastically between games, butArkham Shadowdoes a better job of feeling like a sequel toArkham Originswhile bridging the way to things that happen inArkham AsylumandArkham Knight.
When theArkhamverse timeline is as massive as it is, it would be easy to accidentally retcon or meddle with it, but Arkham Shadow maintains what came before while still expanding upon said timeline. It even manages to have events and details that connect toBatman: Arkham VRandSuicide Squad: Kill The Justice League.
3Bruce Wayne’s Side Of Things
Batman’s Alter Ego Gets More Fleshed Out
Batman: Arkham Shadow focuses on Bruce Wayne as he struggles with his morality, psyche, and sense of justice during a dark time as he goes undercover at Blackgate Prisonrather than fighting his iconic villains. While the death of his parents is showcased yet again, Bruce Wayne’s flashbacks focus more on his childhood afterward.
Bruce lived with Leslie Thompkins as a surrogate mother for Harvey Dent, another child struggling with trauma. Their family dynamic is important as Bruce goes through thoughts of breaking his no-killing rule, but overcomes his inner demons, making the climax such an impactful event for Batman and Bruce Wayne, with Roger Craig Smith again proving to be a strong actor in the role.
2Two-Face Is At His Best
Harvey Is Finally Given The Chance To Shine
Harvey Dent plays a big part in theBatman: Arkham Shadowstory as gamers finally witness howhe transforms from Batman’s greatest friendto the crime lord known as Two-Face. One of the best new additions to the lore of the Arkhamverse is that Harvey was abused by his father, who also struggled with Dissociative Identity Disorder.
Two-Face was always part of theArkhamgames, but he was relegated to being a side quest for Batman to fight. In Arkham Shadow, however, Harvey is a major part of the story from beginning to end, with Troy Baker flexing his skills as an actor just as he did with the character before to showcase how tragic the character is.
1The Best VR Batman Controls
Meta Quest 3 Makes The Player Feel Like Batman
WhereBatman: Arkham VRfirst brought The Dark Knight to the realm of virtual reality,Batman: Arkham Shadowtook that idea and expanded upon it. Not only does it feature over six hours of content, but it’s more than walking around as Batman, with more advanced technology allowing for proper combat that is adapted to VR controls while still feeling similar to past games.
Batman can still freely roam the levels he finds himself in, has detective mode,the gadgets that most fans expect, and features stealth gameplay. It all helps with the immersion, helping gamers truly feel like a young Batman stuck in Blackgate Prison.
