Batman: Arkham Shadow VR Review

Games involving DC’s crusader have helped deliver revolutionary highs and some disappointing lows; happily, Batman: Shadow of Arkham takes the iconic character into the VR medium with resounding triumph, despite some irritating issues. After Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League failed to captivate fans Arkham franchise, developer Camouflaj’s Batman: Shadow of Arkhamthe brilliant writing and engaging gameplay are exactly what Batman fans of the game have been waiting.

After a beautiful 2015 Batman: Arkham Knight from developer Rocksteady was released, it set a high standard for superhero games. Few have come close to creating a gaming experience that captures the mood and feel of characters like Batman and Spider-Man, especially with the immersive capabilities of modern VR technology, until now.

One reason why Batman: Arkham The games have been so loved for their world-building, writing, and action, all combining to make players feel like they are the Dark Knight. Although the technology is not perfect, Batman: Shadow of Arkham does a fantastic job with its engaging story and gameplay to make players feel more like Batman than ever before, while also revolutionizing the way action games can work with VR.

An original Batman story that deconstructs the myth

Arkham Shadow feels like a complete game compared to Batman: Arkham VR

DC’s decades of Batman lore means there’s a wealth of iconic stories that any game based on the legendary character could adapt, and yet Shadow of Arkham avoid adapting one directly. This really adds to how fantastic Batman: Shadow of Arkhamthe writing and history of are.

The game’s events take place six months after the underrated Batman: Arkham Originsand several fan-favorite characters appear long before they become villains. Even though fans of the franchise are more than aware of the fate their characters will meet, BASIS manages to shock players with its plot twists and presentation that surpass previous ones Arkham games in many ways.

A mysterious new enemy known as The Rat King has begun forming a dangerous cult in Gotham City, and it’s up to Batman, Commissioner Gordan and District Attorney Harvey Dent to stop the violent gang before the approaching day of reckoning. Without spoiling too much, a large portion of the game sees Batman go undercover as an inmate at Blackgate Prison to find the Rat King, which leads to some unfortunate pacing issues.

The game’s story takes place closer to the beginning of Batman’s career than the end. It involves a version of Bruce Wayne who is still learning how to manage the persona and what it could mean for the citizens of Gotham. The message contrasts beautifully with the Rat King’s followers, who worship the villain as a god who will bring solutions to all their problems. As Batman learns more about his enemy, he is forced to face the effects and difficulties that a symbol can bring. a lesson that is becoming painfully relevant in the real world.

Gotham in VR feels like a dream that doesn’t last long enough

Blackgate Prison Feels Less Vibrant to Explore Than Gotham

Much like the revolutionary VR experience of Half-life: Alyx, Batman: Shadow of Arkham is a complete game with linear stages to explore. As expected from a complete Arkham title, players navigate its rich world filled with hidden collectibles, crime scenes to investigate, and a multitude of bad guys to punch. The sections where Batman investigates and fights crime in Gotham showcase a game world that balances a dark but vibrant tone, with story-filled posters plastered on the walls and bright advertisements for locations and characters that DC fans can see.

Gotham’s iconic atmosphere is brilliantly recreated in VR; however, more than half of the game takes place in Blackgate Prison. While BASIS does a great job creating engaging quests there, beating up criminals and solving puzzles in Gotham is a highlight players will probably want more. Still, the prison is full of beloved characters, portrayed by ridiculously fantastic actors, who make the time of confinement feel more like a well-produced television series, which is both a blessing and a curse for Batman: Shadow of Arkham.

The game’s cast is so talented it’s almost criminal

Many great Batman voice actors return for Arkham Shadow

One aspect of VR gaming that is often underappreciated and underutilized is that, as it more effectively immerses the player in the game world, it allows their characters and performances to feel much more personal. Fundamentally, the cast interacts directly, rather than node the player. The body language, voice acting, and head tracking of the game’s characters help make the game feel more real than most video games can convey. This becomes especially apparent during many of the Batman: Shadow of Arkhamdialogue-heavy Blackgate scenes and flashbacks involving Bruce and Harvey Dent’s reworked bond.

Troy Baker has proven himself more than capable of delivering intense, emotional performances in games like The last of usbut his portrayal of Harvey Dent is full of hope, regret, and frustration that easily ranks as one of the most fantastic portrayals of the character. But he’s not alone with Batman: Shadow of Arkham including several captivating performances from beloved characters and sides of them that fans haven’t yet been able to see as effectively in previous adaptations.

Iconic talents like Tara Strong as Dr. Harleen Quinzel return, but newcomers Elijah Wood’s version of the future Scarecrow, Dr. Jonathan Crane, provides a chilling portrait of the fear-obsessed, empathy-free doctor. Roger Craig Smith’s version of Batman also does a great job of expressing a less experienced and sometimes emotionally compromised version of the beloved character.

Although the cast’s performances create several suspenseful moments, BASISThe fluid and revolutionary gameplay is so fun that your Long story sections feel more like an award-winning prison drama than a game where players hope to defeat enemies with their bat-themed fists and gadgets.

Gameplay that’s the closest players can get to being Batman

Other franchises can learn a lot from Arkham Shadow’s VR Combat

THE Batman: Arkham The series has inspired countless action games with its fluid combat and full of gadgets and simple controls. And luckily, developer Camouflaj found a way to adapt the franchise’s addictive fighting mechanics to the VR format. When fighting enemies, an icon appears over their bodies and all players have to do is punch in that general direction, quickly bringing Batman’s fist down on the enemy. Battles require punches to be thrown in specific areas to land, but with stuns, combos, ultimate attacks and gadgets eventually unlocked, players develop an excellent range of combat tactics.

Previous fans Batman Action games must have a good idea of ​​the enemies they will fight. BASIS. The baton-wielding electric guards must be fought off, and the large brutes must be stunned before a series of highly satisfying punches can be executed. Incoming attacks are still signaled so that players can counterattack, which is easy to achieve by pressing the left stick, helping Batman escape or even jump behind an enemy. The fluidity of the combat is an achievement for a VR title. Hopefully, Batman: Shadow of Arkham drives future VR games like Arkham Asylum made for third-person action games.

Batman: Shadow of ArkhamThe stealth sections are thankfully just as fun as the previous ones Arkham games. VR has done little to lessen the excitement of setting traps for unsuspecting enemies, marking silent drops from air ducts and hanging gargoyle statues. While gameplay felt tight and responsive during the stealth and combat sections, other moments of exploration contained their share of bugs, such as invisible walls where they shouldn’t be, beeps emitted at the wrong times or repeated consistently, and sometimes even falling into the game world, all problems that were resolved after a quick reset but happened often enough to be brought to the surface.

Final Thoughts and Review Score

Screen Rant gives Batman: Arkham Shadow a 9 out of 10

Happily, BASISPerformance issues don’t happen enough to ruin the fun of the game, but some of them were much more annoying than others. If players take their time, enjoy all the clever dialogue, hidden lore, tricky puzzles, and discover the many collectibles, Batman: Shadow of Arkham can easily take 15 to 20 hours to complete. Meta Quest 3’s battery will force players to take breaks every two hours to recharge.

BASIS effectively uses VR to surpass previous games with several smart decisions that deliver a brilliant, exciting story packed with satisfying gameplay. The Combat and Predator Stealth challenges can be accessed from the main menu, complete with online leaderboards, and are a great way to get into the action quickly, especially between some of the longer sections in the game’s story.

Hopefully future updates will improve the bugs and add more to the game’s six challenges, but Batman: Shadow of Arkham is the next stage of immersion in the franchise, thanks in part to its fluid gameplay mechanics and stellar performance.

Source: Meta-mission/ YouTube