This review contains spoilers for the entirety of Batman: The TellTale Series: Season One.
Season 1 of Batman: The TellTale Series serves as a fascinating new take on the tried-and-true lore of Batman. Despite the usual technical issues that accompany the outdated TellTale engine, Batman is a successful narrative that features fantastic additions to both its story and gameplay.
Batman: The TellTale Series: Season One
Developer: TellTale Games
Price: $24.99 for a Season Pass
Platforms: PS3, PS4 (reviewed), Xbox 360, Xbox One, PC, Mac, Android, iOS
As a fan of both Batman and TellTale’s narrative-based games, Batman: The TellTale Series immediately interested me. With TellTale promising to focus equally on both Bruce Wayne and Batman, the new series was becoming increasingly appealing, a feeling most Batman fanatics can surely relate to. As I delved into the world of TellTale’s Batman, I was ready for an entirely new Batman experience.
TellTale’s Batman thrives in the narrative department, delivering a Batman story that is both original and familiar. By shedding light on the lives of both Bruce Wayne and Batman, TellTale provides a more balanced look at Gotham City and its residents. Characters like Vicki Vale and Carmine Falcone receive a great deal of focus, in ways that make them more interesting characters than ever before. The major alterations to the Wayne Family are especially creative, with Thomas’s shady criminal past sticking out as one of the most bold changes. Hearing about a less noble Wayne family put things into a new perspective, especially when Bruce only knows as much as you do.
The re-interpretations of Penguin and the Joker are equally enticing, as they provide an entirely new take on these beloved characters, while still preserving the core of what made them so endearing throughout the years. The new villain, Lady Arkham, took a bit to take off, but the reveal of her origins as an abused Vicki Vale gave both Vicki and her persona as Lady Arkham a great deal of depth. I’m not saying she’s the next Mr. Freeze, but she’s a character with plenty of potential in future Batman media. The Joker’s new friendlier psychopathy is another highlight, especially because he didn’t take over the series. He’ll get to shine in Season 2, so I’m glad Penguin and Lady Arkham got time to breathe.
The most impressive thing of all, however, is TellTale‘s rendition of Harvey Dent. Harvey has always been one of Batman’s best villains, as he was originally a friend. I went out of my way to help him and be there as his friend throughout the game, making his descent into madness particularly sad. Interestingly enough, Harvey’s face was never burned in my file, and that change was permanent. It sounds minor, but seeing such a major choice become more permanent after a few games of little to no changes is a step in the right direction. I hope he returns with a vengeance in Season 2, as his tragic relationships with Bruce Wayne and Batman should be explored even more. The story overall is a riveting ride that gives Batman fans, both old and new, something to enjoy on its own.
While a lot of the gameplay in TellTale’s Batman is standard for TellTale’s games, the investigation segments and more choreographed combat sections are perfect additions, fitting of the Batman franchise. Creating mental links between pieces of evidence in order to put crime scenes together puts a focus on Batman’s Detective side that is all too often ignored. Combat is still explored well through quicktime events that focus on flair and style, making Batman feel like the acrobatic tank that he is. My only complaint would be that Batman’s gadgets don’t quite get to shine. Outside of batarangs, the batclaw, and an electric gun, you’re pretty much a melee machine. While this takes place early in Batman’s career, I wish it was explored just a bit more.
The visuals of Telltale’s Batman are inconsistent. While the TellTale comic style works for the Batman IP, there are still technical issues abound, many of which should be fixed by now. Frame rate inconsistencies are frequent at the beginning of each episode, and the final episode crashed twice, and had missing models. It’s frustrating that a game so focused on narrative immersion will pull you out of the game so often with its janky technical issues, so I desperately hope that we’ll get a new TellTale engine sooner rather than later.
The music is a pleasantly surprising high-note. Many tracks are inspired by all forms of Batman media, from The Animated Series to the Michael Keaton films, every type of Batman music, be it whimsical, haunting, or a pleasant mix of both, is presented in a natural way. Each episode’s music is tailored to fit the tone, meaning the earlier episodes took inspiration from the Tim Burton films, while the later episodes were inspired by the Arkham franchise, and the Dark Knight trilogy. Hearing all of these moods collide is exciting for any Batman fan, especially when they’re mixed with such subtle nuance.
The Final Word
Batman: The TellTale series is a great Batman story hindered by an outdated engine. While I’m excited to see what Season 2 holds, I can only hope than the technical issues will be ironed out, as they’re the only detractor from TellTale’s new and exciting take on the dark but hopeful world of the Batman.
MonsterVine Rating: 4 out of 5 – Good
