'Batman: Arkham Shadow' Proves VR Gaming Isn't Just a Gimmick

There's a inclination for VR games to beryllium seen arsenic gimmicks; forgettable spin-offs of better-known franchises. Indeed, the past effort astatine Batman Arkham VR was precisely that—little much than a vaguely interactive movie. That's not the lawsuit present though—Arkham Shadow is an ambitious, full-length outing (expect 10-15 hours playtime) with a satisfyingly layered and twisting narrative. It has clip and abstraction to soma retired its world, giving players a accidental to walk arsenic overmuch clip retired of the Batsuit arsenic successful it, with Batman undercover successful Blackgate Prison successful his "Matches Malone" persona for overmuch of the game.

It boasts an expansive formed of allies and enemies to brushwood (some of whom, fixed Shadow's placing arsenic a prequel, person yet to instrumentality their spot successful Batman's rogues gallery), and adjacent packs successful a spot of prima powerfulness successful the dependable acting—Roger Craig Smith returns to dependable Bruce Wayne/Batman with gravel-voiced menace, portion Elijah Wood takes connected the relation of a pre-Scarecrow Jonathan Crane. There's thing gimmicky astir this.

It's each bolstered by robust gameplay mechanics that genuinely marque you consciousness arsenic though you're Batman, similar ne'er before. Camouflaj has masterfully adapted each pillar of what made the accepted Arkham games great—stealth, combat, investigations—into an immersive, first-person VR experience.

Little touches specified arsenic activating Detective Mode—a ocular filter highlighting clues successful the environment—by raising a controller to the broadside of your head, soon makes you consciousness similar you're really wearing the infamous cowl, portion stealth play is simply a existent delight. Skulking done the shadows and taking retired the Rat King's acolytes, sneaking retired from an aerial vent to instrumentality down a grunt oregon hoisting them up precocious to dangle helplessly from a perch, it's casual to consciousness similar the precise municipality fable Batman cultivates for himself.

When stealth isn't an option, melee combat creates the aforesaid fantastic travel authorities arsenic the archetypal Arkham games. You'll straight pummel foes one-on-one, switching betwixt uppercuts, jabs, thrusts, twin-fisted slams and much to interruption done defenses, past weave seamlessly into real-time blocks and counters arsenic you juggle groups of enemies.

An alert to the broadside of your imaginativeness indicates incoming blows—flick an limb to the broadside and you'll intercept the off-screen attack, instantly pulling your attraction to the adjacent foe, portion sweeping your limb without squeezing the Quest controller's triggers brings your cape up for a deflecting blow. All the while, you're gathering up complaint for devastating finishers that onshore with punishing gravity. That you’re doing it each with your ain fists, alternatively than tapping buttons connected a controller, makes you consciousness similar an unstoppable badass.

Throw successful the quality to commencement disconnected an brushwood with a brutal glide-kick oregon a well-aimed Batarang, oregon to disorient enemies with fume bombs, and it's capable to marque you deliberation you truly could instrumentality connected a twelve masked assailants successful existent life. You can't, truthful don't try, but fights present connection conscionable capable exertion that it feels similar a workout—a assemblage combat people the crippled throws successful each truthful often, making for a play acquisition that’s lone imaginable successful VR.

Virtually Unbeatable

That’s the magic of Arkham Shadow—it brilliantly balances an acquisition console and PC gamers expect with the immersive elements that are unsocial to VR. While determination are plentifulness of different large games successful VR already—Asgard’s Wrath II, The Room VR, and of people Beat Saber, to sanction conscionable a few—they’re each preaching to the converted, the comparative fewer who’ve already gotten connected committee with virtual world gaming. Batman, arguably the world’s astir fashionable superhero, brings that ever-elusive crossover entreaty though. With the committedness of an untold communicative successful 1 of his astir fashionable settings, this has the imaginable to pull caller players, bringing them into the VR ecosystem.

Sure, to an extent, Camouflaj is conscionable playing the hits here, remixing the champion bits of Rocksteady's archetypal Arkham games for VR—there’s adjacent a big of collectibles to hunt down, scattered astir Gotham by the Rat Cultists successful the aforesaid mode that Riddler Trophies were successful earlier games, often requiring a puzzle beryllium solved oregon caller spot of Bat-tech beryllium acquired to reach. There’s comfortableness successful that familiarity though, making it easier for players to marque the VR transition.