You might be wondering why our friends over at 131XR are reviewing a VR game that’s now over a year old. Especially considering titles like Marvel’s Deadpool VR and Men in Black: Most Wanted have just arrived. Well, firstly, it’s Batman, and secondly, with the pace of VR, can a premium game like Batman: Arkham Shadow still hold up to review? It certainly seems so.
Batman VR One Year On
Considering 131XR didn’t exist when Batman: Arkham Shadow launched, it’s understandable that at some point they’d want to review the action-packed game. It’s quite possible that a vast majority of Meta Quest owners have donned the batsuit as the game was bundled with the Meta Quest 3S for its launch. That made it quite the VR deal for festive gifts in 2024, the latest consumer VR headset and a massive comic-book franchise in immersive form.
Riding on the coattails of Rocksteady Studios’ Batman: Arkham series, Arkham Shadow promised the same sort of fluid combat and rich exploration as its flatscreen cousin. And thankfully managed it, receiving worldwide acclaim.
Batman: Arkham Shadow Review
Whilst there have been opportunities to step into the role of Batman in VR before, none of them quite compare to Batman: Arkham Shadow. Developed by Camouflaj – the same team behind Marvel’s Iron Man VR – Arkham Shadow was built specifically for VR, creating a thrilling adventure for Batman fans.
As 131XR explains in its review, Batman: Arkham Shadow is best known for its combat, allowing players to effortlessly tackle groups of enemies in hand-to-hand combat. Directions are given as to the most effective next attack, throwing multiple jabs or performing a right hook, for example. But you don’t necessarily need to adhere to these, fighting your way. And, of course, there’s an assortment of gadgets and tools at your disposal to vary your strategy. Swoop in from a high vantage point to quietly take down enemies, or go for a full frontal assault if needs be.
The level design does follow a linear strategy, but how you get from A to B is up to you, with multiple routes to choose from.
As any Batman fan knows, the narrative is just as important as the action. Batman: Arkham Shadow delivers on that front too, with familiar characters all generally well voiced for an engaging story.
That means 131XR still recommends Batman: Arkham Shadow to anyone with a Meta Quest, finding it just as enjoyable as on launch day.
The Future of Batman in VR
As mentioned, Batman: Arkham Shadow isn’t the first instance of the comic book hero in VR. There was the reasonably forgettable LEGO Batman ‘The Batmersive Experience’, whereas Rocksteady also released its venture, Batman: Arkham VR. Released in 2017, the latter was the most well-known of the two, but it wasn’t actually a video game. As was the trend back then, Batman: Arkham VR was a short immersive experience, allowing you to wander the Batcave and interact with specific elements.
As these titles have all shown, Batman proves to be a good fit for VR. From his physical combat style to his assortment of gadgets, as well as the sprawling, vertical metropolis that is Gotham, XRSource could definitely see (and hope) more games of this ilk coming to VR in the future.
Are you a fan of Batman: Arkham VR? Let us know in the comments.
