This review contains spoilers from the previous four Episodes of TellTale’s Batman. The major events of Episode 5 are not spoiled in this review, as they will be covered in next week’s Season Review.
A myriad of frustrating technical issues dampen what is otherwise the absolute best episode in TellTale’s entire Batman series.
Batman: The TellTale Series: Episode 5: City of Light
Developer: TellTale Games
Price: $24.99 for a Season Pass
Platforms: PS3, PS4 (reviewed), Xbox 360, Xbox One, PC, Mac, Android, iOS
I’ve been largely impressed by Batman: The TellTale Series so far, as it’s managed to make a name for itself by re-imagining the iconic world of Batman in a way that is original, and incredibly creative. City of Light is the perfect finale in terms of narrative, but its severe technical issues greatly hamper this fantastic episode.
With Harvey Dent put away, Episode Four ended with Batman plummeting charging into a dangerous and climactic showdown with Penguin and Lady Arkham. While Bruce Wayne is once again able to make a difference, due to his partially-restored social status, Batman has been almost entirely incapacitated. Without his technology, Batman is at a disadvantage; one that the Penguin is quick to take advantage of.
City of Light pulls no punches, killing off a moderately important character almost immediately. What follows is an intense roller-coaster ride that pushes both Batman and Bruce Wayne to their limits, as they are forced to summon every skill they have in order to save their city, and their kidnapped friend. The emotional exchanges between characters is at an all-time high in this episode, fitting of a grand finale. The donning of a more classic batsuit is a fantastic touch, as it evokes a sense of nostalgia.
Almost every plot-thread is tied up in this episode, with the remaining threads serving as set-up for the inevitable second season. The conclusion of Selina’s story is decent, as is the culmination of Gordon’s tireless battle with crime that the series has shown us, but the greatest conclusions are those of Lady Arkham and the Penguin.
Finding the cause of Vicki Vale’s descent into villainy is disturbing, purely because of the realism behind it. Vale doesn’t go crazy from exposure to gamma rays, or from brainwashing. She is a woman who was pushed to the brink and beyond at an early age, in a way that makes her character far easier to sympathize with. Penguin’s eventual defeat is satisfying for different reasons, as you confront him as Bruce Wayne, his childhood friend. There’s even an event that seemingly causes his penguin-like wobble, which will surely pay off in the future. The final scene, which sets up another iconic foe, is the cherry on top, as it already has me excited for what’s to come.
In terms of gameplay, City of Light takes every single great feature from previous episodes, and uses them perfectly. You spend equal time as Batman and Bruce Wayne, using both diplomacy and combat to take the city back. You can decide to embrace certain responsibilities as either Batman or Bruce, you investigate numerous crime scenes, and you battle a large number of enemies in satisfying combat sequences. The simultaneous culmination of the series’s gameplay and story is a sight to behold, and goes a long way in making City of Light feel like the ultimate TellTale Batman experience.
The only problem with City of Light is a huge one: its near-crippling technical issues. Not only did the episode crash twice, booting me from the game, but certain character models were entirely invisible, with only an unnerving pair of eyes, and teeth present. These problems, combined with the expected frame-rate issues, constantly took me out of the experience, souring what was otherwise a fantastic episode. This will hopefully be the push TellTale needs to update their engine, as these issues are having increasingly negative effects on their games.
The sound in this episode is also at an all-time high. This episode felt particularly inspired by the more epic, heavy tone of Arkham City‘s soundtrack, carrying on a trend of focusing on different Batman themes in each episode. The use of the series’s stellar main theme is perfect as well, especially in the already stunning final battle sequence.
The Final Word
It’s a shame that City of Light is weighed down by so many glaring technical issues, as it is otherwise the best episode of TellTale’s Batman. Narrative-wise, this episode is practically perfect, tying up loose ends in an emotional and satisfying way, while leaving some very promising doors open for the future. Hopefully TellTale recognizes the increasingly noticeable flaws in their engine, as it is all that stands in the way of City of Light being the best episode.
MonsterVine Rating: 4 out of 5 – Good
