Batman – The Telltale Series

Build your own batman in dark, gritty adventure

Parents need to know that "Batman – The Telltale Series" is a downloadable, episodic adventure game featuring the popular DC Comics superhero in the early days of his career. The game uses a point-and-click style combined with the occasional quick-time event to advance the plot. Players will make choices at key moments, which play out over the course of the entire series. This is a darker story for the Batman franchise and a far cry from the all-ages Caped Crusader that occasionally shows up in cartoons and comic books. Violence in the game is graphic, with plenty of blood and brutal imagery. The game also makes some use of profanity and sexuality, as well as references to drinking and drug use, to ground the story into the grittier side of Gotham City.

WHAT'S IT ABOUT?

"Batman – The Telltale Series" is a five-part story set in the formative days of DC Comics' Dark Knight. Although this Batman has been fighting the criminal element in Gotham City for a while, he's yet to confront many of the more "colorful" members of his Rogue's Gallery … at least until a certain feline felon makes her move. What follows is a story of city-wide corruption, organized crime, and the rise of new, more dangerous threats, not only to the Caped Crusader but to Bruce Wayne as well. The game does more than just tell a story, though. It gives players a chance to truly be the man behind the mask, investigating crime scenes, interrogating villains, and balancing his two lives, all while struggling with the hard choices that come with fighting against the darkness without succumbing to it.

IS IT ANY GOOD?

For every comic book fan who once dreamed of growing up to be Batman, this is your chance. But being Batman isn't all about grappling hooks and Batarangs. It's about using your brain as the World's Greatest Detective. It's about making critical decisions at a moment's notice. And it's about making sure that the hard choices are the right choices and never becoming the very thing you're fighting against. That's what makes Telltale's take on Batman stand out. Make no mistake about it — this is a "grown-up" Batman tale for a grown-up audience. The game doesn't shy away from the darker side of the Dark Knight's world.

Telltale's tried-and-true decision-making formula gives the game an extra layer of storytelling, as players quickly have to decide what to say or do, opting to follow what they think Batman/Bruce Wayne would actually do or even veering way off course to craft a different, more personal version of the Caped Crusader. The game's new "Crowd Play" feature lets friends get in on the action, too. By syncing up to three mobile devices, players can cast their votes during the game's branching choices, with the majority decision being the one selected. It's definitely a fun way to get others to become more than passive observers. With "Batman – The Telltale Series," Telltale Games and DC Comics have created a unique interactive experience with a story on par with or even beyond what could ever be accomplished on the printed page.

GAME DETAILS

Platforms: Mac, PlayStation 4, Windows, Xbox One Price: $29.99 | Developer: Telltale Games Release date: August 2, 2016 | Genre: Adventure ESRB rating: M for violence, blood and gore, language, recommended for ages 16 and older