Game Review 015 Batman the Telltale Series Episode One

Batman the Telltale Series Episode One Realm of Shadows 
[080316] 4.5/5

> A rather engaging opening fitting the vigilante's persona with needed highlights of his and Catwoman's numerous abilities as well as gadgets, although the now signature Telltale's gameplay mechanics and buttons would be unfamiliar to the new players

> The now Telltale's signature decision-based gameplays provided the golden opportunity to decide how Bruce Wayne and especially his alter ego approach every situation no matter how minute or big they are, with the repercussions are mostly still up in the air 

> Having to first establish this particular city of Gotham and the characters that inhabit it, the pace is understandably slow with much focus on the philanthropist's more social side with a number of mainstay characters around him 

  

- mostly positive, ?, 6.2, wiki, official -

- about - 

Enter the fractured psyche of Bruce Wayne and discover the powerful and far-reaching consequences of your choices as the Dark Knight. 

In this gritty and violent new story from the award-winning creators of The Walking Dead – A Telltale Games Series, you'll make discoveries that will shatter Bruce Wayne's world, and the already fragile stability of a corrupt Gotham City. 

Your actions and your choices will determine the fate of the Batman.

Cast
Troy Baker - Bruce Wayne/Batman
Travis Willingham - Harvey Dent
Erin Yvette - Vicky Vale
Enn Reitel - Alfred Pennyworth
Murphy Guyer - Lieutenant James Gordon
Richard McGonagle - Carmine Falcone
Laura Bailey - Selina Kyle
...

(Developer Telltale Games, Engine Telltale Tool [upgraded], Platform Home Consoles, PC/Mac & Mobile Devices,  Duration - 2+hours, Genre - Action, Batman Universe, Crime, Detective, Telltale's Point and Click)

+ Highlights: 

 ~ the fresh and long awaited take on the less well-known side of the Dark Knight with the more unstable Bruce Wayne still affected by the parents' death

 ~ the long awaited ability to personalise your own Batman's decisions

 ~ the updated game engine shows its improvement in its animations backed up by the eye-catching comic book visual style (i.e. the expressive faces and more crisp visuals) although the more fluid animations couldn't masked their unnatural/ fabricated movements

 ~ the believable performances by the solid cast of voice-over actors especially for Bruce Wayne and Alfred

 ~ the first meeting with Catwoman in and out of the suits and the one tense moment between them

 ~ the variety of gadgets that help Batman in his investigations as well as in his physical altercations (i.e. the detective scene in the warehouse and the fight plan with the drone)

 ~ well choreographed and tense action sequences and quick time events fitting to the caped crusader

- Lowlights: 

 ~ slow pacing at the start, 

 ~ the rigid and uninventive nature of the Telltale's formula making it a design trap for other franchises to work in 

 ~ the similar beats of the Batman's backstory albeit with an interesting twist in the end

 ~ the decisions made mostly still feel inconsequential with the repercussions are not immediate or even contrary to them

 ~  the now jaded button-mashing of the QTEs  

~ Telltale's time-tested and proven formula, being honed almost to perfection which is proven in its games' sales but running the risk of treading the same old ground and get the returning Telltale players bored of the monotony and lack of innovation, although the new engine make the in-game characters look better and smoother for now

~ A rich lore of a well-known franchise full of interesting storylines to be based on especially with its diverse gallery of rogues as well as the complex familial ties surrounding the hooded vigilante

~ A different approach on an iconic superhero that was recently brought to life wonderfully in the Arkham series, possibly focusing in more on the detective side of the Dark Knight, which is confirmed by the released casting list and characters that revolved around the bureaucracy rather than the extraordinary villains themselves

~ With a number of games that has been produced, still in production and going to be produced, the studio is risking itself being spread too thin and having less focus on each series, albeit it is highly unlikely right now considering how critically acclaimed their products as of now