My thoughts on Batman: Arkham Knight
Just like Arkham Origins, this was a polarizing game in the franchise. Before it was released in the US, it got good reviews, with Gamespot being the weakest, giving it a 7 or 7.5 out of 10. Part of the reason why is because the PC launch was a mess, lack of boss fights, and there was one element of the game that overstayed its welcome. Also, like Arkham Origins, some people's views on the game have changed despite Origins being buggy. As far as Arkham Origins goes, I wouldn't have minded the game's story if it took place on Batman's tenth anniversary.
This was my reaction to the Black Mask twist.
I don't like being taken for a fool. I'm not going to focus on The Arkham Knight's gameplay or mechanics, I will be focusing on the game's story. What can I say about the Batmobile that's already been said? Before I get into the story, I just want to say I wish Rocksteady would get the fans more involved with these games, as far as asking us what bat-suit we want to use as skins. I wish curing Man-Bat was a boss battle. The Azrael side mission is my favorite because it shows how subliminal messages work.
The story is the weakest part of the game for me. I know saying that goes against what I said about video games should focus on gameplay first and story second, but this is a rare case. Plus, games have evolved from that; they can tell stories in a way that movies can't. (That's one of the reasons why most video game movies suck, but I digress.) The game's story sounds fine on paper, but it's a mess in practice. That's a shame because the story can be fixed with a few adjustments. Let's start with talking about the Arkham Knight.
Despite being annoyed that Jason Todd is the Arkham Knight, I wouldn't have minded it so much if this was revealed at the end of the ACE Chemicals mission. By doing that, you give Bruce /Batman time to process this reveal, flesh out their story and make their ending feel less rushed. For example, how does Bruce feel that he couldn't find Jason until now, does that haunt him like not finding his parent's killer? We don't know because the game doesn't give us time to explore that question. Also, we don't know anything about this game version of Jason Todd. We learn things about him, but we don't experience them. I know these games are made for fans, but they play with the Batman lore.
Jason endangered and killed GOD knows how many people, and he gets to Rome free, what gives Batman!?! I don't mind the idea of someone who knows Batman tactics being a villain, I just wish the writers used a different character. Jason wasn't the type of villain who had a vendetta against Batman. Plus, he was more of an anti-hero. He wasn't as big of a threat as he could have been in the game. I mean, nothing he did has a long-term effect on Batman. This game didn't do Jason Todd justice. I say that because he wasn't a coward in the comics. In this game, he abducts the only Batman ally that's disabled, he doesn't fight Batman directly, and as the game goes on, he becomes unhinged. For someone who's leading an Army against one man, this is a bad look. Don't get me started on his motivation to want Batman dead. I'm not saying the Joker brainwashing Jason into hating Batman isn't believable; however, I don't like how it's done.
This was done better in The Dark Knight because the Joker didn't have to do much to Harvey Dent for him to turn heel. Plus, the Joker gave him the option to kill him. I wish that was in the game. Pairing him up with Scarecrow also hurts the character because they both want different things. Yes! The Arkham Knight said he wants Batman to suffer, but he really wants to kill him. Instead of wanting Batman dead, he should turn his allies against him. I say that because that was his second motivation; I mean, he resents Bruce for viewing him as a soldier. Jason expressed this in the comics, but it wasn't focused on.
I'm surprised this wasn't done in the comics because it shouldn't be hard for him to get Barbara and Dick on his side. Barbara was also a victim of The Joker, and Dick almost killed him if it wasn't for Batman. Damian Wayne is also bloodthirsty, and Jason parallels with Selina/Catwoman. I'm surprised they didn't have a relationship instead of him and Talia, but I digress. It would be interesting to see a Bat-family civil war. Despite the Joker being dead in the game, there are other sadistic villains like Victor Zsasz and Prof. Pyg. This is the general public's first introduction to this character, and the game could have done more with him.
Before I get into the Scarecrow, I just want to say that if we do get a Batman movie with the Scarecrow, I don't want him to use fear gas. Fear gas is becoming a crutch for the character; I want him to find another way to expose people's fear or find a substitute for fear gas. If this game doesn't make you a Scarecrow fan, nothing will. He won before the game started; his goal was to discredit Batman, and he did. Heck, he even says it in the game. Batman did stop him, but it was a bittersweet victory.
If you think his backup plans are ridiculous, how do you think I feel about Batman's contingency plans? I hope this puts it into perspective. ( I doubt it because the pus... I mean his Kool-Aid is too good.) With that said, I find it jarring that the whole city is covered in fear gas, and after Batman fixed that, the game goes back to normal. I wish the Scarecrow was as charismatic as he was in the first game. Instead of pairing him with the Arkham Knight, he should have been paired with Hush. I say that because they both want the same thing; the difference is that Hush wants to discredit Bruce Wayne.
I'm mad that this game wasted his side mission because more could have been done with it. You know I would like to see a movie with these two or Clayface that would make a good psychological thriller, but I digress. As much as I enjoy the Joker hallucinations, they should have been removed from the game. They don't express how Batman feels about the Joker's death; the most we get is an implication that he let the Joker die. It's bad enough that this franchise focuses on these two, but this makes it worse.
As far as Batman's subplot, I wish it was about dealing with his obsession with crime instead of becoming the Joker. I mean, is he obsessed to the point where he enjoys it and doesn't care about the collateral damage? Going in this direction will give the ending to Arkham City pay off, help with my suggestion with Jason Todd and the game ending. Batman Beyond tried to do this, but it didn't go far enough. Plus, he doesn't talk about how he feels about the Joker being dead, going in that direction can make up for that. Instead of him saying goodbye to everyone at the end of the game, he should try to make amends with everyone. Why did this game tell us that Batman died? The way this game ended reminds me of TDKR ending.
Overall, the story left more to be desired, and it makes the gameplay experience a mixed bag for me. That's all I have to say about this game for now.