Batman: Arkham Shadow Preview: A True Arkham Gameplay Experience for VR
Arkham Shadow is more of everything Batman: Arkham fans love about the series.
Like many others, I was initially a bit disappointed with the reveal of Batman: Arkham Shadow. In the nearly ten years since Batman: Arkham Knight, I have been dying for Rocksteady (or another studio) to make another game in the vein of the mainline Arkham titles. As a result, when I learned Batman: Arkham series was coming back but was instead going to be adapted to VR, I was pretty let down. Fortunately, after having now played Arkham Shadow, I've found that my tune has quickly changed.
Recently, I was able to go hands-on with about 45 minutes of Batman: Arkham Shadow. My demo took place in the early hours of the game which broadly gave me an overview of the core gameplay mechanics, gadgets, and layout of its world. And while there are still plenty of questions that I have, it's clear that Arkham: Shadow is a true Arkham game in every major way.
The thing that immediately sold me on Batman: Arkham Shadow is its combat. You would think that in the transition to VR, developer Camouflaj (the studio behind Iron Man VR) would have to cut corners in order to adapt Batman's fighting style seen across the Arkham franchise. Instead, this couldn't be further from the truth. All of Batman's attacks, counters, and items can be used in the same freeform method as the traditional Arkham games with the only difference being that you're now controlling Batman's moves with your own hands rather than buttons.
Hand-to-hand combat is still combo-based and sees groups of enemies coming at you all at once. Rather than needing to walk right up to foes in order to attack them, throwing your hands with a punching motion sees you launching toward them across an arena. Attacks don't just consist of hurling your fists in random directions, either, as you'll need to complete certain attack patterns in order to deal damage. These beatdowns of baddies culminate in special moves you can use to end encounters with a flourishing bang.
The more time I spent with Batman: Arkham Shadow, the more enthralled I became with its combat. To some degree, this isn't a huge surprise as combat is one of my favorite components of the Arkham franchise. What I'm so impressed by with Arkham Shadow, though, is that it really doesn't feel like anything has been lost when adapting Batman's fighting style to VR. Instead, these combat mechanics are likely more engaging than they ever have been and have me keen to see how they evolve over the course of the game.
The same can be said for Predator mode, which has also been seamlessly incorporated into Batman: Arkham Shadow. For the uninitiated, these are the stealth sections that force you to stick to the shadows or swing from the ceiling to get the drop on armed thugs. More so than anything else in my demo, these Predator mode sequences were perhaps the best example of why Arkham Shadow works greatly as a VR title. Grapple hooking from gargoyle to gargoyle or gliding down with your cape spread wide to sneak up on foes is just as much a treat from the first-person perspective as it is from the third-person.
These mechanics that are specific to Predator mode in Arkham Shadow are also simple to use and smartly make use of the Meta Quest 3's controller. Gliding with your cape forces you to spread your arms far apart, while choking out enemies makes you wrestle the controllers back and forth multiple times. The variety of actions on display across all of Arkham Shadow's various gameplay stylings keeps the game feeling fresh without feeling complex or cumbersome.
Structure-wise, Camouflaj says that it wants Batman: Arkham Shadow to most closely resemble Arkham Asylum. This means that the game is less about vast, open areas and is more about becoming intimately familiar with smaller yet still elaborate locations. During my playtime, I was able to go off the beaten path a couple of times and discovered optional puzzles and collectibles. Batman's signature Detective mode can also be toggled on and off at any point and remains a helpful tool for both puzzles and investigating the environment.
There are a handful of "dungeons" of sorts in Arkham Shadow that Camouflaj says will serve as the major locales in the game. Surprisingly, members of the studio say they drew inspiration from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time when crafting these areas. The opening section of Arkham Shadow that I checked out didn't feature anything too interconnected or in-depth, but what I did play has me eager to see more of what the game will have to offer as it expands.
Despite being largely positive about Batman: Arkham Shadow, I still have some reservations. The game's story, in particular, is something that I have yet to get much of a grasp on. I love the idea of Arkham Shadow taking place chronologically after Arkham Origins, but I'm also a bit apprehensive about whether or not Ratcatcher can serve as a compelling throughline villain. One thing that Camouflaj did note, though, is that its story is filled with plenty of surprises that Arkham fans won't see coming. To that end, I'm very interested in seeing how the studio looks to leave its own mark on the Arkham universe.
Despite coming in with doubts, I'm now completely sold on what Camouflaj is doing with Batman: Arkham Shadow. This is a full Arkham gameplay experience that has been adapted to VR to great effect. Whether or not Arkham Shadow is worth buying an entire Meta Quest 3 headset to play I'm still unsure about, but if you happen to already own Meta's latest VR device, there's no question in my mind that Arkham Shadow needs to be on your radar.
Batman: Arkham Shadow is set to launch exclusively on Meta Quest 3 in October 2024.
This demo of Batman: Arkham Shadow was experienced at an event hosted by Meta. Travel accommodations were provided by the publisher.
