Batman: The Telltale Series - Season Two: The Enemy Within
Batman: The Enemy Within is a more nuanced game then the first season. It explores the grey areas in much deeper ways and forces you to make choices that are more difficult than ever before.
The downside of this is that a lot of that is focused on Bruce’s character and not The Batman. Meaning almost the entirety of the game is spent in Bruce’s shoes, and without the occasional thrill of Batman action, can be rather slow and boring in places. The game puts more emphasis on relationships this time around, meaning everything you say to someone can have a consequence on how that person responds to you or how their story turns out.
The game’s main focus is on the relationship between Bruce Wayne and John Doe (this game’s version of The Joker before he becomes The Joker). While this is certainly a unique and intriguing exploration, you are always aware of where that character is heading, and inevitably it’s a zero sum game. All of which just reminds you of how the game is constantly twisting your arm, rather than making your choices feel free, open and lasting.
Luckily the game comes out of the rough and sticks the landing in such a satisfying way, leaving you with big choices still to make and the feeling that even though you wish you had made some different choices along the way, that every choice you made was still worth it because it was yours in that moment. Ultimately, the ending made me feel just as good about the journey I had been on as the first season had. And left me dying to see how those choices I made affect what happens next.
★★★★
| Score: 8 out of 10 |
