IGN posts about gameplay and 30min of story of Batman's private DEMO!
http://in.ign.com/m/batman-a-telltale-game-series-tba-1/95399/feature/e3-2016-bruce-wayne-steals-the-show-in-batman-the-telltale-s
Spoilers of first 30 minutes of game:
Batman: The Telltale Series debuted the opening of the game today at E3, showing off the dual storytelling of Batman’s caped crusading and Bruce Wayne’s political endeavors.
Warning: this article contains spoilers for the first 30 minutes of the game, so beware if you are spoiler sensitive.
Telltale’s Batman is early in his career, but still well past his origin; he's established himself as Batman, has a full Batcave, and uses a wide array of gadgets. He’s feared both by criminals, who speak of him as a monster myth, and by police, who want him brought in and aren’t past opening fire on him, although it’s hinted that Commissioner Gordon is on his side.
The opening sees him using his ninja skills to stealthily take out some goons wearing masks painted with white skulls. (I was unable to decide if they were evoking Bane, Black Mask, or some other villain.) The goons are breaking into City Hall to steal a data drive. We also witness Batman’s first meeting with Catwoman, who, naturally, is also after the drive. Things escalate to a rooftop battle between Batman and Catwoman, filled with sneaky use of ziplines and acrobatic counters, all carried out by the player in typical quick-time event fashion.
Batman’s suit is streamlined, evoking Jim Lee’s sleeker design, accented with a couple New 52 armor lines. His eyes glow white, which give his costume a cool, eerie pop not unlike the classic Batman: The Animated Series look. The game as a whole didn’t look quite like a comic book come to life as advertised, but there were nice touches here and there, like some detail lines done in heavy black inks like you might see from the likes of Klaus Janson.
His voice was a shock to hear -- a deep, demon-like bellow courtesy of a voice-changing device. It was undoubtedly wise not to go the Christian Bale growl route, instead leaning more into Arrow’s heavy voice modulation to make the hero’s voice both unrecognizable and intimidating. For me, Batman’s voice was a bit too deep, and he came off more like an evil Disney villain.
There’s a meter that builds as Batman fights, and once it fills you can use it to automatically finish the fight you’re currently engaged in. It's unclear whether this can be used to any strategic effect that plays into the story, or if it’s just a way to skip having to do yet another quick-time event.
Bruce Wayne was the highlight of the demo and where the signature Telltale experience takes over, with important conversation choices starting to affect and shape the plot. There’s a heavy emphasis on the Wayne legacy and how Bruce’s time as Batman affect both his body and mind. The Bruce sequence centered around a fundraising event for Harvey Dent (pre Two-Face) inside Wayne Manor. Reporter Vicki Vale appears, as does crime boss Carmine Falcone, who wants to “partner” with Bruce. In this sequence, which lasted about half the 30 minute demo, there were several interesting dynamics established between the characters and even a couple intriguing mysteries teased surrounding Bruce’s parents and Arkham Asylum.
Indeed, Richard Iggo, Head of Marketing at Telltale, spoke about how the story will present many concepts, characters, and storylines familiar to Batman fans, but as the story progresses they will all be flipped on their heads. That, more than anything, is what was most intriguing about the game. Fans have doubtless seen The Dark Knight movie and read Batman: Year One more than a few times, but with this game they will be able to make choices that start with these familiar foundations and then create their own unique Batman experience.
We asked if we’d be seeing more of Batman’s supporting cast -- from other heroes like Robin, Nightwing, and Batgirl to his many iconic villains -- and while Telltale didn’t confirm anyone who would appear, they hinted that we’ll be seeing new spins on more familiar characters. We also asked if other DC heroes would appear and got the same kind of yes/no/maybe/probably answer. Let the theories run wild.
While Kevin Conroy is the definitive voice of Batman for many, actor Troy Baker is doing the voice this time around. Telltale has a working relationship with Baker (he played Rhys in Tales from the Borderlands) and Baker is no stranger to voicing Batman, Robin, and even Two-Face in various other projects. He handles the role well, especially shining in the Bruce scenes where dialogue plays such a crucial part of the story. His Batman voice is, unfortunately, obscured by the demon-filter, so it’s hard to appreciate his vocal performance.
Batman: The Telltale Series will have five installments, each lasting about 90-120 minutes. It’s set to premiere in Summer 2016.
Joshua is IGN’s Comics Editor. If Pokemon, Green Lantern, or Game of Thrones are frequently used words in your vocabulary, you’ll want to follow him on Twitter @JoshuaYehl and IGN.
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