home base > Game Reviews
Batman : Arkham Shadow is a game that has revitalize my sake in both the Arkham serial and VR gaming . With a story that stands with the good in the series , incredible graphics that I did not know were potential for VR technology , and the most immersive Batman experience you could hope to get . Batman : Arkham Shadow is truly a biz that deserves all of the award it has experience and more . Just verify to set up a pretty generous VR bound when you recreate , because this game go a higher - than - modal risk of infection of rampart punching .
Before I get into the meat and veggies of this review , I just desire to channelise out that I was not only provided a review transcript of Batman : Arkham Shadow , but also the Meta Quest 3 VR headset need to review it . These were cater by Camouflaj , the studio apartment behind Batman : Arkham Shadow . Without it , I would not have been able to give this biz a attempt or be sunnily surprised by what it has to offer .
Batman : Arkham Shadow is something of a prequel to the Arkham serial , taking place before Arkham Asylum but after Arkham Origins . It tells the taradiddle of the Rats , an syndicalist motion in Gotham , their riot , and a jr. Batman , Barbara Gordon , Dick Grayson , and Harvey Dent , as Batman examine to piece together the individuality of the mysterious Rat King and end the orgy . The tale explore the early tensions between these iconic character and the way the chaos in Gotham slowly builds into the powder keg we see in tardy game . There is a lot of storytelling here that sports fan of the series will apprise , with plenty of Easter eggs and callbacks to the magnanimous Arkham timeline .
Batman : Arkham Shadow ’s story is as expert as any Arkham game that came before it . While maybe not as instantly memorable as Asylum or Arkham City , the game reach all of the authoritative Batman and Batman : Arkham beats that sports fan of the franchise are going to be expecting . It does a great job of building suspense and introducing new characters to the Arkhamverse , as well as reusing old and developing line of descent stories for some who show up later in the serial . There is a careful equipoise here between fan service and new storytelling , and while not every bit hits with the same loudness as the franchise ’s high points , there is a consistent sense of intrigue and reference development throughout the game .
All of the familiar Batman : Arkham series gameplay elements are there : gliding , zip - facing , group combat , stealth , and investigation . All of it , while finger incredibly faithful to the other game , has been reimagined in VR to create an incredible , immersive experience .
fight is , by far , my best-loved aspect of the game , and boy , can it flim-flam you into function out . If you are familiar with Arkham games , you know that the combat often sees Batman outnumber , trust on riposte and fast plan of attack jazz band to clear a elbow room . Batman : Arkham Shadow does an unbelievable job of translating these mechanics into VR , using notifications and hand movement to block attack , even those that come from behind . When it comes sentence to strike back , the game is as as close to Arkham ’s jazz group scheme , giving you directional stimulus on an enemy that you match by actually punch them in quick succession . hit them the correct fashion is just as important as hitting them fast , as you will quickly learn to throw out five - polish off combos as fast as potential to take a thug out before you get interrupted . It can really get the blood pumping and turns every meeting into something that feel dynamic and reactive .
At times , I like the combat were a little less demanding when it came to specific directional input . Sometimes , it just feels right to thrust an uppercut at a hoodlum , but doing so will throw off your combo because it is not the steering the game wants you to hit them . On the other hand , I can see how this is the VR eq of specific combo inputs , so I will let it slip . The combat overall is really fun , and I appreciate that it was a bit of a physical exertion , even when I by chance mosh the controller into my finger .
The Arkham series ’ stealth gameplay is wonderfully preserved in Batman : Arkham Shadow , with stealth squelcher executed the same way but with the inclusion of specific hand motions instead of button inputs . It was really a lilliputian jarring to me just how likewise the game played , and how familiar it palpate to stalk about a hurdle of gargoyles as I slow pare down a group of armed hoodlum . The only thing that felt different was the perspective , looking through the eyes of Batman rather of over his shoulder . That shift shift everything in a way that is hard to describe until you live it . The tension feels more immediate , and the sensation of peril is much stronger when you do not have that third - person distance .
Some aspects of the game do not transform dead , mostly because VR technology is still a minuscule awkward or otherwise harder to adjust to . In segments where detective modality was required , I retrieve it knockout to sit around in the juicy perspective for very long and shin to take text as presented to me during this time . Segments that require sailing were a little inept , too , as I found that the hand motion need to pull out the cape took a bit of getting used to in edict to take out off perfectly . That said , with a bit of longanimity and repeat , it becomes 2nd nature , but it is emphatically not as placid as some of the other mechanic .
It is hard to plan a game around actual , real - life instrumentalist movement , and that occasionally show in Batman : Arkham Shadow . I had a few import where I would clip through the environment or end up in an area where move was not possible , which gratefully lead the plot to move me back , where I was free to traverse . This often happened while fighting enemies , with some thug attacks advertize me through the game ’s boundaries , or some awkward bowel movement commands have me to curtail through objects on the base and be chuck out out in correction . While it never totally broke the game for me , it was a reminder that VR , as immersive as it is , still arrive with a few raise pains .
All in all , Batman : Arkham Shadow is one of the most compelling VR games I have ever bet and a worthy ingress in the Arkham franchise . It has a few slight imperfection , but it is bold , fun , and incredibly engaging , a must - work for anyone who owns a headset and have it away Batman or the Arkham series .
The Final Word
Batman : Arkham Shadow is not only a worthy entry into the Arkham series , but by far the best VR game I have ever played . The game looks great , has faithfully remastered mechanics to interpret the original Arkham experience into VR , and has a story that keeps you so engaged you do not even notice you have worked up a perspiration flummox down Gotham ’s bad guys .
Try Hard Guides was allow for a Meta Quest 3 with a copy of Batman : Arkham Shadow for this review . Find more detailed looks at democratic and coming title on ourGame Reviewspage ! Batman : Arkham Shadow is available on theMeta Store .
