“Batman: The Enemy Within” Game Review

Batman: The Enemy Within is the sequel to 2016’s Batman: The Telltale Series and much like its predecessor, the game is an episodic point-and-click graphic adventure that focuses more on story and character than gameplay.

Set in Gotham City, the plot picks up from roughly a year after Batman’s previous outing and follows his investigation into “The Agency”, a mysterious and ruthless government organisation with an unknown agenda. On top of that, the Caped Crusader must also contend with “The Pact”, a group of criminals created and run by some of his most famous villains.

As is the case with the majority of graphic adventure titles from Telltale Games, one of the strongest aspects of Batman: The Enemy Within is its choice-based approach. In situations such as conversations and action scenes, the player is given a set of responses and methods to choose from which will affect later encounters in the narrative.

As the game goes on, the choices get harder and more gut-wrenching as you find yourself torn between characters and allegiances. Because the characterisation is so strong and the characters feel so real, the look of betrayal and hurt on their faces can often stir up genuine emotions of regret and guilt. The choices also allow you to craft your very own personalised version of Batman, which is thrilling to see in action.

Another highlight is the impressive fight choreography, which looks not only absolutely brutal, but uses props and gadgets in extremely unique and inventive ways.

Batman: The Enemy Within also features a wonderful assortment of vocal performances across the board but none are quite as scene-stealing as Anthony Ingruber’s surprisingly sympathetic yet incredibly menacing turn as Batman’s greatest nemesis, the Joker.

While the game gets a lot of things right, it isn’t perfect. Investigation sequences, where the player must use Batman’s detective skills to find clues, can sometimes drag on a little too long, halting the story’s momentum.

Replay value is also quite minimal, as going back and picking alternate choices only changes how the characters interact with you. The core narrative remains the same no matter what you choose.

This isn’t much of a complaint though, since the total time to finish the story runs between 12 to 15 hours, which is good value for a game that’s significantly cheaper than a lot of new releases.

Despite the little flaws, Batman: The Enemy Within is still one of the best on-screen Batman stories in recent memory. If you’re a fan of the character and prefer gameplay over plot, you might want to stick with the Batman: Arkham series but if you want engaging drama, fully fleshed out characters and a wonderfully subversive take on the Batman mythos, then this is the game for you.

With the fifth and final episode now available, there’s no better time to pick it up.