After stopping Harvey Dent and the Children of Arkham, and establishing his relationship with Gordon and the G.C.P.D.. Things are starting to look up for Bruce Wayne/Batman. That is, until The Riddler shows up to terrorize Gotham again.
Telltale games are known for their relationship’s between character’s. The Enigma is arguably the strongest episode of any series they have made with this type of feature. In fact, a new icon appears on the top-left corner of the screen indicating whether or not Bruce/Batman’s relationship has changed; in addition to the iconic “remember that” notification. Since The Riddler has returned leaving Gotham in disarray, the introduction of Amanda Waller and her squad leave both Batman and Gordon blindsided.
With Waller in play, the new relationship dynamic starts to take effect. In so choosing, Batman can decide whether or not to keep intel from either Gordon or Waller. There are two sides to every coin. On one hand the relationship feature is intriguing as to where it could take the player. The other side, however, is a little vague. This feature prompts unexpectedly the first time playing without any indication as to when or where it happens. Leaving the player taken aback by this random indication.
Despite the small gripe, the possibilities of future consequences are intriguing, especially with other characters such as John Doe (Joker) and Alfred. Actions also decide key moments between fan-favorite characters. Leaving haunting implications if chosen poorly. What’s even more haunting is Telltale’s take on The Riddler. Many of the same characteristics found throughout the comics are in this interpretation-yet with a slightly darker twist. Besides leaving riddles for others to solve, he’s also devised “Saw-eske” traps in which to kill his victims if unsuccessful.
The people of Gotham are at a disadvantage for two reasons. One being a lack of Bat-gadgets they have at their disposal, and the other being infinite retries. For as much of a menace as The Riddler is, some of that threat is taken out due to the ability to retry if failed. Even so, the riddles provided throughout the game are quite simple-even for a dummy like me. The results of failure are quite gruesome, showing a Riddler that doesn’t necessarily play by the rules.
Even with all that darkness, there’s some spectacle to be had. The first season introduced Batman’s fighting mechanic, consisting of trademark quicktime-events planned out before executed. This same mechanic-as well as the detective mode-return, albeit slightly more flashy. In terms of gameplay, nothings really changed; what it lacks in gameplay, it makes up for in set-pieces that could have easily been taken out of the pages of a comic-book. Telltale’s ability to strike a balance between Bruce Wayne and Batman is impressive, especially when given the option to choose. Given the spectacle and action-packed set-pieces, there is never a dull moment in this long-yet awesome-episode