BATMAN - The Telltale Series - Episode 2: Children of Arkham Reviews
The second installment of Telltale's Batman takes all of the solid foundations established by Episode 1, trims most of the fat, and continues to build an engaging Dark Knight story in a unique and uncharted version of the D.C. legend’s universe. Old Bat-fans will get much more out of the unexpected twists and turns than a newcomer, but the relationships Bruce Wayne forms and develops with the people around him appeal equally.
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.
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.
In traditional Telltale fashion, "Children of Arkham" ends on a high note and I'm already anxiously awaiting the next episode.
It’s definitely aimed at the Bat-fans, but Telltale is busy crafting a superb story starring the dark knight that manages to feel fresh and brutal.
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.
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.
While anyone will be able to enjoy the Telltale Batman series, it definitely feels as if you need to have at least a decent understanding of the basics for this interpretation to really make an impact. Fans of the Dark Knight will love the ways the traditional story is being twisted and turned here, but those not so familiar may not quite know why things are as important or shocking as they may seem
'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'.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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
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.
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.
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.
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.