Batman: Arkham Shadow is the newest VR game by the developer Camouflaj. It is the studio behind the recent Iron Man game Iron Man VR. The developers have been developing VR games and are now applying that knowledge to a Batman Arkham game. A couple of years ago, back in 2016, Rocksteady released a short Batman VR game. It was a demo-like experience. It was a good but short experience. This time around it is a full-length VR game. It is a full on Arkham type game but in VR. Translating an Arkham game into a VR has its own challenges. Translating the use of gadgets, stealth, and combat to VR is a feat that Batman: Arkham Shadow has achieved.
The one thing that kept on hitting me was, what it would have been like if the game had not been Meta Quest 3 and Meta Quest 3 S exclusive. It will be good to see if that exclusivity ends and the game gets released on other platforms. It is one of the good VR experiences that can even be recommended as must play. I wouldn’t say it’s on the same level as Half-Life: Alyx because it was a game changing VR. Despite that, it is one of the good VR games. All this makes you wonder, Is Batman: Arkham Shadow Worth It? Let’s find out.
The Background
Batman: Arkham Shadow is not a VR experience but rather a full-fledged VR game. Players will have the choice to move around and do things that they would do in any other VR game. The scale is not as grand with some areas completely leaner while others allow limited exploration. It is not an open world but despite that, it feels detailed. It is closer to Arkham Origins than it is to Arkham Knight. The game takes place after the events of Arkham Origins and before the events of Batman: Arkham Asylum.
There is a new gang in the city, and the leader is called The Rat King. You are now Batman and have to do whatever he can to stop the bad guys. Along the way, you will punch a lot of bad guys. There are some story bits that connect it to the Arkham universe. At the same time, the game does not shy away from trying new stuff. If you are into the lore of Arkham universe then you might not be fully on board. For normal players, things work quite well. Batman: Arkham Shadow tells a normal game story in a VR.
There are some pacing issues with you doing less of a Batman thing. There are also cutscenes where you will just be staring at a character, floor, or ceiling. It is a game that can be played in small chunks but it also depends on your VR tolerance level. There are settings that you can adjust for a better experience like most modern VR that we see these days.
Be the Batman
The most important bit of the game is fun and it is definitely a fun game which is the feeling that matters. The feeling of being a Batman is there but at the same time, Arkham’s feeling is there as well. Tapping your temple will activate detective mode and that’s when you truly immerse into being Batman. You will see different points to grab, electrical lines, and enemies behind walls. Every action you do has a feeling of Batman to it. You can even pull your cape to glide.
The grappling hook is kind of a letdown since it activates with the press of a button in Batman: Arkham Shadow. It would have been better if it had worked by whipping your hand. However, it does get the job done the way it is.
Combat
Combat also gives you the feeling of being a Batman. Enemies will attack you and surround you. The main thing in the game is counter which can done by throwing your hands up when there is an indicator. If there is an enemy off-screen you will see the indicator at the side. You can throw your hand to that side to counter. You will then face the enemy that you have countered and can land a couple of hits on them. The game encourages you to use combos so you will be throwing punches all around. You have to land these punches precisely and know when to use which hand.
It is more than punches, there is a level of thinking in the game as well. There are sequences to mindlessly punch enemies which is fun in itself. You can stun enemies using your cape and then hit them with a barrage of punches in Batman: Arkham Shadow. Getting your combo up will let you do an instant knockout attack. There is the option to dodge and also use gadgets.
Enemies and Stealth
Enemies look good and new types of enemies are introduced as you progress. Batman uses a lot of different moves and Batman: Arkham Shadow gives you the ability to use them here as well. It can feel quick time event at times but you will be doing more than pressing one button to attack. During stealth sequences, you will be hiding in crates and grappling to gargoyle statues. It’s pretty close to how the combat and stealth work in a normal game.
The stealth knockout technique can be funny to pull off since you will be wrangling your arms a lot. A lot of the stuff in the game is intuitive. You instantly know that you are supposed to grapple at Gargoyle before the option even appears to do so. When you see a vent grate you know that you are supposed to rip it off and get inside. It is the same as Batman has been doing in other Batman games.
As you progress and earn points you will unlock the Wayne tech points that you can use to unlock different stuff in different abilities. It helps you improve stealth, armor, gadgets, and stuff like that.
General Gameplay
Even though Batman: Arkham Shadow is not a completely open world, there are still some collectibles to collect. There are The Rat King propaganda radios to find and there are also little rat statues to break down. The collectibles are carefully hidden, and the game would let you figure stuff out to find the collectibles. It’s not too complex but it gets the job done which is something that I appreciated.
The game looks good for a Quest game but if you are comparing it with other mainstream VR games it is just good enough. Developers have done a good job of squeezing this many things into a Quest game. There are detailed interiors and some of the places you visit are familiar in a reintroduced fashion.
Character models are good even if some of them lack features. It feels good when you are immersed and have a headphone on. There are frame rate drops and some graphical issues but it remains steady. FPS drop in VR can be an issue but in Batman: Arkham Shadow, it is a tolerable level. These are the issues that can be fixed over time.
Verdict (Is Batman: Arkham Shadow Worth It?)
A good Arkham game should have all the things that create a unique identity for the game. When that is combined with VR then you get an Arkham game with VR elements. Batman: Arkham Shadow makes you feel like a Batman but it’s fun and does bank on the fact that it is a Batman game. It hits that balance of staying close to the source while also introducing smart and fun changes. It sets a new bar for the Superhero VR game like the Arkham series did for Superhero games.
VR might not be for everyone but if you are a fan of Batman and VR this is a must-play. Even if you are looking for a good VR game then it is still a good one. The combat is done quite well for a VR game. Despite having a lot of melee combat, the game still does not feel out of place for a VR game. The only major complaint I have is that the game is only available on Meta Quest 3. If you have Meta Quest 3 then this is must play.
