A review where I try to justify why I didn't really enjoy it that much.
The graphics and the engine in this one are mind blowingly awesome. The fight system works well and looks impressive. The production values are through the roof, 11/10. It's an amazing professional game production accomplishment. The third person camera view works very well. Is it an amazing game? IMO no, not at all.
Batman can shoot grappling ropes and generally move around like spiderman. Punch through predetermined walls with explosives. Hack predetermined locks. Hmm, I was making a list of cool gadgets that Batman has but that's about it. There's very little freedom. Everything is very predetermined and linear. Oh, yeah he can also jump around like the guy from the original Prince of Persia, or Lara Croft if you want to think it in 3D.
I thought the story was rather boring and bland, even if the voice actors were excellent. Dude runs around an island from one house to the next, each house has some boss that he fights. I just can't immerse myself into this if the story sucks, and it kinda does. I know that there was some strange goo and Joker was involved in it, going for world domination or something. But none of this was directly relevant to the gameplay, so it was just nonsense. Perhaps I'm spoiled rotten by Bioware and the likes. Perhaps I've just read too many good books.
This game is just not very memorable. It also has something that is the bane of all 3D combat/sneaking games: VENTS. THE BLOODY AIR VENTS. They are a plague.
I had the same problems with Bioshock (although it had less vents!). Perhaps I'm just completely fed up with shooters since Half-Life 2.
7/10 for sheer diamond hard production values. The game really brought nothing new to the genre; just a great combination of what's already there. If they had put more effort into writing, immersion, character design, immersion, overall story-like feel, immersion and flow, it might as well be 8.5/10. Just brilliant graphics and engine do not the whole immersive experience make.
Gameplay... This game is mostly just mashing a couple of buttons and reacting to a couple of flashing signs once in a while and hoping that everything goes ok. There seems to be very little challenge or skill in any of this.
I really wouldn't waste my time with it if I knew beforehand what I was about to play. Perhaps my standards are too high. But then again, I've played some games that've left me smiling like a fool (Portal for example).
This game just makes me bored. It feels like I'm working to see few more cool scenes and characters, which is not how games are supposed to be. Games are supposed to be all about fun gameplay, not of other frivolous things.
What was really cool about this game though, that I think I didn't actually kill anyone in it. They were just all beaten to unconscious state. This was all kinds of awesome.
Young teens will probably gobble this up like hotcakes but for me it was very meh experience.