Developed by Telltale Games
Released for Xbox 360/Xbox One (9/2016)
Also on iOS/Mac/PC/PS3/PS4/Switch
Batman: The Telltale Series is one of many licensed franchises that were given the Telltale Games treatment. The game takes many liberties with the Batman universe and while fans of the comics will recognize many of the characters, many of the backstories are quite different than you might be accustomed to. Though to be honest I haven't really followed Batman comics since the early to mid-'90s, so I could be wrong here but it is quite the contrast to the Batman and company that I knew as a youngin. I can see this being an issue with purists, but if you look at it as like an Elseworlds style spin-off there is some enjoyment to be had from Batman: The Telltale Series.
There are going to be some spoilers in the following paragraph as we'll be discussing some basic details of the story, so if you don't want any of the plot revealed you might want to skip ahead to the next paragraph. The first big shocker drops when you find out that your now-deceased father, Thomas Wayne, was involved in some shady business and was a criminal. Oswald Cobblepot, aka the Penguin, was a childhood-friend of Bruce's in this strange version of Gotham City. Other classic characters you'll encounter include Selina Kyle/Catwoman, Two-Face and the Joker. The character actors all do a great job with the voice acting, as has been the standard with Telltale Games in the past. The story is the game's strong suit and I'll leave it up to you if you wish to look into further spoilers, but I will say there are lots of unexpected twists that will leave you scratching your head and wanting to see what the next chapter holds.
As Telltale Games continued increasing their game output after the success of the Walking Dead series, it seems like they were putting out so many titles within a short time span that there developers were spread a bit thin. As a result the titles suffered a bit in the gameplay department and the game feels less like a point & click and more like a glorified quick time event with some dialogue events thrown in for good measure. There are occasionally some detective segments that allow you to explore a small area, but these feel short-lived compared to the abundance of quick-time events. While the detective sequences are a welcome breath of fresh air, they pale in comparison to the stuff you'll do in the Arkham series.
Batman: The Telltale Series was released on both the Xbox 360 and Xbox One and each play the pretty much the same with a few notable differences. As you would expect, the Xbox One version is the preferred method to play this one if possible, as the game has quicker loading, looks nicer and it runs a bit more stable. Batman: The Telltale Series is obviously running on the same engine as the old games from Telltale with minor tweaks over the years, so the graphics and gameplay are similar to company's other efforts. The visuals look much sharper on the One, but it is a decent looking game for the aging 360 hardware.
Both versions featured numerous visual glitches, such as cigarette smoke that didn't have transparency effects applied or Montoya's character model completely failing to load in at a certain point which resulted in Batman and Gordon talking to an invisible character. These glitches were visually annoying, but not frequent enough that they ruined the game. I also experienced a crash to the home screen while playing on Xbox One, but it was only a single instance so not that big of a deal. It's rather common for there to be a delay for achievements to unlock in this game, sometimes taking a day or two before they unlock, which is another slight annoyance, but not a game breaker.
As with many of the other titles from Telltale Games, Batman: The Telltale Series feels a bit rushed and you'll no doubt encounter some glitches while playing through it, especially if you're playing it on the older systems. While the glitches can be a bit annoying, the story and voice acting is well-done and worth playing the game to experience. If you've enjoyed previous Telltale Games efforts or if you're a fan of Batman, this one's worth a look but you might want to wait on a sale before grabbing it.
Final Verdict: Batman: The Telltale Series is an interesting take on the Batman universe, flipping several of the tropes to make a unique Batman story. Though it's a bit linear and glitchy, this one's still worth a look especially if you find it cheap.
Purchase Links:
Buy Batman: The Telltale Series (Xbox One - Digital) - Microsoft Store
Buy Batman: The Telltale Series (Xbox 360 - Digital) - Xbox Marketplace
Search Batman: The Telltale Series (Xbox One - Disc Copy) - eBay
Search Batman: The Telltale Series (Xbox 360 - Disc Copy) - eBay
Related Links:
Telltale Games - Xbox Overview
Point & Click Games - Xbox Overview
Telltale Games - Official Site
Batman: The Telltale Series - True Achievements
Batman: The Telltale Series Achievement Guide - Xbox Achievements
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