Batman S2 E4: My thoughts
(I've just noticed that I completely misplaced my notes on EP3 and never posted that. Oops, it'll kill me with inconsistency, but, what can you do now.)
Best. Episode. Ever.
YES. I MEAN IT.
In terms of tailoring, this has the most we've seen so far. From large choices, dialogues choices, it's good. Judging from my notes here (on the "betray selina" choice path), all I have to say are good stuff, with a few improvements on the side. Let's get into it!
- The slo-mo recap was cool (Catwoman getting thrown into the Riddler-box). No objections there.
- The "Batman" choice of which bystander to save in the Sanctus lab was a nice addition. Further proving the Bruce is having a hard time keeping up with these criminals, which he is so opposed to, despite his social mask with them. (The bonus turret destruction that happens soon after was epic. Really cool stuff with the sound building up, and the camerawork. Yeah...)
- The teamwork involving the members of the Pact was really good to see. (Bane holding doors, Freeze deactivating incinerators, etc.) It actually makes them seem like a viable team.
- The fact that you're forced to take down the virus immediately once you're in the room is kind of lame, but a given since they have to get taken down eventually, and better now than later.
- John getting the Batarang IS RELEVANT! Holy Throwing Arm Batman!
- ----This marks the end of our tailored opening, but what fun it was to see!----
- We get Riddler details from Freeze, which is great! He's been quite the mystery so far, so that's nice.
- Okay, I was wondering why the airlock froze so fast when Bruce only turned it down to 5°, but then I realised that we're dealing with Americans, who use the crazy Fahrenheit.
No hard feelings. - We get some good tailoring involving Freeze and Avesta, due do current and former dialogue choices.
- When it's been said that Waller would want leverage on the Pact to make them work for them, that immediately made me think of the Suicide Squad. Pretty please Telltale?
- One misleading choice: If you stay silent when John's about to leave to find Harley, Bruce walks towards John and it places you in the "you refused to let John go alone and find Harley camp". That's not what I wanted nor expected to happen.
- Ah, one bad thing that I think should have been rectified from the start of the series is: To put the News Feed in Reverse Chronology. It's really slow to navigate through now, and it'll be even slower by the end of Episode 5. Please reverse the order, it's much longer than it should be.
- Bruce's remark to Tiffany presenting a gun to him was fantastic. Flat out, "That's a gun".
- John figuring out Bruce is Batman was interesting, but I have to wonder how and when. There's no way he could have done it in the Asylum, he's in a box there. Maybe afterwards, but I really want to know more about it. He says: "I told you, I know the real you", but does he really mean "I know your rich guy is just a façade" or "I know you're Batman" ? One seems unlikely.
- Having the option to continue to trust John is interesting, whether or not you really believe him, but having him and Batman working together is... kind of cool. Greatest Batman relationship ever. I'm callin' it.
*Of course we lose John in the end, but considering that he doesn't exactly betray us, only the Agency, makes me wonder if there is a chance at saving him. He's delusional right now (He thinks he'll be doing the good thing by "saving Gotham" even though we know he'll do that his own way, and Batman can't let that happen). I want to believe him, but also give him the help he deserves!
So, basically this was an incredible episode. Despite the short run time compared to other episodes of the season (for me it was 1h30m) it was really well made and the devotion to choices was apparent, even without another playthrough yet. I'm really going to have to look into this further and see what other things can change. Really excited for Episode 5, and I hope it can wrap things up nicely (though I dont mind if it leaves things for other plots or characters. Suicide spinoff! Please!)
If I were any good at rating things, I'd give this episode a 9.5. Really good, would have loved a bit more downtime with characters like Tiffany or Waller. Everything seemed too quick. Now, I wonder how this final conflict will be resolved. There's a lot of emotional baggage on board...
Comments
Two major problems with the Bruce version of the opening. Where are Bane’s men? The hooded guys with the AKs? They’re just nowhere to be found unlike in the Batman version of the opening. Also pretty stupid that an unarmored casual Bruce Wayne is able to handle himself against a venom induced Bane as well as being able to lift him, a bit of a cut corner there.
Yeah, I did find it odd that there were no henchmen of Bane's at the Spa nor at the hideout later on. Maybe with Bruce, the Pact decided they had all the brawn and brains to make it through, and the rest stayed in the car only to get arrested by the Agency once they arrived.
Are there any lingering henchmen at the hideout on the Batman side once you break out of the ice box?
Nope, in the Batman version the hooded guys go to the Spa and are actually present in the vile room when Batman shows up.
Maybe? No, there’s zero explanation on what happened to those guys other than the Gazette mentioning they were arrested along with Bane at the Spa even though they were never mentioned nor did we see them in the opening, Waller never mentions arresting any of Bane’s soldiers when she arrived. It’s a cut corner and that’s always a shame.
Almost everything about the Bruce version of the opening felt like a cut corner at least compared to the Batman version, it felt so slapped together it soured my overall enjoyment pretty heavily.
"Large choices"
But we had just 2 choices in the whole episode (I think that's a record) and the one related to Mr Freeze probably won't even matter. If you wanted Large Choices in Season 1 the whole ending and beginning of the Episodes 4 and 5 was based on just one decision, now that was a choice.
What I mean is that large choices from both previous episodes and this episode come into play here [in big and small ways]. (you may say that Episode 4 only has 2 choices "officially", but I'm also counting the trust John (@ the funhouse) choice in that.
Eh, I'm riding the hype wave right now. Not everything I say is going to make sense at the moment.
I loved it...but it was too damn short. Alfred needs help....Tiffany needs training or else she is going to be another Jason. Yeah the discussion about the guns was really well done. I mean we know Batman can shoot very well...but it is not who he is. I think Avesta is playing us all.
Oh and there are two types of countries in the world...those who use the metric system...and those who went to the MOON. USA USA USA!! Take that you foreign devils MUHAHAHAHA!! But yes we need to switch to the metric system.
Yeah the episode was incredibly short and it kind of soured an otherwise excellent episode for me. And i agree that Avesta is playing us. Waller said that someone else within the Agency is working against her and John also said that Avesta seems familiar. Lots of tiny hints but yeah, she is probably with the League of Assassins.
Really enjoyed it too! I just love how despite the villain dynamic going south (for good reasons) we are still able to reason and befriend John for the most part. Every moment with him was absolutely intense but oh so satisfying hearing my Bruce legitimately care for him. We've come a long way since using Cobblepot. I can only hope that I can continue to reason with John as his friend going into the finale. It was a short but oh so sweet episode imo.
I liked it. It was pretty well made. I only had one story issue(Not really mentioning it further as I brought it on myself; I royally screwed up my playthrough, basically everyone hates me).
You know... I recall answering the question "Would you sacrifice episode length for choice significance?" at some point. Funny. I also recall most people saying "yes". I'd like to reply again by saying "yes" as well. Would a 6-8hr game with hefty replay value be better than a 10-12hr game that's maybe worth playing one more time? Again, for me, yes.
50 minutes is too short...I would say the shortest they should ever go is an hour and a half....but it was well paced...I think everyone but Tiffany and Al and Avesta hate my guts right now....but screw it...a friend to all is a friend to none as the old saying goes.
Spoilers!
I loved it but way too short. I wasn't ready for it to end and I felt like throwing my controller at my screen in frustration cuz I just needed more. I love, love, love this season of batman! The relationships are so well done! And I'm excited to see what happens to Bruce because Waller was not happy after Bruce stopped her from killing John and was shouting 'apprehend Bruce Wayne!' Agh!!! Another cliffhanger.
My biggest issue is that I missed Gordon's mustache
Episode 5 final decision: Either you stop the Joker from shaving Gordon's Mustache or you stop him from blowing up all of Gotham
pfff. Stop him from shaving Gordon's mustache! No contest!! lol
Nuh uh
Omg, nooooooooooo! Damn you players!! Damn you all to heck!
I don't care for mustaches... so I'd be in the majority I guess in shaving the 'stache.
Aaaannnnddd.... there breaks my heart.
I'm seriously starting to doubt your sanity...
NOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooOo, you monster!!1111 >_< How could you let that happen?!!
How did you get 1h30m? I got 75 minutes and I thoroughly analysed each hub. The episode felt too short. Some characters needed more screentime (and Selina was barely in the episode - or if you sacrificed Selina, she wouldn't be in it at all - Gordon was nowhere to be found either). I wonder what happened to the whole "Go as Bruce or Batman" thing that they used to advertise a lot back during S1 - I believe we have only gotten one so far this season unless I'm mistaken. This episode also technically had it with the "Trust John" or "Don't Trust John" which decides whether you go as Batman or Bruce - I would like to see more of these imo.