Tomorrow you can begin refining your DC fighters with collectable gear in NetherRealms sequel to the hard hitting fighting game! The trailer shows off some of the newcomers and fan favorites to a pulse pounding Steve Aoki remix of “Jungle” by X Ambassadors, Jamie N Commons. Stay tuned for our coverage of the latest DC fighter by the creators of Mortal Kombat!
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Batman: The Telltale Series – Episode 5: City of Light | Review
Posted on January 4, 2017 by Meghan Kass
So, here it is, the finale to Telltales adaptation of Batman. This first attempt by Telltale at telling Batman’s story has come to an end and the question now becomes “did it end with a bang or was it a dud?”. While this may not have been Telltale’s strongest project, there was a lot of enjoyable moments that Telltale brought and interesting ideas that gave a unique look at the characters we all know and love. The final episode, while it may have its flaws, does tie up many loose ends and leaves great anticipation for a second season.
This episode starts with you having to either fight Harvey Dent or Cobblepot’s drones depending on the choices you made in the previous episode. I find it interesting, that based on your choices from previous episodes, Harvey will remain unscathed physically and not have the literal two face we have all become accustomed to or he will indeed, be the two face we all think of when we think of the character. I enjoy the fact that they focus on Harvey’s mental health and treat him as more of a three dimensional, almost tragic character than a simple “bad guy” who simply went over the edge from being disfigured by a mob boss. Harvey is sick and has been for a while, resisting treatment and has been hurt by someone he thought was a friend and his mental health is affecting his ability to deal with his hurt. Telltale took an interesting turn with Dent that I am glad was constant through the episodes..
Lady Arkham was also a drastically different character than we thought she would turn out to be and turned out to be much tougher than previously assumed. She also continues to be more fleshed out in City of Light as we learn a lot more of how she grew into the revenge seeking, tough woman leading the Children of Arkham and her motives for attacking the Wayne empire. The writers certainly were creative with their decisions for this character”. Her and Harvey certainly have their reasons for their behavior and are handled wonderfully throughout the series, although Cobblepot and The Joker seem much more insignificant.
The problem with City of Light from a story perspective is the sheer amount of characters shoved into the story. While Harvey and Lady Arkham get fleshed out and even sympathetic at times, Cobblepot and “John Doe”/The Joker seem in comparison. Yes, we learn about Cobblepot’s motivations, but not much else but some simple exposition. I felt no connection to him and he seemed to be more of a nuisance than a character. The Joker also seemed very rushed into the story as his purpose to was to possibly help Bruce in one section of episode 4 and then make another appearance in City of Light that just seemed unnecessary. I feel Telltale could have held off introducing his character until a theoretical season two so he didn’t seem so obligatory. I feel if Telltale only included the two villains, it could have led to a stronger ending. The result feels muddy and at times rushed, and yet, still entertaining.
For what flaws this final episode brings, how they concluded Lady Arkham and Harvey/s stories left me satisfied with the episode and wanting more from their rendition of Batman. They were overall creative with Bruce’s story and how he fought for his family’s name and honor and the story ended a lot of arcs in a satisfying way. If you have played the other episodes, there is no reason not to finish the story and if you have not played Batman at all yet, it is definitely worth a look.
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Batman: The Telltale Series- Episode 4: Guardian of Gotham | REVIEW
Posted on December 11, 2016 by Meghan Kass
Batman continues its adventure with episode 4, titled Guardian of Gotham. Telltale has made some impressive and creative choices with their interpretation of Batman and its iconic characters and while this episode may not have the twists and turns of previous episodes, it still continues to intrigue and engage despite some technical setbacks. With a new game mechanic, new character added to the mix and the story being brought closer to its conclusion, can this episode lead up to a promising end for this story? Can this episode deliver another chilling chapter for the Batman? Let’s take a closer look.
After a startling conclusion, we begin this episode with Bruce in the infamous Arkham Asylum and he is proving to be the worse for wear. As it turns out, the facility is not exactly Disneyland and its orderlies and employees are not the most caring, understanding people.After some abuse from the employees and then being beaten two colorful patients, who comes to Bruce’s rescue but the clown prince himself, the Joker. While he is not “The Joker” in this episode, and simply John Doe, he still has his iconic green hair, white skin and wide grin. You have to chose to trust The Joker or not as he attempts to help you get out of your predicament and you can choose to take his help or get out on your own terms. This could mean causing a scene and making yourself look worse than you already do or putting others in danger to help yourself. Luckily Alfred is there to get you out of the hell you got yourself into and you can be on your way into getting your life back together. Unfortunately, there are a few hiccups.
An interesting addition to the game this episode were the effects Lady Arkham’s drugs have on you. During moments where the drugs are acting up, you may be given the choice to make a reasonable reply to a character during a dialogue, but what actually comes out of your mouth is uncharacteristically violent or angry. You have no control over what you say during these moments and it adds an element of tension in the game. I found myself verbally shouting “That’s not what I meant at all!” when trying to talk to someone while the drugs were controlling me. Hopefully these responses won’t cause any long term effects on Bruce’s relationship with any of the characters. During all of this, you still need to investigate and figure out how Lady Arkham is transporting her drugs, what she plans on doing with them and how to stop her. You also need to try and control Harvey who is not on the best of terms with you and make sure the police are informed and make the best decisions. There is a lot on Batman’s plate and your choices could help or hinder him in his goal to get his life back from Cobblepot and Lady Arkham.
The only problem I had with this episode in particular were some technical issues. It was frustrating to see things like lag issues during certain points and even more frustrating when I experienced sound issues during a fight scene where there were no sound effects as tables were being hit and people were being thrown. If Telltale could have polished out these few issues, this episode would have been far more immersive. I will add, an element of the gameplay they added that I particularly enjoyed was a new small puzzle game where you had to match a chemical to your DNA to figure out a potential antidote for the drug,
Overall, this is a strong episode and has the potential to lead into a brilliant conclusion. If Telltale works on some of their technical setbacks, this could easily be one of their best stories to date. Only time will tell if this will end strong or end with a whimper.
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Batman: The Telltale Series- Episode 3- New World Order | REVIEW
Posted on October 28, 2016 by Meghan Kass
Previously, on Batman: A Telltale Series: we have seen the beginning of the fall of the Wayne empire and the rise of the Children of Arkham; we have seen Bruce love and lose (depending on your choices that is) and we have seen Batman kick around some criminals and investigate the mystery surrounding his and his family’s past. As this exciting story continues, what does Telltale have in store this episode? Will it continue to excite and intrigue? Let’s find out!
Picking up where the last episode left off, Harvey is in the hospital, and his physical and mental state are taking a toll. Telltale addresses Harvey’s mental illness competently to explain his duality and compulsion to flip coins in search of a true fair result that is left up to fate. The game addresses how mental illness can affect friends and loved ones by seeing Bruce and Selina’s reactions to Harvey’s episodes, which include pleas for him to see his therapist and continue his medication. The game also allows you to chose how to interact with Harvey and help him cope with his illness. While the accuracy of his disorder may be questionable, the emotions captured by those involved were well done and add complexity to the story and make your choices harder to make, Should you take sympathy on your friend who is ill, but has hurt you? Do you chose love over friendship? These are all addressed in the game.
This episode is full of intense decisions that need to be made and more twists and turns than ever. There is a definite feeling of helplessness as the story progresses and it appears Bruce’s world is crumbling beneath him. Thankfully, there are still some major players on his side that assist him in continuing his work as Batman. You must choose how much you reveal to the public about Cobblepot, how you react in the face of adversity of Wayne Industries asking for a new CEO and who you hurt or help along the way to restoring your reputation.
The gameplay has some improvements; there are more fast fights and investigations to be had and Lucius Fox makes an entrance and adds some new tech, which include sticky bombs that leave explosive results in a particular fight. He also brings some levity to a disastrous situation with witty Banter while also giving us a touching moment with Bruce, showing us more insight into Bruce’s life that we don’t always get from a Batman story.
While the PS4 version of the game has some hiccups, such as slight issues with lips syncing with the voices and minor frame-rate drops, it is easy to look past due to its stylized, comic book design and strong plot. The fights are exciting, quick and reflexive and can get the blood pumping and the adrenaline rushing which is definitely a positive for an exciting comic book based game like this. While the action has had its improvements, it is still the story, dialogue and choices you will be coming back for more of than the fights and punches.
Overall, Telltale has done it again, with this episode being the best so far. The stakes are at it’s highest, the fights are exciting, the characters intriguing and it ends with a bang. If you have played the first two episodes, there is no reason not to continue. If you have not picked up the game and are looking to see if it would interest you, it is a strong addition to the Batman mythos for any fan. I am excited to see where Telltale leads the player next and what they have in store.
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Telltale’s Batman Series Ep 3 ‘New World Order’ Releasing Oct 25th
Posted on October 12, 2016 by Rae Michelle Richards
The next episode of Telltale’s Batman adventure game series, titled New World Order, will launch on October 25th the developer / publisher has announced. Batman: The Telltale Series– Episode 3 will be released on the Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and Windows PC.
A special preview of some of the content that awaits the Caped Crusader is featured as part of an upcoming episode of BATMAN: Unmasked featuring the voice talents of Travis Willingham who brings the character of Harvey Dent alive in Telltale’s series.
New World Order will allow players to delve deeper into the mysteries of the Children of Arkham. The relationship between Bruce Wayne and the sly Selina Kyle will also continue to develop as she reveals her criminal alter ego to Bruce. Lots of suspense, drama and excitement appear to be packed within this upcoming episode.
For more coverage of Batman: The Telltale Series make sure to check out our in-depth reviews for both Episode 1 and 2. Following the release of New World Order we will post our impressions!
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Batman: The Telltale Series- Episode 2: Children of Arkham | REVIEW
Posted on October 2, 2016 by Meghan Kass
With a strong start to Telltale’s adaptation of DC’s Batman lore, can the next episode continue picking up momentum and make the next part of the story just as exciting as the first? I did not know what to expect going into this episode, considering I have found each Telltale game has it’s highs and lows during each series, but I had hoped for the best. What resulted after my time with the episode was a mix of feelings.
The second episode picks up where the first left off. Without giving too much of the story away, Bruce is still quite conflicted about some new information he gathered about his family’s past and fortune. Although the story of Bruce and his tragic past has been a story told and retold countless times in countless ways and in many different mediums, TellTale offered a quick breath of fresh air to the story by allowing the player to revisit the site of the Wayne’s murder, go through Bruce’s memories and even learn some new history of the Wayne family, courtesy of Alfred. How Bruce processes this information and reacts to it, is up to the player. I found this to be an interesting change from the usual cutscene or re enacting of the infamous murder.
Throughout the game, we u
ncover a story of murder, intrigue, political conspiracy and corruption. We learn who the titular “Children of Arkham” are, what they want and how they plan to get it. You will have to choose who to help, what information you let people know and what relationships you build with those in your life. My personal favorite moment of the game was a bar fight you and Selena get into after some friends of the Penguin threaten Selena. You work together to fight them with a series of fight moves that were fun and showed how well in sync the two characters were. You start seeing the famous relationship between Selena and Bruce grow, but do they kiss? Well, you will have to play to find out.
This episode had some difficult choices and the story is definitely developing into something interesting and more complex than the average Batman adventure. I enjoyed seeing Bruce conflicted about his past and coming to terms with the fact that his family may not the be the perfect picture he thought of as a child.
What I didn’t enjoy as much was the fact that the gameplay again seemed like an afterth
ought. While it is normal for Telltale to focus on the story, it seems they took all the nuance and detail and put it into the story and less in the gameplay. It can get repetitive and at times just over simple and makes me wish for the days of Walking Dead season 1 or even Wolf Among us which I felt used the Telltale engine and detective gameplay more effectively and Walking dead’s choices seemed to carry more weight. The good news is that this is only episode two, so hopefully a lot of this will end strongly and the gameplay becomes a bit less repetitive.
Overall, this game continues its hig
hly interesting story and certainly makes me want the next episode immediatelyafter playing, but the gameplay could have had the effort put into it that the story did. Aside from
an exciting bar fight that showed the potential for the gameplay and mechanics, it seems your choices don/t hold as much weight as previous Telltale games and you are repeating a lot of actions. All of this should not deter someone from continuing this adventure and could very well all be fixed easily in upcoming episodes.
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Batman: a Telltale series episode 1- Realm of Shadows review
Posted on August 21, 2016 by Meghan Kass
Telltale is at it again with their newest episodic adaptation of Batman. Batman: The Telltale series episode 1- Realm of Shadows puts the decisions, detective work and adventures of the caped crusader and puts it in the hands of the player using their signature mix of point and click gameplay and quick time events. Being a long term fan of the development team and publisher, could I be impressed yet again by their newest series, or would this be a miss in a long line of home runs?
Anyone who is familiar with a Telltale series, such as: Walking Dead, Game of Thrones, Wolf Among Us or even Minecraft: Story Mode, will find themselves at home with the gameplay and style of Realm of Shadows. The game doesn’t waste any time starting the game with a series of quick time events that put us as Batman stopping the snarky, quick witted Catwoman from committing larceny. Throughout the episode, the gameplay involves the player alternating between Bruce Wayne’s life as the playboy philanthropist and “The World’s Greatest Detective”. You need to interact with other characters in Bruce’s life and make decisions that determine how characters feel about you, how the media feels about you and who is your ally and involved in your life. You also interact with your environment and investigate crime scenes, make connections between pieces of evidence to determine what has happened and even get into a quick time fight or two while wearing the iconic suit all while your trusty friend and butler, Alfred, guides and chides you about finding balance in your life.
There are no shortages of well-known Batman characters in this game. You interact with the likes of Vicki Vale, Harvey Dent, Catwoman and even Oswald Cobblepot. While some of their backstories are taken creative liberties with, their personalities shine through and will put a smile on any Batman fan’s face. I know I had a huge grin on my face whenever I met and had conversations with a different Batman character I have loved since my childhood watching the animated series and reading the comics. It helps that the look is very much stylized and resembling that of a comic book.
The only point in the gameplay I did not enjoy was the use of the “batputer” codex system. I see how it would be useful for someone who is not familiar with the universe or characters of Batman, but other than that, I felt it was mostly unnecessary. This feature did not ruin or take me out of the experience, though. I used the codex when prompted and moved on as quickly as the game allowed to get me to the next part of the story. 
The story is where Telltale has always and continues the shine. Because the story is the most important part of the game, I won’t explain too much about the story, but it had me biting my nails and shouting by the end because I just wanted more. Without spoiling the story, you are Bruce Wayne and you must balance your life as Batman and Bruce as best you can while making discoveries about the past and deciding how you will effect other’s futures. Will you be a good friend to Harvey Dent? Will you reunite with your old school friend? Will you trust Vicki Vale? Will you disappoint Alfred? All of these plot points and more are in store for your play through of Realm of Shadows and more.
Overall, this is a strong entry in Telltale’s resume. I was deeply immersed in the story and enjoyed the gameplay and style enough to want more. While this is not as strong as The Walking Dead: Season One, it is still a must play for loyal Telltale and Batman fans alike.
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Injustice Battle Arena Finale Released
Posted on April 20, 2013 by Les Major
Leading up to the release of Injustice: Gods Among Us, there has had a fantastic tournament running featuring fan votes deciding the battles. Not only that but celebrities have been in on the action as well! Definitely take a look through the games official youtube channel for all the action. We’re focusing on this tournaments final battle between Superman and Batman, as well as Kevin Smith and Jason Mewes. It’s a little NSFW but then again Injustice is rated T for Teen after all. There is a more direct video on the site if you want to skip all the fun, but this really is a great feature that celebrates the release of the game. Read on for the video.Read More
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Batman: Arkham City Confirmed for Wii U
Posted on June 5, 2012 by Kirk Williford
Nintendo and Warner Bros. just announced Batman Arkham City: Armored Edition, exclusively for Wii U.
The game will feature enhanced gameplay with the Wii U Gamepad, and fully playable Batman and Catwoman.
New to the game is BAT mode, which is accessed via the Gamepad and will allow players to play the game in a whole new way. You’re able to use the Gamepad to spray walls with explosives, throw batarangs, as well as many other gadgets
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Batman Arkham City GOTY Edition Announced
Posted on April 23, 2012 by Rae Michelle Richards
Are you ready for more Batman: Arkham City? Warner Bros. Interactive announced the Game of the Year Edition this morning alongside the final piece of downloadable content for the game, Harley Quin’s Revenge.
The GOTY edition of the game is scheduled for release this September and includes the following pieces of DLC: Wayne Manor, Main Hall, Freight Train and Black Mask maps, Catwoman, Robin and Nightwing playable characters, 15 different skins and the upcoming Harley Quin’s Revenge.
Speaking of Ms.Quin, her DLC episode is scheduled to be released on May 30th on both the Playstation Network and Xbox Live. This final piece of DLC has players cast in the roles of both Batman and Robin as they attempt to stop Harley from opening up the urban mega-prison. Check out some promotional screens from the Harley Quin’s Revenge after the jump.
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