BATMAN: The Telltale Series - Episode 1: Realm of Shadows | Xbox One

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Telltale Games’ narrative take on Batman is a refreshing one; the man beneath the cowl takes centre stage in a battle with corrupt politics and organised crime, whilst maniacal villains take somewhat of a back seat.

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by Sam 
​Sant

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@SlamShotSam

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Developer: Telltale 
Games
Publisher: Telltale
Games
Platforms: Xbox One, Xbox 360, PS4, PS3, PC, Mac, iOS, Android
Players: 1 - 12

There’s still room for dressing up, the Caped Crusader’s segments are just used sparingly. It must have been a difficult decision to make, after all, it’s only natural to utilise a character of that status’ gravitas wherever possible. Telltale’s bravery paid off, however, the shift in focus allowing them to concentrate upon their strongest assets and establish one of the most intriguing tales Gotham has spun.

With the city’s mayoral campaign well underway, billionaire Bruce Wayne backs District Attorney Harvey Dent’s run for office. It’s a move motivated by the notion of change - an attempt to overthrow Hamilton Hill’s corrupt leadership - yet, as the player, knowing what Dent’s future might hold is immediate cause for concern. Already caught in a catch-22, Mafioso Carmine Falcone’s added involvement makes the whole landscape toxic.

Waging a war of words to spread influence and garner favour by day as Bruce, by night Batman endeavours to uncover the sinister truths behind the pleasantly false faces he earlier encountered.

The Batsuit donned is an imposing and homage-paying mixture of old and new, its glowing eyes and deep voice modulation geared towards instilling the kind of fear that makes potential criminals think twice before acting up. It’s designed to avoid conflict wherever possible, which is only natural with the injuries Bruce routinely sustains from engaging in combat. Through being exposed to the consequences of his vigilantism, as well as his reluctance to engage in it, the image of Batman as an invincible hero gives way to one of a human being simply doing what he believes he must.

Engagements are handled with Batman’s trademark flair for violent, non-lethal hand-to-hand combat and expensive gadgetry. Whilst bouts are satisfyingly hard-hitting and cinematic, they also feel somewhat empty. After growing accustomed to pulling off the same moves manually in the Arkham series, executing them as QTEs just doesn’t carry the same clout.

Through being exposed to the consequences of Batman's vigilantism, as well as his reluctance to engage in it, the image of an invincible hero dissipates. 

The game engine also finds itself lacking, even after an upgrade, as Telltale’s well-established technical hitches remain present and accounted for. They may occur less frequently, but we’d expect noticeable frame drops, momentary pauses, occasionally limp - even entirely missing - sound effects and distracting jagged edges to have been ousted. ​

Whilst the series is entirely Telltale’s own, tying directly into no established arm of the franchise, the detective scenes lean heavily upon those from Batman: Arkham Origins. You’ll analyse clues within a crime scene and make physical links between the evidence in order to build a picture of what happened - once it’s fully fleshed out, the scene will play back in full. It isn’t particularly mentally taxing, but playing as the World’s Greatest Detective is engaging nonetheless.

The same mechanic is later recycled to formulate a plan of attack, which will go off without a hitch whatever approach you might choose (provided you hit the QTEs in time, of course). This illusory choice is something you’ll have to learn to live with in order to glean the most from the experience, but it does become slightly egregious when characters spout total inaccuracies. After interrogating a goon through the sole means of intimidation, Alfred chastised us for having “gone too far” in “beating him half to death”. Finally gone senile, eh?

The seeds of an intriguing and unique Batman story have been sewn. We’re left questioning who and what we know, eager to uncover more.

Despite its problems, through employing a grounded cast of recognisable characters - whom you can read up on in the Codex, should they be unfamiliar to you - that span shades of grey, the seeds of an intriguing and unique Batman story have been sewn. Its a reinvigorating take on the franchise and its characters that left us questioning who and what we know, as well as eager to uncover more in the coming episodes. That's the sign of an opening done very right.

Pros

• Refreshing take on the character
• Surprising and engaging narrative
• Doesn’t rely on the usual, well-trodden cast of antagonists
• Engaging investigation sequence
• Left us wanting more

Cons

• Falls victim to Telltale’s usual technical issues
• Choices often don’t matter
• QTE combat feels somewhat lacklustre

Score 8/10