New Batman Game Surprises Arkham Fans: “Game of the Year”

The latest entry in the beloved Batman: Arkham series, Batman: Arkham Shadow, has today released on Meta Quest 3 and it’s already proving to be a huge hit with fans. Upon its reveal earlier this year, many were skeptical of Arkham Shadow given that it was solely going to be an experience tailored for VR. Now, with the game having actually launched, that tune has quickly changed with some touting it as a Game of the Year contender.

Across social media and Reddit today, those who have been playing Batman: Arkham Shadow have had nothing but good things to say about it. Some have been shocked to see how well Arkham Shadow takes many of the gameplay stylings from the core Arkham games and translates them for Meta Quest 3. Others have been impressed by the storytelling and world design, both of which were also praised in games like Arkham Asylum, Arkham City, and Arkham Knight.

“I don’t know what I was expecting honestly, but this is a whole ass Arkham game,” said u/Riverforasong in a thread. “Combat, stealth, detective work, the whole nine. And it works so well in VR. The only problem is I now know I’m way too out of shape to ever be Batman.”

Outside of the Batman Arkham series, some other VR veterans have been saying that Arkham Shadow might be the best gaming they’ve ever had with the technology. While Half-Life: Alyx has largely been considered the high-point for VR games since its launch in 2020, some are saying that Arkham Shadow has now surpassed Valve’s release to set a new standard for virtual reality as a whole.

“If you’re hesitant whatsoever about the quality of Arkham Shadow, I’m here to tell you this is a masterclass in VR gaming,” wrote u/VR_Wolf in one post. “It might push Half-Life: Alyx off the pedestal for me as best VR game of all time. It’s that good. […] Don’t wait. Go play this game.”

To this point, critics seem to agree with the consensus that early players have had with Batman: Arkham Shadow. Currently, the game boasts a very impressive 87/100 aggregate score on Metacritic. Although this score is only based on five reviews from various publications, it’s still a strong start for the latest release from Camouflaj.

If you’re looking for even more opinions on Batman: Arkham Shadow, we’ll have an official review of the game to share with you here on ComicBook soon. Until then, you can look to pick Arkham Shadow up for yourself right now on Meta Quest 3 and Meta Quest 3S devices.