Being late to the game is sometimes more rewarding than showing up at the start. I bring this up now because we’re late to the game on discovering the dizzying joy that is Batman: Arkham Shadow on the Meta Quest 3.
Batman: Arkham Shadow from developer Camouflaj and publisher Oculus Studios came out in October and is one of the prize jewels in the Meta Quest 3 crown. The game promised to bring an Arkham experience to the virtual reality medium. The concept seemed sound on paper and the execution was equally as good. While it doesn’t hit every note that Rocksteady’s third-person Arkham games hit, Batman: Arkham Shadow is worthy of being in that series’ family and worthy of the late Kevin Conroy’s voice and personality that drove the previous entries.
So, sit back, make sure Gotham is safe this evening, and let’s get cracking on this Batman VR game review.
VR Gameplay done proper
The Arkham series has always been know for two good things – story and gameplay. The former is the driving reason people connect to the series and covet it so much. Well, worry not, gamers, Batman: Arkham Shadow does a great job of representing strong storytelling. That’s not an easy bar to reach if you’re not Rocksteady. Thankfully, Camouflaj represented well.
The story of Batman: Arkham Shadow tasks Batman to track down the Rat King and his minions before they destroy the very foundation of Gotham and its residents with their “Day of Wrath”. Batman must rely on friends, foes, and his instincts to stop the Rat King before it’s too late.
The story and how it flows fits right in with nearly every Arkham game. Gotham is a wicked and broken city that Batman is trying to save, as it never feels fully safe to be in, and he is constantly up against the wall and clock to get it done. The Rat King was an unusual enemy to set up as the main antagonist, as he certainly isn’t as popular as previous Arkham villains (looking at you, Joker). The way that Camouflaj treated the story, and how it crafted what different directions it took made the journey cleverly complex. It’s so good that you won’t find the story missing a beat with fitting in with the other Arkham titles.
It delivered an interesting and capable story that was probably better than most people expected. I know that I was certainly skeptical of how this story would go, especially without Conroy’s presence, but I was pleasantly surprised with what it delivered. It was also a good reminder that the Batman world created by Rocksteady and Conroy has plenty to explore. It just has to be done well. And it was.
VR Gameplay
This is the first virtual reality experience I have had with Batman anything. Having gone through multiple virtual reality headsets and different takes on popular series, this one seemed one of the boldest since VR became a common theme in households. The idea of taking a very large world built through three darn-good Arkham games, which featured dizzying heights and big spaces, and placing it into a virtual reality construct seemed like a chance on many different suspect levels.
The biggest obstacle that I could see is replicating how Batman would fight enemies. Rocksteady’s combat system is top-notch. It paved the way for developers like Insomniac to figure out fighting systems for their series (Spider-Man), as the idea of having multiple enemies coming at you at once is a complicated web (pun intended) when you’re trying to avoid overwhelming players. Rocksteady figured that out beautifully, as combat in the Arkham console games is satisfying as it is smooth amid chaos. Simplifying controls, while introducing a simple button scheme to move to and from enemies with ease helped to sell the Arkham series’ gameplay. Gamers love this system and it made it to a few other Rocksteady titles, even though it couldn’t save Suicide Squad from itself.
With Batman: Arkham Shadow, the game contains the same type of gameplay direction. Camouflaj has simplified the fighting controls, as you can throw a nearly 1:1 punch into an enemy, while still performing special moves in the process, while multiple enemies are coming at you. Typical punches can start a fight, as a quick jab initiates a target, and then the gameplay switches to knee kicks, uppercuts, and anything you can pull off quickly with the help of onscreen indicators. What’s even cooler is that you gain XP and can upgrade moves to add more arsenal to your offensive skills. While the backend skills tree isn’t going to be as large as what you would find in the console versions of the game, it adds more options to make the simple offensive skills smoother and more entertaining to pull off. And getting right into it does take a tiny learning curve but nothing complicated and that feels unrealistic. And that last part is especially important for VR experiences. Anytime you take your brain out of the game with shoddy controls or movements, you’re in for a bad time. This isn’t one of ‘those’ VR experiences. It’s quite good with Batman moves that feel akin to Rocksteady’s design.
To keep this game more Batman-like, Camouflaj also included some gadgets. Players can use items like a Batarang to knock people loopy from afar, or even smoke bombs to confuse and take down enemies. There are more things to be had in this offensive world but those are a good few. The devs stayed true to the experience that seemed familiar with most gamers that played the Arkham series, while also making sure the movements of Batman were realistic as people would expect. There is nothing quite like uncoiling your cape and going floating off a building. It’s as beautiful as it is dizzying.
While gadgets and takedowns are fun, there is also an investigation mode that is included to make our Dark Knight the detective he has always been. The gameplay features a few good puzzles and mazes (in a sense) to keep your brain active. While the adventure is linear, and the spaces and places are restrictive paths, you will still run into moments where you have to figure out what the next step is in the investigation. This includes using Batman’s detective sight to explore surroundings. This also includes a fair number of deductive moments that the player must figure out once clues are found and thrown together. Again, Camouflaj has done a great job of bringing an Arkham experience to the Meta Quest 3 with all the familiar attributes that come with the console games.
Outside of beating up baddies and solving mysteries, Batman: Arkham Shadow also features some building-climbing and harrowing moments in high places to make the VR experience hit home. It honestly wouldn’t be a good VR game without some sense of high ground, gliding off buildings, or quickly scaling them. This aspect of the game excels in its ability to emulate a Batman character experience while doing its best to make sure motion sickness is stymied. And trust me, folks, I’m incredibly sensitive to motion sickness (since the N64) and avoid most VR experiences because of it. I think maybe I teetered on it here and there but nothing stuck thankfully. The devs made sure to restrict the viewpoint when Batman is running and give the option of clicking into position rather than first-person movement left and right. Now, all this said, it worked, as Batman: Arkham Shadow was more about the game than it was about me taking breaks to not throw up.
All the above gameplay elements combined make for a good game. Batman: Arkham Shadow does a great job of representing the Arkham series and Camouflaj did a superb job of taking that essence and translating it to virtual reality. The game feels good, plays well, and, while a little bit more linear than I would have liked in my Arkham, delivers a solid campaign adventure that feels Conroy and Batman-worthy.
Modes lying in the Shadow
Beyond the campaign mode, the game also features a couple of different options to extend gameplay. One is certainly competitive and will keep your juices following, while the other is informative. Let’s start with the competitive modes.
Holy challenges, Batman!
There is something about leaderboards and challenges that get this latest generation of gamers giddy and competitive. Once the long campaign for Batman: Arkham Shadow wraps, the game offers challenges to the players where they compete against other Meta Quest 3 peeps across the VR gamescape.
The challenges are interesting, as you’re given a set of tasks to complete quickly and that are point-based. The quicker you perform the challenges, the more accurately you understand what the game wants from you, and the better you’ll climb up a large leaderboard. For example, there is a combat challenge where you must take down enemies in three ways – silently, with a Batarang, and with a powerful kick from above. You are given a scenario from the campaign to play this challenge in and it is based on accuracy and time. This game mode not only stokes your competitive nature a bit, as I found myself feeling it, but it also gives you more training with the techniques that might help you improve your campaign experience.
The other challenge is the Predator challenge where you sneak around and take people down via stealth, something I suck at. There are additional challenge maps with the latest 1.2 update, so I expect more from this game as it continues to hopefully grow.
Knowledge is power
It’s true.
Anyway, the game features a Character Viewer, which allows you to read up on your favorite Batman friends and foes. I’m sure there are some comic book fans out there who will love (or dissect) this mode, but it’s neat to see it in action. The only way to see characters in this mode is by playing the campaign and unlocking them as you meet them, and you will meet quite a few familiar faces along the journey.
In this mode, you can view characters in a 360 perspective, while reading up on their personas. It’s a nice touch to the overall experience but not as fun as the campaign and challenges. For people unfamiliar with the Batman family of characters, this will be a great starting point for them to read up and learn.
On that sweet note, let’s wrap this review up.
Conclusion
Batman: Arkham Shadow from developer Camouflaj is a superb game that honors the Arkham series name. While the world in this game is smaller and more linear than a typical Arkham adventure, the Meta Quest VR version excels in story, execution, and feel.
