Game: Batman – The Telltale Series Episode 3: New World Order
Consoles: PS4, Xbox One (reviewed), PC, Mac OS, PS3, Xbox 360, iOS, Android
Publisher: Telltale Games
Developer: Telltale Games
Telltale has made it abundantly clear that they’re not sticking to the tried and true mythos of Bruce Wayne/Batman. The backstory tied to his family legacy, his role within Gotham City and his main allies have been altered and given loyal fans something new to understand. The last two episodes of this Batman-centered Telltale Series has flipped Bruce’s world upside down and that descent from a revered public figure to more of a shunned personality makes this episode another bright spot in its series. The main story thread (the complete takeover of Gotham City by the Children of Arkham) branches off into some interesting sub-plots, such as the disturbing legacy of the Wayne Family resulting in Bruce losing his main role at his own company. It’s crazy to follow a Bruce Wayne who doesn’t have the world at his fingertips anymore; now, he’s forced to either stick to the company script or speak out against the powers that be while a new figurehead steps into his former role.
The best mechanics from the 1st two episodes (crime scene investigation sequences, connecting clues together to reach a final conclusion, intense fighting sequences) all make an appearance during this episode. The skirmish that’s the most fun puts you at odds with the enigmatic leader of the Children of Arkham, which leads to the coolest moments of this episode. As expected, there’s a great amount of choices to make here. The decisions you make have a big impact on Bruce’s friendship with Harvey Dent and his curious “relationship” with Selina/Catwoman. Watching these choices erupt into the climactic moments this episode features is incredible to watch unfold. The moment that will blow your mind the most is the episode’s final moments that reveals the individual behind the mask who’s causing so much trouble.
Episode Three is full of some great moments here and there, but it’s clear that this episode is more of a slow burner for the next one. The most shocking conclusions brought on by the choices you make during this episode are being saved for the series’ last two episodes. It’s easy to see that this episode’s main purpose is to build up the next episode and we’re sure it will reveal several highlights that come to fruition. Harvey Dent’s discovery of Bruce/Selina’s “relations” and the Children of Arkham leader reveal just a few of the moments that truly stick out more than everything else here. The rest of this episode features a few dull conversation sequences that slows things down a bit too much as well. There’s more game time devoted to Bruce, but it’s a bit disappointing to see it devoted to some uninteresting business dealings and news conferences.
Bottom Line
New World Order still upholds the strong presentation of Batman’s world by Telltale Games. The biggest fights are awesome to see and getting to the bottom of the crime scene you converge upon are definite gameplay highlights. On the story front, watching Bruce lose his foothold over his company, witnessing Harvey Dent’s alter-ego take shape and getting the reveal of the Children of Arkham’s leader are all shocking. However, this episode dips in quality a bit from the last one due to more time being spent on humdrum conversations about business dealings and politics. This one’s building up to a 4th episode that we have a feeling will amaze us. On the whole, Episode Three is slower than the last two but it’s still worth completing.
Score: 8.5/10
Pros:
- Bruce Wayne’s continued fall from greatness is an engrossing story thread to follow along with
- Harvey Dent’s fractured state erupts into one of the episode’s more intense encounters
- The reveal of the Children of Arkham’s leader is a genuine shocker
Cons:
- This experience is filled with a lot more dull conversational encounters
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‘Batman – The Telltale Series Episode 3: New World Order’ Review