Batman - The Telltale Series

Beating this game on GOG isn't the first time I've experienced the story, but with how much time has passed since its release... I feel this story has held up well. There's a few moments in the plot which lost me somewhat, and like most Telltale Games you're told your choices matter despite everything ultimately concluding the same way. However, it is an overall good exploration of a character who is a pop culture icon. The decision to explore Wayne's familial history allows the plot to raise questions on ethics and responsibility. Deciding between appearing as Batman or Bruce Wayne for important confrontations is quite entertaining. Though I personally found that Bruce Wayne was the sensible option every time. Despite how divisive Telltale attempts to make certain decisions to force a difficult choice upon a player... the results show a majority of players followed the same paths. Out of around 25 "pivotal decisions", about 4 had a nearly even split of players choosing between two options. Not a damning mark against the game, but something worth mentioning as this story is largely the same with most people playing it the same way. This, to me, makes everything feel pretty linear in retrospect. However, the ride is enjoyable. A lot of players have reported odd glitches/bugs, as of writing this review I can confirm this is still an issue. Nothing was particularly game breaking or immersion shattering, but a few odd stutters, broken sound effects, and some typos all add up to be noticeable enough to taint the experience a bit. All that being said, my game ran fine otherwise and I got used to the odd texture pop-in or frame drop after a while. If you are a fan of Batman or Telltale, there are worse options out there. I would recommend this game if it's interesting to you, yet with a disclaimer: your choices aren't all that important, but they provide enough engagement to keep you interested in the narrative until the end.

It's an above-average Batman story and an above-average Telltale Game. They sucessfully managed to combine the well defined character of Batman with interesting choices throughout the episodes. The story itself is nothing too spectacular but works very well and has a couple of interesting and suspenseful twists and turns. The presentation is good - I had no technical issues

It's very true that the technical problems this game has are inexcusable and extremely annoying but, as a DC fan, having something new to read or play feels great and the depiction of he Batman universe on this game doesn't dissapoint. So, in the end, my overall review of this game is more sweet than bitter. As in all Telltale games, this one is a cinematic experience with sparce touches of point-and-clic gameplay where decisions shape the next scenes and some of the secondary storylines of the game. The final resut hardly varies but it's OK to have some replayability, anyway. The story of the game is settled on an alternate universe of the character where Bruce Wayne has more prominency than Batman and where the most known villains or allies of the superhero have got another interests, portrayals or backgrounds. I really like alternatives universes like Batman Arkham, newer films or Injustice but I'm also aware than people wouldn't care to know more about the comics to perceive the little touches and changes that makes those and this versions great. It would be good, one day, to have a real Batman story made into a game. Until then, quality adaptations like this one are welcome. Recommended for comic or Batman fans or those who haven't got tired by Telltale games until now.

If you don't know how Telltale games go, here's a short summary: they're point & click adventure games with some QTE action based on established franchises, and are more focused on narrative than puzzles. They're very light on gameplay, but they shine at writing and characterization. The Batman game is more of the same. If you expect exciting fights or complicated crime solving, you won't find it here. But if you expect compelling characters and thrilling stories then you'll feel right at home. This game explores the life of Batman as a recent addition to Gotham City, without establishing his origin story, just like the animated series "The Batman", but with a darker tone, like that of The Dark Knight. While Bruce Wayne is helping his friend Harvey Dent getting elected for Mayor, an old childhood friend, Oswald Cobblepot shows up talking about a "revolution". Meanwhile, Batman meets two new enemies. Catwoman, a burglar who might turn out to be friendly, and Lady Arkham, who leads a group of terrorists ready to bring the city down. Along all this, Bruce learns that his parents might not have been what he believed them to be. Leaving aside some changes to the source material that might anger purists, the story of the game is pretty good. This version of Batman is as different from the one in the Arkham games as that one is to the Tim Burton version. It's the good thing about the character, very open to interpretations. As for the game itself, it's just like other Telltale games. I'd have to play through it several times to know just how much things change from my choices, but I'd assume that not much. Only a few choices seem to make big changes. Most are window dressing. The engine, though, needs an upgrade ASAP. These games are notorious for bugs and slowdowns. Sometimes the fps will slow to a crawl, and characters will talk without moving their mouths. It's not as bad as other games in the series, but still, it's time they do something about it.

Another solid Telltale game. I did have a hard time with some of the things they did story-wise, like Thomas Wayne having been a criminal, but at the end of the day the deviations in lore from the comics does not really change anything core to the Batman canon. This season focuses on Harvey Dent, Falcone, Selina Kyle, Lady Arkham, and Oswald Cobblepot... along with Bruce's core relationships with Gordon and Alfred. Joker also appears in a minor role as a John Doe in Arkham Asylum and he helps Bruce when Cobblepot and Lady Arkham arrange for Bruce to be sent to Arkham, which nicely prepares things for the next season.