Batman: The Telltale Series: The Review

*Note: Updated in June 2025 in an effort to remove AI-generated content from the blog.

Overview

Batman: The Telltale Series carves out a darker, more personal corner of Gotham, reimagining iconic villains like Two-Face and Penguin through a fresh, almost intimate lens, while introducing new threats like Lady Arkham, who shake up the usual chaos. The story is filled with tension and great character moments, offering a gripping gateway into Telltale’s Batman universe that is equal parts familiar and mindblowing. Minor stumbles in the minigames do not overshadow the strong storytelling here. It’s not just another Batman game—it's a slow-burning character study that fans hungry for something different won’t want to miss.

Score: 8 out of 10

The Positives ✅

Batman: The Telltale Series brings a fresh spin to the Batman mythos by diving deep into both sides of Bruce Wayne’s life: his choices outside the cowl and the chaos as Gotham’s protector. It’s a unique take, especially in a genre that usually just focuses on the cape and cowl action. The story has a dark, gritty tone that mixes a familiar Batman story with some "crazy" twists (pun intended), especially when it peels back the layers of Bruce’s family secrets and how they affect Gotham. Plus, the voice acting here is some of the best we've seen from a Telltale game: Bruce, Alfred, Harvey Dent, and Selina Kyle all get real, emotional, nuanced performances that bring a distinct personality to each character, making it stand out compared to other iterations.

The game balances its pacing really well, switching between action-packed sequences, detective segments (which are not the strongest), and character moments, making the whole experience feel like one tight, compelling experience instead of an interactive movie. You get to travel to several of Gotham's landmarks, such as Wayne Enterprises, Arkham Asylum, and the GCPD, creating the sense that you're actually in a living city and not in a video game set. Lady Arkham is a standout villain who really forces Bruce to face the dark legacy of his father’s sins head-on. On top of that, the game’s choices blur the lines between good and evil, making you think about your decisions long after you’ve stopped playing. And the art style creates a comic book vibe, making it look as though the characters have literally jumped off the page and landed right onto our screens.

The Negatives ⚠️

Our playthrough had quite a few problems: we got A LOT of visual glitches, especially with smoke effects (looking at you, Gordon’s endless smoking) and some broken shadows that completely broke any immersion we might have been having. It obviously ruined our experience and lowered our overall score. Then there’s the Penguin, probably one of the worst characterizations of the character we've seen. He came across as the least interesting villain Telltale’s done – mostly just hacking Bat Tech and not really adding much else. And we don't even want to freaking talk about the detective mini-game; honestly, it’s the worst part of these games. Even with the simplifications here, it still feels random, frustrating, and kills the pace dead.

The Experience 🎮

For us, Batman: The Telltale Series is honestly one of the strongest stories that Telltale has ever told, and knowing what comes in the sequel (yes, it absolutely steps it up), it’s clear that this first chapter had a ton of potential already. It took us around 10 hours to finish and grab that platinum trophy, but honestly? We’re already thinking about going back. There’s just something about this take on Gotham that makes you want to replay it with different choices, see how things shift. So yes, that game time’s definitely going to go up: we’re not done with this one just yet.