A Rough Finish

Telltale’s Batman series has seen much praise from critics across the board over the course of its 5 episode series, and for good reason. The past 4 episodes have all ranged from a minimum of good to excellent, with some of the early episodes being the highlight of the series. The final episode of Telltale’s Batman series has finally been released, and while it’s a satisfying conclusion to the series in most ways, an abrupt ending and unnecessary story telling make for  a slightly rougher ending then I hoped for.

Lighting the Way

I want to start of positively by saying that Episode 5: City of Light, does a fantastic job of tying up all of the loose ends created in previous episodes. There’s a satisfying amount of conclusion to be found throughout episode 5, and without spoiling too much, a lot of incentives and back story is revealed, creating a very dark, tense tone for the rest of the episode. It was thrilling to discover revelation after revelation as I further progressed into the 2 hour episode. City of Light looks to develop the characters that deserve it most, further improving upon Bruce Wayne/Batman, Alfred and most importantly, Lady Arkham. The story is enjoyable for most of the episode, with one section in particular being completely unnecessary and out-of-place. The biggest problem with City of Light is how it ends, it seems like it has a few more minutes left to enjoy, but instead it abruptly cuts to black, obviously leaving room for a season 2. While it’s comforting to know that season 2 of Telltale’s Batman is inevitable, I can’t help but feel the ending could’ve been handled a little better. Ultimately, the choices in Episode 5 never come to be as heavy as they can be in Episode 4, but I still found myself torn on multiple occasions, and it still feels like my choice really made an impact on the overall story. It’s truly fantastic this has stayed consistent throughout the series, and I’m looking forward to replaying the series in the future. The combat sequences are once again expertly handled, and while it’s fairly passive, it’s incredible to experience and look at. The detective mode also returns in one particular part of the episode, and once again it’s a let down. While it’s cool to piece together, it ends up being monotonous and slow due to how simple it is, and it feels like it’s there to halt your progress rather than challenge your logic and thinking skills. Much like Episode 4, City of Light runs flawlessly, and it’s definitely the most technically sound episode that’s been released so far, which i’m incredibly happy to say. The game still looks good, but it’s no different from the other episodes. One thing that I have to praise again, is how original and vastly different Telltale’s universe is from any other, and I was once again constantly surprised by characters I thought I knew well.

Verdict: 8/10

Telltale’s Batman Series has undoubtedly been one of their best, and while Episode 5 could’ve been better, it’s definitely a fitting conclusion to the fantastic series. It ties up everything nicely, with a strong sense of conclusion by the time it’s finished, albeit an abrupt ending. The choices are difficult to make, character development is fantastic, combat sequences are awesome, and the tone for the episode is surprisingly dark. The detective mode sequence could’ve been better, but it doesn’t bring episode 5 down too much. It’s another strong episode in an even stronger series, and I can’t wait to see what Telltale do with season 2.

Positives

-All loose ends are tied up

-Strong storytelling

-Interesting character development

-Awesome combat sequences

-Technically sound

Negatives

-Some unnecessary storytelling

-Lacklustre detective sequence

-Abrupt ending

Thanks for reading guys, sorry this one took so long, I was on holiday just after it came out. Up next is The Walking Dead Season 3 Episode 1 and 2.