Disclosure: A review code was provided by the publisher.
Gotham. A city where crime never sleeps, where the number of miscreants per square kilometer is sure to give Manila a run for its plundered money. Gotham is both a battleground, given the rise of the Rat King, as well as a playground, as you take control of the Caped Crusader in Batman: Arkham Shadow.
Developed by Camouflaj and published by Oculus Studios, Batman: Arkham Shadow is a VR game available on the Meta Quest 3 and Meta Quest 3S headsets. Having recently won Best VR Game at The Game Awards, I was eager to experience what a lot of fans have been raving about. What followed was a near-10-hour rip-roaring romp through dingy streets and foreboding facilities. Perhaps most importantly, this action game effectively combines stealth mechanics and frantic combat popularized by the Arkham series in previous years.
Batman: Arkham Shadow kicks off on the Fourth of July months after the events of Arkham Origins and Blackgate. The fireworks that illuminate the night sky hide something darker and more sinister in the shadows as a new threat, the Rat King, emerges. Starting off by killing government officials and sowing chaos, the Rat King and his cult of followers promise a “Day of Wrath” that would soon engulf the whole city.
Of course, billionaire Bruce Wayne doesn’t have to go at it alone. Along the way, you meet a remarkable cast of characters, including Jim Gordon, Harvey Dent, and Harleen Quinzel, as well as nods to familiar faces from previous titles. Similarly, you encounter a few villains from Batman’s Rogues Gallery, such as Carmine Falcone, Shrike, and others. Yes, there’s even a bout against a shadow version of Batman because of certain “fear-inducing” effects — we don’t want to spoil anything, but you can probably guess where this is going.
As far as levels are concerned, Batman: Arkham Shadow isn’t an open-world game in the vein of its predecessors. Rather, missions take place in predominantly medium-to-large enclosed spaces. The main downside here is that textures and designs tend to look bland, blocky, or rough when viewed up close. This is partly understandable given gritty themes and being set in a city that’s rife with corruption. However, this is also a knock against the Quest 3’s own lackluster visual quality given that it’s a standalone headset.
The main draw of Batman: Arkham Shadow, however, is its excellent combat system. Those who’ve played the flatscreen Arkham games would be familiar with fast-paced, combo-centric mechanics, where the Dark Knight is able to eliminate dozens of hostiles in bone-crunching engagements. These concepts are at the forefront of Arkham Shadow, and things are surprisingly smooth when considering VR mechanics and controls.
For starters, you primarily play in first-person view, and you have to hold both the trigger and grip buttons on your controllers to form a fist. Punching straight ahead causes Batman to rush an opponent, and you can follow up with crosses and uppercuts by making swiping motions. If a blue notification pops up on your screen, you just need to wave your hand toward that direction to instantly block an attack. Likewise, there are additional moves, including dodges and beatdowns.
Furthermore, stealth mechanics are relatively easy enough to get used to. For instance, I could grapple atop stone gargoyles while watching enemies below me. I’d then be able to follow up with a diving kick or a silent takedown causing foes get strung upside down. I can also crawl through vents or hidden sections, before grabbing an opponent and incapacitating them — in a motion akin to stretching side to side when exercising. Similarly, I have an assortment of gadgets, including smoke bombs and Batarangs, and related skill point upgrades, to stun or stymy my opponents.
All in all, these options make for a tense and exhilarating experience whenever I had to take out multiple enemies. Just as well, Batman: Arkham Shadow has its fair share of challenges, awarding you with higher points depending on the length of a combo chain and if you can avoid getting spotted or getting hit.
These ideas related to combat and stealth are adapted into VR so fluidly, that I felt like I was having a workout even though I was only playing while sitting down. However, this doesn’t mean that Arkham Shadow is exhausting to play. Rather, these facets — smooth movement, intuitive prompts, and responsive controls — all make bouts equally engaging and comfortable to get through.
Additional options help bring more comfort, too, such as snap turning or slow turning. Vignetting options are there to prevent motion sickness, as these have toggles for low, medium, or high effects (i.e. most of the screen goes dark). Moreover, certain core movement and traversal concepts are made easier for the player’s benefit, such as gliding with your cape or the Batarang hitting a target with a quick fling.
Compared to a recently released VR adventure game, Skydance’s Behemoth, where I had trouble landing a hit with ranged and thrown weapons, Batman: Arkham Shadow is as relaxing as it gets for an action game filled with numerous enemy encounters.
Lastly, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Detective Mode and collectibles. Detective Mode (also known as Detective Vision) makes its return in the most immersive way. Simply hold your hand to your temple and hit the button, akin to turning on a switch on a visor. This causes enemies to get highlighted, while also informing you about the weapons that they’re carrying. Likewise, this shows important objects, such as panels, generators, vents, clues, and more.
Also, given that you’re Gotham’s greatest detective, you owe it to yourself to revisit locations to search for collectibles. There are a plethora of these, including Rat King Idols and Rat King Radios, which spread your foe’s propaganda to his cult, as well as Echoes, which are callbacks to interactions with notable characters. There are even handy maps that give you enough information, though you still need to acquire various tools and gadgets to gain access to hidden locations.
Overall, Batman: Arkham Shadow is a spectacular triumph for Camouflaj, especially after having tried its hand in Iron Man VR and Republique VR. It’s a terrific action-adventure starring the Caped Crusader, and one that you shouldn’t miss if you own a Quest 3/3S headset.
Review score: 9 out of 10
Batman: Arkham Shadow is available now for the Meta Quest 3 and Meta Quest 3S. The game was played on a Meta Quest 3 headset.
