BATMAN - The Telltale Series - Episode 2: Children of Arkham Reviews
All of the elements that made Episode 1 great, are just a touch better in Episode 2. Characters and voice acting settle in well. Plot points and character interactions are top notch here. Replayability gets a boost due to more significant choices that could be compelling to try a "do over" on. To better compare, Episode 1 isn't quite a tutorial, but presents as a solid introduction. Episode 2 uses that foundation and takes flight (on awexome batwings).
Batman: The Telltale Series — Episode Two: Children of Arkham is ultimately dispiriting, as a follow up to the amazing Season Premiere cliffhanger and fails at following that up with a sorry payoff to Episode One. A lot of the Episode feels rushed and underutilized, making it nigh impossible to dive back into the dichotomy of the mask of Bruce contrasting with the true face of Bruce, Batman. The vision for the Season does become quite clear after this Finale, but as a standalone, it fails to stand on its own two feet.
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.
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 furthers the story from the first episode and explores the relationship between the characters. Unfortunately the technical issues from the first episode still remain but that doesn't make the underlying narrative any less fun.
Children of Arkham delivers a great follow-up to the original episode, while also cleaning up the pace and some of the technical issues. I am more invested now than after the first episode, and am excited to see how things develop. Telltale has crafted a unique take on the Dark Knight, with characters taking on new roles, making it interesting for fans of the character. I am extremely excited to see where this story ends up.
I enjoyed playing it for my Children of Arkham review, and I’m not only waiting for the next episode but also hoping that a second season is in the cards because I’m loving what Telltale Games is doing with the Batman franchise.
What really stands out to me after these first two episodes is how Telltale has managed to take such a popular, well-established character and world and yet manages to make the experience feel both fresh and interesting. That is a tall order, as a narrative heavy game like this could have easily gotten off of the rails when trying to deviate from such familiar source material, but kudos to the team for stringing together two really solid episodes to open this series up.
Episode Two ‘Children of Arkham’ picks up directly from the episode one’s cliff-hanger and is full of tough choices and intense drama, both as Batman and Bruce Wayne.
Batman The Telltale Series Episode Two: Children Of Arkham improves greatly upon its introductory chapter.
"Children of Arkham is a solid follow-up to Realm of Shadows. As most Telltale games, it suffers on the altar of the outdated engine, but makes up for it with its striking aesthetic and atmosphere. Batman’s established backstory is partly thrown out in favor of a gloomier, moodier reimagining, but it’s handled well and flows very naturally. While I enjoy Telltale games for the most part, it’s been a while since an episode of one of their series had me this excited for the next one. But then again maybe I’m just that much of a Batman fanboy."
Telltale’s take on the universe is fresh, and it’s nice playing through a Batman story where you ultimately aren’t sure where things are going. Batman: The Telltale Series is quickly becoming one of my favorites that Telltale has worked on to date. Hopefully this continues with the final three episodes still to be released.
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.
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It sure would be nice if the gang could clean things up on the technical side as this season marches towards what we all have to assume will be an epic finale.
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.
Children of Arkham is a less theatric, but more disruptive story to Batman’s lore. Thickly-coated subplots mean more contemplative decisions as those layers become increasingly complex and intertwined.
Continuing from the first episode, Batman: The Telltale Series is still impressive and making me want to see more of Telltale's version of Batman. There's some nagging tech issues along the way, but as the episode kept going I was forgetting all about them.
'Batman' is gaining steam, a development I hope Telltale can maintain for the rest of the season. I am enjoying the narrative focus on Wayne and the dialogue that, while maintaining a familiar comics camp, can also be genuine when necessary. 'Children of Arkham' easily surpasses 'Realm of Shadow'.
Batman: The Telltale Series Episode 2 "Children of Arkham" continues perfectly off of the stellar first episode. The action is tight, the dialogue is engaging, and the characters are all fantastically acted and scripted. Fans of Batman and/or Telltale will be very pleased with the direction that this series is going. However, technical problems still create headaches, though they might be lesser for some players depending on the system they play on and the setup they have. Hopefully Telltale can clear those up soon, so that Batman: The Telltale Series can truly live up to its already great potential.
The second episode of The Batman Telltale Series may emphasize more on Bruce Wayne than Batman, but that doesn't mean it isn't fun.