batman the telltale series

You've got to give it to Telltale Games with this Batman series. The developer has made licensed games before, but taking a character and world as adored as the Dark Knight's and making it wholly your own in this day and age isn't easy. There have been so many different interpretations of the Batman myth over the last 75 years, it's not only hard to find a new wrinkle to explore, it's also next to impossible to tell a worthwhile story tapping one of those unseen veins. With Batman: The Telltale Series, Telltale hasn't just done all of those things, it's done them incredibly well. This gaming adventure has been a terrific joy to experience from the get go (even if it is at times a bit buggy), and the further into Telltale's version of Gotham we go, the more invested we've become. Now of course comes the tricky part, as the latest trailer introduces the Joker for the very first time.

After establishing the tone of the new Batman Universe as it exists in Telltale's Batman: The Telltale Series in the first episode, the adventure has taken an even darker turn leading up to the third installment, "New World Order." Previously, we'd seen Bruce Wayne learn that maybe his parents weren't as beyond reproach as he believed, and learn that the crime families in Gotham were working hand-in-hand with the Waynes for a better future. You don't have to look far to see how well that worked out for everyone involved, particularly when it comes to the Waynes. The launch trailer for the new chapter --- arriving tomorrow --- keeps the spiral spinning downward for the young Dark Knight, and Batman will have to face off against the Children of Gotham to protect his city. He'll also have to deal with some ramifications from Harvey Dent's mayoral bid... at least what remains of it and Harvey's face anyway.

Telltale Games' fresh approach to the world of the Dark Knight makes the first episode of Batman: The Telltale Series an mostly worthwhile escapade into the life of Bruce Wayne. Taking a radically different path from the likes of Rocksteady Studios in telling a Batman story not only gave some much needed perspective into the other half of Batman's life, but allowed Telltale to play to its strengths in narrative and dialogue. It's unfortunate then that the PC version of Batman: The Telltale Series is so marred by performance issues that it's a real drag to play, and a challenge to enjoy.

Announced earlier this year, and then shown in action for the first time at E3 2016, Batman: The Telltale Series has finally gotten its premiere trailer. It's a doozy. Telltale Games is going all out for the Dark Knight's adventure game debut, ramping up the existing engine the developer uses to include improved graphics and gameplay mechanics that haven't been possible before. Plus, unlike other Batman games that have hit consoles and PCs in the last few years, Telltale's game puts a major focus on the man behind the cowl, Bruce Wayne. It's not often you get to live the life of the last surviving Wayne and his alter ego, as most games put the focus on dealing out justice as Batman. Not that there's anything wrong with that. In fact, the recent Rocksteady Batman: Arkham games have been an absolute blast to play just from a perspective of making you truly feel like you are Batman. Where Telltale excels however is in the more character driven moments, and it's here where Bruce and Batman stand on a bit of equal footing.

Telltale Games' Batman series came as a surprise to many of us when it was announced late last year. While Telltale's had its share of big licensed properties before, like Back to the Future and Jurassic Park, Batman just felt bigger than anything the company had done in the past merely in name alone. Now, a few months later we've gotten our first glimpse at Batman: The Telltale Series, which brings with it a number of enhancements to Telltale's signature game engine, as well as an all-new Batman universe to play with.