Batman: Arkham Knight might be the greatest portrayal of Bat-lore outside of the comics, beating the Academy award-winning Nolan movies in my opinion. Rocksteady weaves all facets of Batman's most desperate moments into the Arkhamverse with grim surgical precision. The Arkham Knight draws heavy inspiration from Batman's darkest comics, the authenticity of the Nolan movies and the nightmarish comedy of Batman: The Animated Series. The method of delivery for this torment is sheer genius and is almost on par with 'Metal Gear Solid' for its bait-and-switch twists-and-turns. On his quest to stop Scarecrow, Batman runs the gauntlet of an entire gallery of super-villains and is tormented throughout by the events of the previous games.
The Arkham Knight leads a vast mercenary army, who sport advanced technology and a huge drone arsenal. Batman's efforts are complicated by the titular Arkham Knight - a self-styled Batman imposter who carries a pathological hatred of Batman. Gotham City's population drains in a massive evacuation, and it's up to Batman to discover what Scarecrow is up to. The effects of this are seen right at the beginning of the game, as he unleashes it on an unsuspecting diner to devastating result. Scarecrow is (on paper) the primary threat in Arkham Knight - he's concocted a new type of Fear Gas that is so potent that it leads people into a self-destructive psychosis. Praising Batman Arkham Knight's story without spoilers is incredibly hard, but the bait-and-switch between the events of Arkham City and Arkham Knight is masterful storytelling and elevates some of the lesser Batman villains as a result. The 18-rating allows for the retelling of some of Batman's bloodiest moments from the comic books in grim flashbacks and Fear Toxin induced hallucinations. Picking up the 18-rating from the ESRB is undoubtedly a step towards this.
As a Batman fan, I've longed for a movie that was a more accurate reflection of the comic books, and I think Arkham Knight is as close to the mark as it gets. Truly, the crown jewel of Arkham Knight is its story. Batman has always provided us with a warped, nightmarish reflection of Western living, and Arkham Knight's Gotham is no different. From Poison Ivy's scientifically-questionable mutant plants to meta-human hybrids like Man-Bat, Rocksteady's Arkham Knight revels in the wackiest elements of Batman lore and emerges credibility unscathed. Arkham Knight, like the other games, side-steps the gritty realism of the famed Nolan movies, opting instead to remain firmly in the comic book realm. Throughout my time with Batman Arkham Knight, I haven't encountered a single crash, a single instance of screen tearing or slowdown. The sheer amount of detail found across the game's locations and characters place Batman: Arkham Knight among true new-gen games.
The draw distance is positively insane - a dive from the top of Wayne Tower reveals the full breadth of play-space available to you, which is equal parts daunting and enthralling.
Gotham is rendered in Unreal Engine 3 and proves that the aging engine still packs plenty of wallop.
Throughout my time with Batman Arkham Knight, I haven't encountered a single crash, a single instance of screen tearing or slowdownīatman: Arkham Knight is PS4, Xbox One and (eventually) PC only, and that new-gen exclusivity shines. This includes various references to Superman's domain of Metropolis, leading many to think Rocksteady's next game may soar to whole new heights.
Arkham Knight's Gotham is littered with subtle references and details in homage to the DC Universe. The city's open-world bleakness is matched only by its attention to detail. Rocksteady has painstakingly recreated the classic Gotham City for Arkham Knight, complete with ACE Chemicals, Wayne Tower and various other landmarks from Batman mythology. Setting & Graphics Welcome to Gotham City