TellTale Games' Batman: Season 1/ Episode 3 "New World Order" – Overview/ Review (with Spoilers)

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Overview

Once more you are forced to decide who will you align with and can only hope when you make your choice it won’t bite you when all of this is over.

Play Through Time

1 Hour and 38 Minutes (Includes Going Back To Main Menu Once To Try and Reverse a Decision)

Storyline

With Mayor Hill dead, Harvey wins by default. Yet he is now in the process of becoming Two-Face. A problem which is becoming a bigger issue day by day as Two-Face plays on Harvey’s insecurities. But as Bruce Wayne, you got your own things to worry about. Be it trying to maintain the Wayne legacy, one way or another, trying to combat the Children of Arkham the best way you can, and then there is Selina. You know Batman lore has their relationship as on again and off again, but what will your decision be? Especially in light of how often her crossing your path makes for a good ally?

Highlights

Quite The Story

As likely said in a past episode of this series, my knowledge of the Batman universe comes from Gotham and the movies. I’ve never read one of the comic books, graphic novels, and must admit I wasn’t a huge fan of the Saturday morning cartoons when I was younger. So while it seems other experienced a shock from the twist to the story behind Bruce’s parents being killed, I just thought it was interesting.

With that said, the rabbit hole it is digging is quite something. Especially as TellTale begins to craft the type of narrative which leads you to wonder if DC may allow more of their property to be licensed to TellTale. For, I feel, what TellTale does is reinvent the properties they handle and while you have but limited access to decisions and the fate of these iconic characters, they do what video games are supposed to. They bridge the gap of the epic visuals of the movies and TV and combine it with the epic storytelling, rarely lacking details, of literature.

Perhaps A Few Decisions Which May Change Things

Noted below is how I don’t understand if it matters whether or not you become a butt head, but what happens if you play Batman as he is often seen? Well, thankfully there remains decisions you wonder if they may have been the best move. Most of which deal with Selina and your relationship with her, but also your interactions with staff at Wayne enterprises. Be it Regina who delivers devastating news or Lucius’ role in your life. These decisions, no matter how you decide to play things, could lead to a better or worse end for you. That and your relationship with Harvey “Two-Face” Dent. Who perhaps could be the sole person who may appreciate you showing the dark side of Bruce Wayne.

Low Points

Unnecessary Input or Interaction

I’ve grown used to quick time events often seeming they don’t matter but having to click a button to have something open, in the middle of a cut scene, honestly feels so unnecessary. It is like when a gunshot or something to shake you up happens during a dull movie. It feels like it is meant to wake you up but such a tool isn’t necessary here.

On The Fence

Is It Worth Being Bad?

Littered throughout the whole episode are opportunities to piss people off and push them away. Now, I’m no renegade, I am the type to avoid these type of responses since, outside of maybe Mass Effect to a point, they rarely benefit you. Well, unless you want some particular character as an ally. Which is the problem here. What reason would you make Batman/ Bruce into an ass unless you simply want him to fail? Who will only be on your side if you aren’t so kind, a pushover, or something like that? Selina you’d think maybe one figure, but kindness is so foreign to her she likes it. Harvey goes mad so outside of bros over women, there isn’t much with that. So really, what does a commitment to the dark side guarantee you but a bad ending?