I was looking forward to the second episode in the Batman series by Telltale. The first episode was a pretty good setup, but I was waiting for the second episode to truly show me what Telltale was going to do with the Batman name. I saw some interesting flashes of what could be a great series, but The Children of Arkham only seemed to inch the story forward and not do much else.

The first episode displayed pretty easily that this was not the typical Batman story. Telltale was making an original story and to do that they changed many facts that the Batman universe has always stood by. I appreciate this tactic because it allows for more unpredictability. I don’t know where the story is heading and I really can’t rely on previous knowledge of the Batman universe to take an educated guess.

This is why I was hoping the second episode was going to say more about where the story was heading. It did a little at the end, but most of the narrative revolved around how Bruce Wayne’s parents were killed. An important part of the story for sure, but nothing really moved forward until the very end. Overall, the episode never really excited me and it barely kept my attention. This episode felt almost like a second introduction rather than hitting the ground running to really get the game in gear.

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The game was pretty typical Telltale as you’d expect. It was casual banter as the story led you places regardless of what you said. The first big choice occurs when you have to visit the Mayor of the city. You can go as Bruce and sweet talk the gentleman into giving you what you need, or you can go as Batman. It goes without saying the scene unfolds differently depending on what you select. 

It’s a tough decision that has no immediate effect. You get the information regardless, but it could be in later episodes it comes back to bite you. Similarly, a decision at the end of the episode could have big consequences. In fact, if it is like many of Telltale’s choices where the decisions are mere illusions, I’ll be pretty pissed. The decision was big enough that it should shape the rest of the game. I have multiple playthroughs so I can see both sides and I hope it really shapes the later episodes. Time will tell.

In the Children of Arkham there are very few moments where I felt like what I was saying as Bruce was important. Most of my dialog decisions didn’t seem to matter much, and no matter the answer I was steered to the same result. The very few moments where I was faced with a tougher choice I took my time to ensure I picked what I felt was best. These moments rarely happen, which is upsetting, because they really carry a lot of weight.

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In the first episode, I enjoyed playing more as Bruce than The Bat, and that stands true in this episode as well. Bruce has the subtle conversations and interactions I enjoy witnessing. Bruce has the morally gray decisions I have to wrestle with. Do I give a reporter the inside scoop to keep the news on my side, but in doing so betray someone else? Maybe I lock out the news so they get nothing from me, but in the end that will make Bruce look worse? These are the entertaining moments in The Children of Arkham and it’s what I enjoyed the most.

In most games, Bruce almost feels like the secondary character to Batman who takes the spotlight. This time, Bruce seems to be center stage and Batman pops up here or there. I feel the real work is being done when you are playing as the millionaire negotiating with politicians. Bruce has the tougher decisions that rest anxiously on the line of good or bad. Batman just beats people up and has the simple dilemma of either being merciful or brutal. This makes the Batman sections rather boring to me.

There are a couple good actions scenes that are fun to watch and take part in. As fun as simple button prompts can be. You can even hit the wrong button as long as you hit the right one immediately afterward. Not a big deal, but lessens the threat of messing up the fight. These combat moments are entertaining to watch, but they won’t be that impressionable.

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The Children of Arkham isn’t a long episode (under 2 hours) and I wasn’t really impressed by anything until the last ten minutes. Those last ten minutes could be completely ruined based off of how the third episode handles my previous decisions. That’s all episode two really was after all. A minor step and further introduction to the overall season. This episode didn’t impress me, but I’m still definitely interesting to see where Telltale takes it.

This review is based off a review code of the PlayStation 4 version of Batman: The Telltale Series Episode 2: Children of Arkham  developed and distributed by Telltale Games. 

The Dark Knight Stumbles | Batman: The Telltale Series Episode 2: Children of Arkham Review
Overall Score7
Positives
  • Climatic Ending
  • A Few Tough Choices for Bruce
  • Original Story Keeps it Fresh
Negatives
  • Story Barely Advances
  • Nothing Impressive
  • Minor Camera Hitches and Delays
7Overall Score
Reader Rating: (0 Votes)
0.0

About The Author

Neil has had a passion for video games ever since the Atari entered his life so many years ago. He's been writing about them for over two years and sees no end in sight. Reach out to him on twitter @nconnors13