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Batman: Arkham Knight (AK) is the final installment in the popular Arkham franchise. Putting the player in the shoes of the Caped Crusader, Batman will be facing his greatest challenge yet that could change Gotham City and himself forever. Does this grand conclusion live up to the hype? Let’s dive in.
Pros
- Addicting and satisfying combat system
- Brilliantly designed stealth sections
- Large open world with gorgeous environments
- Tons of sidequests and puzzles to tackle
- The introduction of the Batmobile completely redefines the game
- A faithful adaptation that respects Batman’s mythology
Cons
- The lack of/terrible boss battles

Gameplay

Generally, you will be doing one of this three stuff in AK: beating up thugs using the FreeFlow Combat system, silently picking enemies off one by one in Predator sections or cruising around the decrepit city of Gotham. Each of them also receives substantial new additions (which will be covered in a separate section), giving more flexibility to the players on how to approach the situation.
Firstly, let’s begin with the combat. A staple of the franchise, it is more rhythm-based and emphasizes strategic offense compared to other action titles. After hitting an enemy three times, Batman will enter into a FreeFlow state where every hit will instantly knock them to the ground. As most of the fights have you engaging with more than a dozen enemies at the same time, the combat system allows Batman to gracefully moves across the battlefield at lightning speed.
To counter this, the goons will come equipped with a wide variety of equipment to hinder your assault. For example, enemies armed with knives must be dodged multiple times while the ones with stun batons can only be attacked from behind. There are also special enemy types such as the brutes that can tank a lot of hits and the medic that can revive downed enemies.
Moving on, we have Predator AKA the stealth levels. During these sections, the mooks are all armed with guns; therefore, instead of engaging them head-on, Batman will instead take all of them out silently. Creativity is encouraged here as there are numerous ways to take down an enemy. Sure, you could just choke them from behind, but it would be much more fun to smash them through a window, grab them while hanging from a ledge or even surprise them from a vent. While playing FreeFlow makes you feel like an unstoppable beast, Predator on the other hand reminds you exactly why Batman is feared by the superstitious and cowardly lot.
Just like normal combat, AK will challenge your sneaking skills by having the enemies adapt to your tactics. Take out too many lone gunmen? They will hunt you down in pairs. Attacking from above? They will place mines on possible vantage points. Certain enemies also have unique gadgets including wearing camouflage suits that make spotting them harder or operating a drone with a large cone of vision.
As the legendary Batman, you will have an assortment of gadgets available at any time. From jamming guns using the disruptor to mimicking audio with the voice synthesizer, these devices will greatly assist you as most of them can be used in either FreeFlow or Predator sections. All of these features are seamlessly integrated into gameplay to provide an exhilarating experience and prevent the game from being repetitive.
Last, but certainly not least, is exploration. Gotham City is a huge concrete jungle surrounded by three islands. Thus, the game is richly-filled with tons of optional content to tackle, ranging from solving intricate riddles to dismantling a supervillain’s career with the Most Wanted side missions.
And while we are on the topic of the playground that is Gotham, the graphics in AK are incredibly appealing to look at. Neon signs can be spotted from a mile away, skyscrapers being bombarded with billboards, and transit rail weaves around buildings; the city has never felt more alive. Moreover, the facial animations look stunning for a game released in 2015 and the attention to detail towards the environments (especially Batman’s suits) is staggering.

New Features

AK introduced a great deal of new stuff that warranted its own section. To kick things off, let’s cover the biggest addition: the almighty Batmobile. With two different modes, this monster of a tank completely transformed every aspect of the game; pursuit mode is designed for high-speed chases while battle mode is for fighting armored vehicles. Apart from that, it can also be utilized for solving puzzles and analyzing forensics.
FreeFlow and Predator also receive significant upgrades to spice things up. For the former, the DualPlay mechanic allows you to switch instantly to another character (Robin, Nightwing and Catwoman) in the heat of combat without any interruption. The latter introduced the Fear Takedowns, a powerful move that allows Batman to incapacitate up to five goons in seconds. In addition, both modes also incorporated environmental takedowns that are one-hit-knockouts towards any enemy.

Story

Set a year after Arkham City, Batman, while still heroic, is not as calm as he used to be after the events of the last game. To make matters worse, it is Halloween night and a familiar face resurfaces: Jonathan Crane AKA Scarecrow. Along with the support of every supervillain in town, he is also backed by the Arkham Knight, a mysterious figure who has an endless supply of militia men behind him and knows every secret about the Dark Knight.
The overall execution of the plot is enjoyable. While certain plot twists are quite predictable and there are certain moments where the game forced you to violate your common sense, the characterization of the characters is done respectfully to the source material. For instance, Batman is accurately portrayed as the nigh-unstoppable badass that he is, but AK also deconstructed and discussed issues regarding his character such as his unwillingness to kill and trust issues with his allies.
Despite saying that, the Most Wanted side missions focusing on each villain personally is a massive letdown. What I am expecting is a penultimate showdown where Batman dukes it out with his supervillain in a one-on-one battle. Instead, most of them are taken down instantly without any resistance, either by a QTE or during a cutscene.
The Rest

Completing missions give you XP for leveling up. Gaining one level rewards you with one upgrade point that can be used to unlock new abilities or boost preexisting ones.
AR challenges are a series of trials to hone your skills in the game. Be warned as they are difficult and designed for experienced players.
Environmental destruction is implemented for the first time here. Run over gates, concrete beams and freaking trees for mayhem.
Enemy chatter. The Arkham series is probably the only franchise where I actively listen to the thugs’ dialogue because of how hilarious they are.


Playtime, Replayability and Achievements

Playtime: It took me around 90 hours to 100% the game on Normal difficulty. A sizeable chunk is also spent getting high scores on AR challenges.
Replayability: Immensely. As mentioned above, the AR challenges alone are enough to keep you occupied for a dozen hours.
Achievements: A grand total of 113. Most are obtained simply by completing quests. Others required a lot more effort and luck like completing a specific level without taking any damage.

Verdict

No matter if you are a fan of the comics, the animated series or the movies, Arkham Knight is perfect for you. With excellent gameplay and gorgeous graphics, Rocksteady capped off the epic finale of the franchise with a bang. Become vengeance. Become the night. Become The Batman.
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