BATMAN - The Telltale Series - Episode 1: Realm of Shadows Reviews

BATMAN - The Telltale Series - Episode 1: Realm of Shadows is ranked in the 63rd percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
ACG
Top Critic
Unscored
Aug 2, 2016
Batman: The Telltale Series Episode 1 :Realm Of Shadows Review video thumbnail
6.5 / 10.0
Aug 2, 2016

When it comes to Batman, I have some unreasonably high expectations and I am highly aware of it. But I can’t shake the feeling that I am not the only one let down by what Telltale has provided. On one hand they have laid the groundwork for a truly interesting and perhaps more human story that we have seen in Batman games before, but at the same time the delivery of said story doesn’t quite match the potential.

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68 / 100
Aug 2, 2016

Realm of Shadows indicates that it might tell an interesting Batman story, but takes time to get there and suffers from Telltale’s tired design and engine limitations.

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7 / 10.0
Aug 2, 2016

Batman: A Telltale Games Series: Realm of Shadows is a nice setup. It's not as strong as some of Telltale's other work, but it manages to honor the legacy of the series and throw in a few curveballs to keep things interesting (thank God there's no Joker yet).

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IGN
Top Critic
7.5 / 10.0
Aug 2, 2016

Telltale’s Batman is an unpredictable, multi-faceted adventure told through Batman the brawler, Batman the detective, and Bruce Wayne the politician. The three almost entirely separate characters and play-styles keep the familiar Telltale formula feeling fresh and inviting. While some of the dialogue does feel overly expositional, it’s hopefully only there to provide concrete padding for future episodes, and the gorgeous, high-action combat sequences and creative detective work provide the right amount of contrast.

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7 / 10.0
Aug 2, 2016

A few points of political intrigue are quickly washed away as the story adopts a greater mystery. Many of the sequences are surprising slow with little in terms of character or plot development

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9 / 10
Aug 2, 2016

This game is as much about the man behind the mask and the problems that Bruce Wayne faces, as it is taking on crime bosses, meeting familiar faces in new and interesting ways, and unravelling mysteries. Telltale’s Batman series is off to a great start, giving us a fresh view into the character that goes well beyond beating up criminals in alleyways.

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Aug 2, 2016

Batman - The Telltale Series doesn't reinvent the wheel and it has plenty of confusing design choices, but in giving it the Telltale treatment, the studio have made a fascinating adventure game and a unique portrayal of the Dark Knight that, if the rest of the series can live up to it, might stand the test of time.

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Aug 2, 2016

In typical Telltale fashion, you’re delivered a fiendishly teasing twist at the end that already has me speculating about where the series can go in episode two. But the good thing is that this will not be a series where the crook just gets away at the last second. Rather than be a series where Batman always feels a step behind an ever-elusive bad guy, Telltale has instead opted to have new and intriguing foes to take on with each episode. A consistent political undercurrent tied to Bruce’s backstory, and how his parents weren’t all they seemed, adds further intrigue to the plot that I can’t wait to explore in episode two.

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7 / 10
Aug 2, 2016

As it stands, Batman: The Telltale Series is off to a strong start, promising a contemporary retelling of a pop-culture icon while shedding light on his life outside the cowl. Wether it lives up to its promise remains to be seen, with all too familiar technical concerns marring an otherwise solid experience.

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10 / 10.0
Aug 2, 2016

Batman: The Telltale Series is truly Telltale at their finest providing a perfect imaging of this iconic caped crusader.

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8 / 10
Aug 2, 2016

Telltale begins breaking down Bruce Wayne with a strong first episode.

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Aug 2, 2016

Batman: The Telltale Series – Episode 1: Realm of Shadows offers a tantalizing taste of the new paths this series might forge for its legendary comic book hero. It's got everything you'd expect from a game about the Caped Crusader... plus plenty of things you wouldn't.

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80%
Aug 2, 2016

Telltale and Batman fans are well catered for in Batman: A Telltale Series' first episode, with a hefty dose of action and intrigue to set things up for the rest of the ensuing saga. We can't wait for more.

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Polygon
Top Critic
8 / 10.0
Aug 2, 2016

Batman: The Telltale Series is still packed, like any of the developer's games, with conversational social roleplay choices. This episode alone asks you to give a press conference and multiple speeches. And though the game begins with kicking butt as Batman, the front half of "Realm of Shadows" does drag a little.

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4.5 / 5.0
Aug 2, 2016

Batman: The Telltale Series: Episode One was the perfect start for Telltale’s latest franchise quest. The combat was slick, the storytelling was as per usual second-to-none, and the investigation moments helped to keep the gameplay varied.

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Aug 2, 2016

While still enjoyable, as the credits were rolling, I still wanted a little more. Thankfully, Telltale is already hard at work on Episode 2, which should be coming next month.

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Aug 2, 2016

Telltale's take on Batman will woo fans, but won't win skeptics.

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8.5 / 10.0
Aug 2, 2016

The prospects of taking on a character with such a varied and diverse range of work like Batman is surely one that is daunt: how do you take a hero like Batman and make him feel new again? For the large part, Telltale Games’ Batman series finds more of a middle-ground (much like the studio’s games) between the old and the new for the Dark Knight. With engine improvements and the episodic gameplay we’ve come to know from Telltale Games, Batman provides a vision of Gotham and the Caped Crusader that’s at once familiar and unexpected (with some big twists I didn’t see coming), and shows that new stories with the Dark Knight of Gotham don’t have to be relegated to the shadows.

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7.5 / 10.0
Aug 2, 2016

A fresh take on the Batman, and although some of the moments as Bruce Wayne can be great, the overall experience feels a little flat.

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