BATMAN - The Telltale Series - Episode 2: Children of Arkham Reviews
There's promise going forward, for the story at least, but this is an otherwise messy episode on several levels.
Telltale Games continue to be a formidable supervillain, and manage to turn Batman into the one thing he should never be: boring.
Continued technical issues and a stumble in story hold episode two of Telltale's latest series from being as good as it's debut predecessor. That being said, if you're a fan of the caped crusader, there are still some interesting threads dangling that are worth seeing through to the next episode.
Whilst this episode is something of a let-down, it at least sets up enough plot points that could deliver quality episodes yet to be released. Oswald and his shadowy partners in the Children of Arkham have their big plan to unveil. The relationship between Bruce and Selina, between Bruce and Alfred, between Bruce and Harvey… everyone knows what's coming there! The next episode will hopefully pay off on many of the threads Telltale is setting up.
Batman: The Telltale Series - Episode 2: Children of Arkham has two flaws. Firstly, everything, from the talking to the punching, is done in pretty much the same way as before, which results in a good game, but not a substantially different experience. Secondly, Telltale still plays it safe with the storytelling, with choices that don't really matter in the long run. The finale of this episode, however, hints at a potential change of strategy for the upcoming chapters… a change that will surely stir things up a bit.
That’s a game which absolute nails this style of episodic, choice-driven gaming and the new bar for Telltale to meet. For now, I can only hope this season of Batman can elevate itself to a far greater level than the first two episodes let on.
A step back for the series, but still an enjoyable couple of hours despite the flaws.
This review will contain spoilers for all previous episodes and the current episode of Batman The Telltale Series. For our review of Batman The Telltale Series Ep. 1: Realm of Shadows, click here.At the end there’s the promise of a new larger villain at play, who seems suspiciously like Telltale’s version Scarecrow with a slightly modified Batman Begins story, using a neurotoxin to “free” the city of Gotham. I’m just waiting for the inevitable Joker reveal, because let’s be honest, everyone who takes on the Batman mythos wants the chance to do their particular version of the Joker. At this point, while trying to honor Batman and give unexpected beats, Telltale has managed to make Batman actually feel dull. There’s a lot of potential in what they are doing, but Children of Arkham is more poorly rehearsed high school play than engrossing Batman fiction.
Children of Arkham eventually gets to really interesting places, but it takes them a little too long to get there — and many interesting story threads from the premier aren't given proper attention gameplay-wise or story-wise. Still, it's nice to see Bruce Wayne and Batman taken in such a dark new direction.
An improvement on the first episode, but still marred by technical issues and. A move in the right direction, but it's still too early to tell if this is more The Killing Joke or Batman & Robin.
It has the air of young men putting on silly costumes, not knowing what they're doing, and trying to style it out.
Telltale gives Oswald Cobblepot some time in the limelight, but skimps on gameplay to do so.
So short Batman himself should be investigating, but what they have added is a decent and different interpretation of the Batman lore. Those of us on the train will enjoy and be looking forward to the third installment.
Batman: The Telltale Series is still firing on all cylinders in terms of story, and is introducing new and more complex dynamics to character relationships with Bruce and Batman, as we should know to expect from the studio. Due to this, I find myself less enthused about pulling off slick combos as Batman, and more about watching how he and his human side tackle this sticky situation and the consequences of their choices.
By trimming the fat, Telltale has delivered a much stronger episode in its fledgling Batman series. The story's beginning to take a shape of its own now, and more interesting personalities are beginning to come to the fore. While it still feels like the developer's laying foundations, this episode begins with a twist and goes out like a rocket – and that's how we'd like it to continue, thank you very much.
You still have your patented "safe" approach from Telltale with Batman: A Telltale Games Series: Children of Arkham, but its heart is in the right place. Retreading on Batman themes we've already seen from great writers like Jeph Loeb, Frank Miller, or Scott Snyder isn't necessarily a bad thing.
Children of Arkham begins with a couple of great scenes and an interesting plot twist. Unfortunately the central part of the episode doesn't work that well. The QTE-Based fights are dull, and the investigative component which had been one of the distinctive trait of the first episode is completely missing.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Children of Arkham is rather enjoyable and shines thanks to its refined writing, but the gameplay doesn't dare to get far from Telltale' standards and forgets about some interesting new mechanics we saw in Realm of Shadows.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Telltale's Batman: Episode 2 not only exceeds the first episode in every way but manages a fresh take on Batman lore, which is no small feat.
Children of Arkham has the balance of you playing as Batman and Bruce Wayne. The story keeps getting better and better, and interestingly enticing. I like where Telltale is going with their first season of Batman, and I am thrilled to know what Episode 3: New World Order has to offer.