This strategy prompts an important inquiry: did Half-Life: Alyx enhance Valve Index sales? To our astonishment, yes—it certainly did. After the announcement, sales for Valve’s Index surged, reaching 103,000 units within a month. A robust franchise can significantly influence hardware uptake. So, is Batman: Arkham Shadow worthy? And can it entice Quest headset purchases?
We hope this review will tackle the first question. As for the latter? That’s up to you to decide. Share your thoughts with us in the comments.
Thug-Life
Set in the early days of Batman’s journey, Arkham Shadow serves as a sequel to a prequel. It follows the events after Batman: Arkham Origins, elaborating on some foundational aspects of Bruce Wayne’s story, featuring well-known characters like Harvey Dent, Jim Gordon, Dr. Harleen Quinzel, Dr. Leslie Thompkins, among others.
As the game kicks off, you take on the role of ‘Matches Malone,’ a minor gangster hailing from Gotham City, originally introduced in Batman #242 during a pivotal run penned by Dennis O’Neil, illustrated by the legendary Neal Adams, and drawn by Dick Giordano. For many long-time Batman enthusiasts, including myself, this era was emblematic. While prior knowledge isn’t necessary to enjoy the game or appreciate its storytelling, it highlights the tight bond the writing team, led by Narrative Director Brendan Murphy and Lead Writer Alex O. Smith, possesses with the original material.
Anyway, I digress. As you play as Batman / Matches Malone, you ignite the Bat signal above the Gotham police precinct, quickly get apprehended, and subsequently sent to Blackgate Prison, which serves as a key location throughout the game.
If you’re familiar with film clichés, you already know how this unfolds; expect a flashback revealing the motivation behind assuming the Matches persona and the reasoning that led to your imprisonment in Blackgate.
Wham! Thud! Thwack!
If you happen to be one of the few who hasn’t experienced the previous Batman Arkham games, it’s worth noting that these titles were largely exceptional, characterized by top-notch writing, outstanding voice performances, and leveraging Batman’s persona for stealth segments where you eliminated foes silently, complemented by exhilarating combat sequences that employed a renowned system known for its fluidity, allowing for a blend of various strikes and highly gratifying combos. This was groundbreaking at its time and possibly remains unparalleled in third-person gaming. Additionally, the games portrayed Batman’s detective skills through a mode that facilitated clue scanning, guiding players to their subsequent objectives.
The primary concern regarding Arkham Shadow‘s gameplay revolved around how faithfully it could replicate that gaming experience in VR, and it’s essential to acknowledge the impressive knowledge displayed by developers Camoflaj (who excelled with Iron Man VR) in the design choices made for Shadow.
The initial decision made was to curtail the game world’s extent in a logical manner. While creating an entire Gotham City on next-gen consoles is feasible, achieving that on a Meta Quest standalone headset without sacrificing graphics would have been impractical; thus, the game primarily centers around Blackgate Prison, punctuated by a few select locations around Gotham City, crafting a narrative that thrives within those boundaries while circumventing any feelings of spatial constraints being artificial.
Another choice was to modify the fluidity of combat, resulting in a fusion of freeform choices about who to target and when, coupled with brief prompted almost-QTE segments during combat. You’ll select an enemy, dash towards them, and then get an invitation to execute a jab, uppercut, or hook, sometimes culminating in a dual-handed assault or a strike after catching hold of an enemy’s leg, etc.
At first, it was disheartening that the fighting didn’t capture the seamless style of the console titles, which was fantastic for achieving a flow-state in combat. Nevertheless, after several hours, I adapted, ceased comparing it to the originals, and acknowledged that—despite losing some of the original essence—it delivered an engaging workout. Handling skirmishes with merely 3 or 4 adversaries is manageable, but engaging in a massive skirmish with 10 or more foes will certainly elevate your heart rate! Upon checking my Move statistics for extended sessions of around 90 minutes, I discovered I was burning approximately 500 calories while immersed in the game.
On the contrary, the Predator segments have transitioned flawlessly into VR, mirroring the experience from the flat games but enhanced. You inhabit the role of Batman, lurking over your enemies, eliminating them one by one with stealth tactics until you’ve dispatched the last one. Mastering these sequences feels, for a lack of a better term, ideal.
Instead of the Riddler Trophies familiar from the prior games, this title introduces Rat King statues, often located in hard-to-access areas, necessitating puzzle-solving to obtain; these collectibles are optional and serve to provide a mental break from the action-packed combat moments.
The game also incorporates what had become a hallmark in console releases: combat and predator challenges. Although currently only three of each exist, we anticipate more to emerge from Camoflaj.
Batman: Arkham Shadow fulfills its purpose; it adeptly brings the Arkham series’ gameplay into VR, doing so with assurance and style.
My Beautiful Batworld
Arkham Shadow masterfully captures the visual essence of Batman, merging Gothic and Neo-Gothic design with an atmosphere of urban decay. Its dark, gritty crime-ridden backdrop paired with subtle steampunk elements ranks it among the most visually striking games on Meta Quest. While one could argue that titles like Red Matter 2 have superior visuals, those games aren’t burdened with balancing aesthetics against relentless action involving numerous characters on-screen simultaneously.
The game excels in character detail, including NPCs, who are primarily distinct in appearance. The same characters are not duplicated endlessly here, and the principal characters exhibit remarkable detail and remarkable animation.
Besides the stunning locales and artistic direction, the actors’ motions and expressive facial captures are exceptional, underscoring their outstanding performances and adding emotional depth to the already stellar writing.
The game integrates real-time shadows, strategically positioning a backlight behind you often to illuminate your shadow with your cowl and bat ears, subtly reminding you that beneath the headset, YOU ARE Batman.
The sole drawback is the occasional drop in the game’s framerate, particularly before and after gate-opening sequences, likely designed to disguise loading times. Though it can be slightly distracting, it never occurred during combat, where it would have been jarring. These glitches manifested even with the dynamic resolution setting activated, but Camoflaj has informed us that optimization is ongoing, and a patch may be released soon.
I Hear You, Bats.
In many ways, the audio in Shadow surpasses the visuals because it is, by nature, free from performance limits. The sound effects remain impeccable throughout, while the soundtrack from Kazuma Jinnouchi combines the well-known dark orchestral tones from prior Arkham titles with new compositions that amplify the game’s dramatic essence. Jinnouchi preserves continuity with the series while infusing fresh elements that resonate with the unique atmosphere of this installment.
The voice performances are also exceptional, highlighted by Roger Craig Smith as Batman / Bruce Wayne, Troy Baker as Harvey Dent, and Mara Junot as Leslie Thompkins. Junot’s interpretation, in particular, evokes profound empathy for Bruce, immersing you deeply into the storyline and the emotional ties between characters, creating an environment where Batman isn’t merely a solitary figure but a man cherished by those who understand his challenges, trials, and decisions.
Bat-Snags
Despite being a generally seamless experience, I encountered a few glitches while playing Arkham Shadow. Early on, there was a rope securing a door, and I was meant to sever it using a Batarang, but this failed miserably after multiple attempts; fortunately, I discovered an alternate route, so it didn’t hinder my progress. A few similar bugs appeared during my gameplay; for example, a vent I couldn’t access or a door that wouldn’t open, even when it was supposed to. Rare as these moments were, they could usually be rectified by reloading the last checkpoint or restarting the game.
It also seems that some dialogues with Alfred activate not based on the chronological order but by location, leading to instances where a particular voice message triggered in a spot would play again if revisited, breaking immersion. I hope Camoflaj addresses this issue.
I’ve heard of some players experiencing game crashes where the title would simply close. I only faced this once when my Quest unexpectedly indicated insufficient memory to run ‘Manta.’
Bat Hours
If you’re curious about duration, the game’s campaign averages around 10 hours, give or take, depending on your performance, how much you opt to complete, and the difficulty setting chosen. I undertook it on Hard. The combat and predator challenges could substantially extend this time if you find enjoyment in those features.
Bat Thoughts
Batman: Arkham Shadow is an extraordinary accomplishment in standalone VR, boasting a gripping narrative, robust character development, stunning visuals, engaging combat, and enthralling performances. It exemplifies the adaptability of the character across different formats and enriches the impressive world and mechanics laid down by Rocksteady back in 2009. Additionally, it reflects the dedication, affection, and respect that Camoflaj and Director Ryan Payton have shown towards both the character and the original Arkham games, thereby demonstrating that Batman’s universe can flourish in VR, making Arkham Shadow an essential play for both VR devotees and Batman aficionados alike.
