OTAKU REVIEWS: "Batman: Arkham Knight"

     After Arkham City hit the scene I thought the Arkham series was closed and done. With that unreal twist ending, and the amazing open world batman experience. How on earth could they top that?! But, developers back in 2014 surprised us with this launch title. They claimed that everything has come to this. The third and FINAL installment in the series. So I thought I'd take a look at the much anticipated, Batman: Arkham Knight!

     Just like in the previous Batman titles, the whole villain gang has come out to play. Some of our heroes most iconic villains are running wild in the streets of Gotham after The Scarecrow issues a mass warning to all of its residents. Now that the streets are empty, they are quickly being refilled by toxic gases and ravenous baddies. And the only thing standing between them and the city is YOU.

     The very first thing I noticed was Batman's new makeover. The new bat suit looks fantastic! The armor plates, the mechanical look, the mask. It all looks very cool, and very Batman.

     The suit also comes with many of the gadgets we've come to love from the series. Explosive gel, batarangs, batcaw, and many more. A new addition to that list is the Remote, which has a massive companion. The freaking BATMOBILE.

     This monstrous piece of hardware is by far the highlight of the entire game. There is nothing cooler than speeding through the city at top speed while fighting in chase scenes, firing a 60 MM cannon at tanks, and launching a hook to drive up walls. You heard me. Driving up walls is in the game.
     All of these new toys are amazing, and you'll need every single one of them to stop the latest threat to Batman and his city.

     A new player has hit the scene of Gotham, and he goes by the name "Arkham Knight". He's ruthless, tactical, wealthy, and scariest of all; he hates Batman's guts. Him and Scarecrow have teamed up, along with Knight's huge army of soldiers, to finally bring down the bat.

     When this character was announced there was so much speculation as to his identity. Who is he? Where is he from? Is he even a HE? All of those things crossed my mind as well, but the big thing I thought was just how cool and original he looks. His mask and armor seem to mirror Batman's, but the Knight has definitely cut out the bat look and replaced it with full on mercenary appeal. He means business when he shows up, and his set up tells you just that.

     With all these villains coming out to play, you'll have to bring some friends. Oracle, Robin, Jim, Fox, and a few others will be at your disposal throughout the game. Providing you intelligence, gear, and the occasional funny joke. All of the characters and villains are lively, and their voice acting is wonderfully done.

     Another feature is the new leveling system. You still earn experience by completing objectives and from fighting enemies, but the skill tree has become more customizable and detailed with every installment is the series. Your Batman is YOUR Batman, and you really feel the upgrades the second you equip them. Whether it be more defense against guns, greater speed while fighting, or extra combos to perform.
     All of these upgrades just added more to the already famous Arkham combat system. Which in my opinion has been perfected in this title. Everything is polished, refocused, and faster.

     You may also upgrade the batmobile and its weapons as well. That was very exciting, and added and extra challenge to the game in terms of choice and availability.
   
     Some issues I had with the game were pretty nominal. The occasional frame rate drop, or clipping through an object when I was moving to frantically or fast. But the game as a whole was incredibly solid. Unfortunately for PC gamer, they experienced a lot worse than that. Warner Bros has since then offered refunds and are currently working on resolving the issues with the PC version and have been providing constant updates. Until it's fixed I would advise picking it up on console instead.

     After playing it I can honestly say this game is the definitive Batman experience. If you're a fan of the bat, or just enjoy a fantastically put together game, then I would strongly recommend picking up Batman: Arkham Knight. Thanks for reading!!!

Score: "9 out of 10" - PLEASE GET THIS GAME!!!

-Otaku Anonymous