Game Rating: 8.5/10

By Jordan Ryder
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Arkham Knight is both hands down my favorite Arkham title and a fitting conclusion to the series.

Plot is difficult to discuss without spoiling it, but, of the series, I think it has the strongest story. Unlike previous games, it puts Batman through the emotional wringer and, in those moments, depicts him as more fragile man than indestructible super hero. For me, it was reminiscent of The Dark Knight Rises.

The few gripes I had with the story were minor; The ending is amazing, but the hour or so of padding right before could be cut. It also suffered from the comic-book-story syndrome in which any character’s death can be undone. I guess that comes with the territory, but because the series has proven willing to eliminate big names such as Joker, I found it baffling.

As far as play goes, Arkham Knight is the same as previous titles — a rare balance of stealth and combat. It is still fun to pick off Gotham’s criminals from the shadows one by one until the odds are even enough to finish the rest off in an open melee.

The biggest addition to play is the Batmobile. Fun as it is to drive an armored car around, I wish it handled better. Some missions and side quests require precision driving, and it’s frustrating to fail because of imprecise controls. While getting around Gotham, I found it simpler and faster to get to the tallest building and glide to my destination rather than drive.

The Batmobile can also transform into a tank. Pre-release, many people were worried this would undermine the spirit of Batman and the Arkham series in general. I found it complemented it pretty well. The earlier comparison with the The Dark Knight Rises comes into play again, because in this game, Batman is in a literal war for Gotham; being armed with a tank fits the situation very well.

Arkham Knight was one of the better games I’ve played in a while. If you didn’t pick it up this summer, you definitely should now.

.5/10

For those busy having summer fun, the Electronic Entertainment Expo, the largest expo of computer and video games, occurred. A long list of big titles were announced for this year and next, including:

• Dishonored 2

• Mirrors Edge: Catalyst

• Rise of the Tomb Raider

• Starwars Battlefront

• Fallout 4

• Mass Effect Andromeda

• Dark Souls III

• Legend of Zelda Tri-Force Heroes

Personally, I’m most looking forward to Dishonored 2 and Mass Effect Andromeda. Keep in mind Halo 5: Guardians and Call of Duty: Black Ops III will also come this semester. Keep checking back for these and more reviews.