BATMAN - The Telltale Series - Episode 2: Children of Arkham Reviews
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.
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Telltale Games continue to be a formidable supervillain, and manage to turn Batman into the one thing he should never be: boring.
There's promise going forward, for the story at least, but this is an otherwise messy episode on several levels.
Episode 2 doesn't bring anything new to the table, instead opting to improve on the previous episode in terms of plot and pacing.
If Telltale stay this good we’ll be very happy with Batman, but if they successfully build on the good things about Episodes 1-2 then it could become one of their best seasons. We’re looking forward to finding out.
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 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.
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.
Telltale’s Batman is off to a great start, but only time will tell as to if the developers can weave a Bats story that ranks among the upper echelon of The Dark Knight’s adventures.
Telltale continues to craft its own version of Batman and Bruce Wayne. The action is still solid, but this is all about the story: Who is Bruce Wayne when everything he knows to be true is a lie? Given the truth of his origins, who is Batman? Telltale's Batman relies on safety and familiarity to subvert expectations here and it works well.
We continue where we last left our caped crusader... Falcone in custody and a question about Bruce's parents... but what next?
Children of Arkham does a great job at building and expanding the characters, while also developing not only the plot against Gotham but also the Wayne family storyline. There’s a major reveal near the episode’s conclusion that is going to have serious repercussions for Bruce Wayne, and it’ll be interesting to see how both the public and Bruce react to the revelation.
The story is gripping, the game looks beautiful, the production values are excellent, but you don’t really get a lot to do.
Telltale continues to tell a unique Batman tale (see what I did there) in the second episode of its series featuring Gotham's most iconic vigilante. The gameplay may be brain dead, but the story is well worth pursuing if you're a fan of the Bat, or just like a solid video game narrative to consume.
The second episode of Batman: The TellTale series raises the stakes in a major way, with both weighty decisions, and a plot that continues to astound.
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.
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.
'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'.
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.
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.