There’s a tendency for VR games to be seen as gimmicks, forgettable spinoffs of better-known franchises. In fact, the last attempt to Batman Arkham VR It was exactly that: little more than a vaguely interactive movie. But that’s not the case here. shadow of arkham is an ambitious and comprehensive outing (expect 10-15 hours of gameplay) with a satisfyingly layered and twisting narrative. It has time and space to develop its world, giving players the opportunity to spend as much time outside the Batsuit as inside it, with Batman undercover at Blackgate Prison in his “Matches Malone” persona for much of the game.
He has a wide cast of allies and enemies to face (some of which, given Darkness (positioning themselves as a prequel, they haven’t yet taken their place in Batman’s rogues gallery), and even includes some star power in the voice acting: Roger Craig Smith returns to play Bruce Wayne/Batman with a menace deep-voiced, while Elijah Wood takes on the role of pre-Scarecrow Jonathan Crane. There is nothing misleading about this.
It’s all bolstered by solid gameplay mechanics that truly make you feel like you’re Batman like never before. Camouflaj has masterfully adapted each pillar of what made the conventional arkham cool games (stealth, combat, investigations) in an immersive first-person virtual reality experience.
Little touches like activating Detective Mode, a visual filter that highlights clues in the environment, by lifting a controller to the side of your head, soon make you feel like you’re actually wearing the infamous hood, while stealth gameplay is a real treat. pleasure. Lurking in the shadows and dispatching the Rat King’s acolytes, sneaking through a vent to take down a grunt, or lifting them high to hang helplessly from a coat hanger, it’s easy to feel like the same urban legend that Batman cultivates for himself.
When stealth isn’t an option, hand-to-hand combat creates the same wonderful state of flow as the original. arkham games. You’ll directly hit enemies one by one, alternating between hooks, jabs, thrusts, two-fisted strikes, and more to break through defenses, and then seamlessly weave in blocks and counters in real time while juggling groups of enemies.
Courtesy of Meta/Camouflaj
Courtesy of Meta/Camouflaj
An alert to the side of your vision indicates incoming strikes: move one arm to the side and you will intercept the attack off-screen, instantly drawing your attention to the next enemy, while moving your arm without pulling the controller’s triggers Quest brings your Prepare to deflect the blow. Meanwhile, you’re building up charge for devastating finishers that land with punishing gravity. That you do everything with your own fists, instead of tapping buttons on a controller, makes you feel like an unstoppable guy.
Add to that the ability to start an encounter with a brutal slide kick or a well-aimed Batarang, or disorient enemies with smoke bombs, and it’s enough to make you think you could really take on a dozen masked assailants in your lifetime. real. You can’t, so don’t try, but the fights here offer enough effort to make it feel like training – a kind of body combat that the game offers from time to time, making it a gameplay experience that only It is possible in virtual reality.
Virtually unbeatable
That’s the magic of shadow of arkham—Brilliantly balances the experience that console and PC players expect with the immersive elements that are unique to virtual reality. While there are already many other great games in virtual reality:Wrath of Asgard II, The VR Room, and of course Beat saberto name just a few: everyone is preaching to the converted, the few who have already jumped on board with virtual reality gaming. However, Batman, arguably the world’s most popular superhero, brings that ever-elusive crossover appeal. With the promise of an untold story in one of its most popular settings, this has the potential to attract new players, bringing them into the virtual reality ecosystem.
Sure, to some extent, Camouflaj is simply playing the hits here, remixing the best parts of the Rocksteady original. arkham games for virtual reality: there are even a large number of collectibles to hunt down, scattered around Gotham by the Rat Cultists in the same way that the Riddler Trophies were in previous games, often requiring solving a puzzle or acquiring new Bat technology to reach . However, that familiarity is comforting, making it easier for players to transition into virtual reality.