Brian Robbins Reviews Batman Arkham KnightIm pleased to have finally finishedBatman: Arkham Knight. It was the most punishing game of the entire franchise, but without a doubt the most satisfying. With the introduction of new gadgets, characters and the Batmobile, Rocksteady studiosArkham Knightdelivers the best console gaming experience in 2015.

When you step back into the boots of Batman, youll find the city of Gotham in relative peace. Of course in Gotham, nothing stays calm forever. Breaking the peace this time is the deviously sinister Scarecrow (brilliantly voiced by John Noble), who unleashes a plan to rule Gotham with his signature brew of fear gas.To further his own ends, Scarecrow frees several of Gothams other notorious villains such as the Riddler, Two-Face, the Penguin and Poison Ivy to wreck utter chaos in Batmans backyard. Each of the villains has their own unique storylines that Batman can fight through in order to stop their maniacal plans. All of which can be played during, or after, you finish the main storyline.The most notable and mysterious villain is the newly introduced Arkham Knight. He becomes Scarecrows number one partner in their attempt to crush the Dark Knight. Throughout the lengthy campaign, youll slowly unravel his true identity. This feels like something of a treat in the beginning, but you do not have to be the worlds greatest detective to make an educated guess early on, and his identity is quite easy to deduce towards the end of the game.

Arkham Knightexcels at what many single player focused games fail to achieve keeping the gameplay just as compelling as the story. As Batman youll have access to almost all of the previous gadgets, moves and tools he used in priorArkhamgames. There are new gadgets thrown in there as well, helping to keep the polished and free flowing combat running as well as a the finely tuned engine of the Batmobile.

For me, the highlight ofArkham Knightis simply soaring through Gothams skyline, landing on a goon and crunching the bones of their fellow henchmen. This is when the game is at its most fun; when youre playing as Batman himself, patrolling the streets of Gotham City. The hand-to-hand combat has been perfected after all these years, and the Caped Crusader even gets a new batsuit about an hour into the storyline. This new armor allows him to move faster and strike harder than his previous protection. It looks great and also helps show off how technically impressive Arkham Knighttruly is.On the flipside, the biggest pet peeve I have with the game is Batmans ride the Batmobile. At first its great. Youll use the car (or jet engine with wheels) to solve various environmental puzzles, slam against other vehicles and even rip open doors and vents. The Batmobile can also enable a battle mode, which essentially transforms the Batmobile into a tank, even featuring a machinegun and a 60mm cannon. Conveniently, all the enemy vehicles are drones, so when Batman destroys the adversaries no one is hurt. I found it as a cheap scapegoat, but its still a blast to utterly wreck opposing machines of destruction. Eventually, thanks to Rocksteadys overuse of the concept, the newness of it all wears thin. Even though the Batmobile is fun to use, especially in combat, I thought the game forced it upon you just too frequently.Whether youre uncharacteristically destroying Gotham in the Batmobile (uncharacteristic for Batman anyway, I dont know what you do in your spare time), or grappling off the sides of buildings Arkham Knightlooks absolutely stunning. If you just purchased an Xbox One or a Playstation 4, this is the title to show off your new system.

From the constant raindrops falling off of Batmans cape as he glides through the air, to the detail found on Gothams streets I strongly believe this title is the prettiest ever released on a console thus far. I didnt think there would be a better looking game thanWitcher 3: Wild Huntso soon but here it is.

Though, the graphics (much likeBloodborne) come with a price. If you fall in combat, the load screens are horrendously long. Youll have a villain taunt you after youre defeated, then the game will take another 30 seconds or so before you continue where you left off. This is utterly painful when encountering a particularly tough enemy or boss, when youre constantly dying as you try to learn the villains attack patterns.

Even despite my few minor gripes,Batman: Arkham Knightis a must own for any gamer who has either the Xbox One or the Playstation 4. The game is almost perfect, but slow loading times and overuse of the Batmobile might ruffle a few feathers. Still, if you are still deciding on a game to get you through the summer,Arkham Knightis a clear winner.

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