Batman™: Arkham Knight Review Summary

Batmobile adds fun gameplay: The addition of the Batmobile is seen as a cool and enjoyable feature, adding a new dimension to gameplay. Players find it fun to use, well-integrated, and exciting, enhancing the overall gaming experience.

Fluid and satisfying combat: The combat system is highlighted as one of the best in its genre, characterized by its fluidity, responsiveness, and satisfying mechanics. Players appreciate the smooth and engaging combat, which is considered a standout feature.

Engaging and well-written story: The story is praised for being engaging, well-written, and emotionally deep. It keeps players hooked with its gripping narrative, strong character moments, and satisfying conclusion.

Impressive graphics and visuals: The game is widely praised for its exceptional graphics, which are described as visually stunning, timeless, and impressive even after a decade. The visual quality, atmosphere, and detailed design contribute significantly to the overall aesthetic appeal.

Overall high-quality game: The game is frequently described as great, amazing, and magnificent, with excellent storytelling, gameplay, and soundtrack. It is highly recommended and considered a masterpiece by many reviewers.

Overuse of the Batmobile: Players frequently mention that the Batmobile is used too often, particularly in combat and tank battles, making these sections feel repetitive and overemphasized.

Tedious Riddler puzzles: The Riddler puzzles and challenges are often seen as tedious, frustrating, and not well-designed, adding unnecessary difficulty and annoyance.

Poor Batmobile controls: The controls for the Batmobile are often described as clunky, outdated, and not enjoyable, making the driving and combat segments less fun.

Disappointing boss fights: Boss fights are criticized for being poorly designed, rushed, and overall disappointing, lacking the epic feel expected in such a game.

Repetitive missions: Some missions and side quests are repetitive and boring, making the gameplay feel monotonous at times.

Excellent combat system: The combat system is widely praised for being fluid, responsive, and satisfying. It is noted for being easy to learn but challenging to master, making it engaging and fun.

Open-world exploration: The game features an open-world structure with various activities and exploration opportunities. Players appreciate the open-world content and the atmosphere it provides.

Batmobile usage: The Batmobile is well-integrated into the game, although its usage is limited to specific scripted situations. Players have mixed feelings about its control and usage.

Use of gadgets: Gadgets are well-integrated into the combat system and gameplay. Players appreciate the variety of gadgets and their use in combat.

Effective stealth sections: The stealth sections are praised for offering multiple ways to approach enemies. Players find the stealth gameplay to be great and engaging.

Technical issues and bugs: The game suffers from various technical issues and bugs that affect the overall gameplay experience.

Great optimization: The game is generally well-optimized and runs smoothly on various hardware configurations.

Initial PC port performance: The initial release of the game on PC had performance issues, but these have improved over time.

High system requirements: The game has demanding PC requirements and high resource usage on max settings, which may be a barrier for some players.

FPS cap issue: There is a noted issue with the game's framerate being capped at 90 FPS, which has been a point of contention among players.

Recommended for Batman and action fans: The game is highly recommended for fans of Batman, the Arkham series, and action games in general. It is praised for its open world and batmobile handling, making it a must-play for enthusiasts of these genres.

Masterpiece of superhero games: The game is regarded as one of the best superhero games available, offering a highly enjoyable experience for fans of the genre.

Worth the price: Players feel that the game is worth both the time and money invested, making it a valuable purchase.

Perfect conclusion to the trilogy: The game is seen as a perfect conclusion to the Arkham trilogy, making it a worthwhile experience for those who have played the series.

Highly recommended despite flaws: Many players recommend the game highly, even though it has some flaws and shortcomings. The overall experience is considered worthwhile.

Community fair range: $5.00 - $20.00.

Game completion: 70.0h.

Story completion: 30.0h.

Session length: 2.0h.

The game becomes fun after players master the Batmobile controls and complete the main story, reducing the repetitive missions.

Reported time to anchor: 22h.

Friction: Learning curve for Batmobile controls; Repetitive Batmobile missions; Forced usage of the Batmobile disrupting pacing.

Completionist Achiever: Thorough and meticulous, aiming to complete all achievements and explore all content. Motivation: To fully complete and experience every aspect of the game. Stance: buy.

Story-First Explorer: Focused on main story missions, avoiding repetitive or tedious side content. Motivation: To experience a compelling and well-crafted story. Stance: sale.

Franchise Fan: Immersive and engaged, focusing on the overall experience and connection to the franchise. Motivation: To experience the full emotional and narrative depth of the Batman universe. Stance: buy.

The game generally performs well across different hardware cohorts, with higher VRAM configurations experiencing smoother gameplay and better visuals. Lower VRAM setups may encounter some performance issues but are still largely playable.

Windows <8GB VRAM: positive. The game runs well on mid to high-end hardware, with some minor FPS drops on lower-end systems.

Windows 12-15GB VRAM: positive. The game performs excellently on higher VRAM configurations, with stable frame rates and high visual fidelity.

Steam Deck: The analysis of user feedback for the Steam Deck experience with the game reveals several key themes. Performance issues, particularly with maintaining a stable frame rate, are a significant concern for many users. Controller support is another major issue, with users describing it as horrendous and difficult to use. The game's frame rate cap at 30fps is also a notable technical barrier. Additionally, there are UI/UX issues that affect the overall gaming experience. Despite these issues, some users have reported positive performance on the Steam Deck, indicating that the game can run well on this hardware with the right settings.

Linux and Proton: The game generally runs well on Linux with Proton, with users reporting good performance and compatibility. Some users mention the need for tweaks like using DXVK to improve stability, but overall the experience is positive.

Monetization: The analysis of user reviews for Batman: Arkham Knight reveals a mixed sentiment regarding the game's DLC and Season Pass. While many users appreciate the additional content and find it engaging, there are significant concerns about the value and pricing of the DLC and Season Pass. Some users feel that the Season Pass is overpriced and not worth the full price, suggesting that it should be purchased on discount. Additionally, there are mentions of 'pay to win' DLC, which could indicate frustration with certain monetization practices. Overall, the monetization strategy, particularly around DLC and Season Pass, is a notable point of contention among users.

Mod reliance: The game is generally well-received, with many users recommending the installation of community patches and cosmetic mods to enhance the experience. The community patch is frequently mentioned for its additional skins and quality-of-life improvements, suggesting that while the game is playable without it, the patch significantly enhances the experience. Cosmetic mods are also popular, indicating a desire for more customization options. Overall, the modding community is praised for its contributions, which are seen as easy to install and satisfying.

External guides: The user feedback highlights significant issues with the game's complexity, hidden mechanics, and navigation. Players frequently need to refer to external guides due to poor in-game guidance and numerous bugs, leading to a frustrating experience.