A new all time favorite

Oh yeah this is it. This game hit a peak in so many genres. Genuinely might be one of my favorite games ever.

It has taken me a couple days to get this review together because I have so many positive thoughts but I didn't want to write a review that was nothing but glaze and came across as being wrapped up in the fun of the game but, why not? I had this much fun in this game that there is no reason to write like I didn't.

Characters/Story:

The story is solid and is honestly a favorite of mine in terms of Batman. I don't want to get into too many spoilers but then again this game is 11 years old. I like that scarecrow ends up being the villain to mastermind the downfall of the Batman instead of the joker but the joker still plays a HUGE role in this game despite the events of the sequential last game (Arkham City). The way everything unfolds between Batman and the spirit of joker and how it ties into Batman's psyche and who he is and this unrelenting sense of justice. The relationship between Joker and Batman is at its absolute peak in this game. The story with the Arkham Knight himself is also solid but in my opinion, stumbles a bit in the end but not enough to make it bad, just okay. Overall, the main story is excellent and very engaging. Every main character and side character are well done and balanced. They all feel like they have personality to them and not just a character to be there just to be there. I honestly think my favorite from this game is the Joker and how he interacts with Batman and his motives and end goal. Its just excellent.

Side Quests:

This section is gonna be short but I think it is important. The side quests in this game are so well written and super engaging. I haven't wanted to complete side quests in a game for a long time until I got around to this and I think that can be credited to the writing of Batman in this series. Batman is written so well and his undying crusade that I become immersed in it and I myself want to save Gotham which I think is a great thing. I haven't completed every side quest but I am still playing the game currently and working towards a 100% completion. My first time ever doing so in a game. And for me this speaks volumes to how well everything in this game is written and ties together.

World:

The environment, map, world or however you like to label it, is fantastic in this game. The city feels alive and feels like a Gotham pulled from the comics. Its vibrant but also noir at the same time. The colors are everywhere but balanced at the same time. The city never feels like it is too much but doesn't feel bare either. The world feels ALIVE and that's what is most important. And for being an 11 year old game? The graphics hold up so well and the game is genuinely gorgeous.

Gameplay:

The gameplay is outstanding. The combat is crisp, the gadgets are fun, the upgrade system is solid and the Batmobile is a sweet addition to the gameplay loop. The Batmobile is what I want to talk about most since it is the item that is the most different than prior games. I like the addition of the Batmobile. I know that when the game came out, there was a big gripe about the Batmobile and that it was used way too much and I can agree to a certain extent. There are certain parts of the game especially in the first third of the game where I felt like "Dude I have to use the Batmobile again?" and it felt like I was going to be playing war thunder instead of Batman. however, I think that mellows out throughout the ladder half of the game especially if you break up the main story with side quests and so it balances out for me. I would have liked some more boss fights be hand-to-hand/gadget based fights with villains instead of Batmobile bosses, but I still thought it was balanced enough. However everything else gameplay wise is great. its the same crispy combat you get from Arkham city, just more polished.

Conclusion:

Overall, this game is fantastic as a story driven single player game, excellent in its class as a hack-n-slash/beat-em-up game, and in my eyes, worthy of an A+. I am still working to finish this game to 100% (all I have left is finding all Riddler trophies) but I am at 97% completion now so I felt like I was at a good point to give a full review. This game is now an all time favorite video game for me and a favorite piece of Batman media (looks like I gotta update that list). If you haven't played the Arkham Series before, I highly recommend it as each installation from rocksteady gets better than the last and are genuinely, great fun games.

Cheers.