August 30th 2024.
When we first heard about Batman: Arkham Shadow, we were skeptical. After all, it's hard to be optimistic about the current state of virtual reality. With Sony's lackluster treatment of PlayStation VR2 and reports of massive losses at Meta, the whole concept of VR seems like it's still not ready for mainstream audiences.
And let's not forget about the games themselves. While some of the best VR experiences are just modes for traditional games, dedicated VR titles often fall short, feeling more like tech demos than full-fledged games. This was the case with Rocksteady's Batman: Arkham VR, released in 2016.
But Arkham Shadow is different. It's a real game, four years in the making with a playtime of up to 12 hours. And it's not just a simple tech demo - it has complex combat, puzzles, and even recreates the iconic predator stealth sequences from the original games. In fact, it was not only our favorite game at Gamescom, but it's also shaping up to be one of the best VR games ever made.
Of course, there were other games at Gamescom, but playing something like Civilization 7 in a noisy trade show just doesn't compare to the immersive experience of pretending to be Batman in a virtual world. We may not have gotten much context for the story, but we do know that Arkham Shadow is a sequel to 2013's Arkham Origins, set in a world where an original character called the Rat King is leading a cult that threatens to take over Gotham City.
According to developer Camouflaj, who also worked on Iron Man VR, there are even some Easter eggs for the upcoming Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, as both games were in development at the same time. And while we may never know for sure, it's possible that these references wouldn't have made it into the game if the fate of Suicide Squad was known.
In the demo we played, we found ourselves in the sewers as Batman, on a mission to stop the cult at its source. The VR capabilities of the Meta Quest 3 may not be as powerful as those of the PlayStation VR2, but the graphics are still impressive and the sense of actually being Batman is almost perfect. Unlike other VR games, where your body is reduced to disembodied hands, in Arkham Shadow, you have a full virtual body when you look down.
We were told that the game had all the comfort settings turned on, which normally means a teleport-style movement system and turning in 45-degree steps. But to our surprise, there was none of that. Instead, we had full freedom of movement without any sense of nausea. This was true even during combat, which was incredibly well done and reminiscent of the original Arkham games.
Combat involves multiple thugs attacking you at once, and you must use your fists to take them down. Quick-time event symbols appear, encouraging you to punch with your left or right fist, and sometimes you have to swipe left or right instead. You can also counter attacks, and if an enemy is behind you, a little icon pops up, prompting you to hit them without even looking - just like Batman would.
We're not sure how challenging the game will get, but the demo felt great, especially the finishing moves where you can knee someone in the face or brutally beat them while they're down. The predator sections are also well done, allowing you to perch on gargoyles and sneak around in vents before pouncing on unsuspecting enemies. And of course, nothing is more satisfying than grabbing a villain and hanging them from the rafters.
But the best motion control has to be when you put both arms out at a 90-degree angle and lean forward to swoop down on your enemies using Batman's cape. It may not actually require you to lean forward, but we did it anyway, fully convinced that we were actually a superhero.
Every action in Arkham Shadow is incredibly satisfying, whether it's using a batarang to activate a distant mechanism or pressing the side of your head to turn on detective vision. And while we're not sure how complicated the puzzles will get, Camouflaj promises that the game will become a full-on Metroidvania later on, just like Arkham Asylum, with a minimum playtime of 10 hours. Currently, Asgard's Wrath 2 is the pinnacle of complex VR gaming, but Arkham Shadow's sense of immersion and fulfilling every fantasy of being Batman seems unmatched.
As we celebrate Batman's 85th birthday this year, there's no better gift for fans than this game. And until someone like Mark Zuckerberg takes up vigilantism, this is as close as we can get to being Batman with current technology.
Arkham Shadow is set to be released on the Meta Quest 3 in October 2024, and we can't wait to see what other surprises and challenges it has in store for us.
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