I can definitely say that the direction Batman: The Enemy Within is going is 100% spot on. If I have to be honest, I didn’t find the first season of Batman that interesting. Yeah it was good, had its ups and downs and if I had to grade it, it would probably sit somewhere inbetween 7 and 8. However The Enemy Within hit the ceiling straight off the bat with the amazing episode 1 and it’s keeping up that steady pace all throughout the season. If Telltale keeps that directional wind, I honestly do not see where they can f*ck it up at all.
Episode 3 is no different in this manner as we continue to unravel the pact’s plans and what they are after, however we are also presented with some amazing choices that I believe potentially can actually turn the tide for episode 4 to go a different way. Beware for spoilers…
So at the end of episode 2, we went on the hike mission to retrieve the Riddler’s corpse from the Agency, who were transporting it, however Waller didn’t back Bruce up and things went downhill from then. Whoever Bruce fought alongside with will make it out and the other one will be left behind. In my case I left Bane, however I’m not really certain if it has that much of a story wise difference, since Bane returns to us at the beginning of episode 3. However, Harley is getting suspicious that there is a mole amongst the Pact’s ranks and she starts playing extra careful. We find out how Catwoman was involved with them and apparently she was dealing more with The Riddler himself, rather than the whole pact. So off we are sent to find a blacksite location, alongside Catwoman and John Doe. That kind of trips up, since we get an unsuspecting officer on our backs and to be honest, I picked punching him in the face, since it was a better alternative than John hitting him with a crowbar or me corrupting him with money. I double confirmed my choice later in the Batcave when in his files was written that he is a good cop.
Anyway, after passing the security line in Riddler’s lair we find an encrypted computer alongside some decryptor on a USB drive and get scarce info about some organization named SANCTUS and Project Lotus – apparently something they are working on and something the Riddler was involved in. However we fail to unlock the computer, since it requires a retinal scan and we don’t have that … yet, so it short-circuits. Of course Selina has to play dirty for the right reasons at the wrong time and we have a little spar with her and John wasn’t the only one feeling excited about that. To be fair, I love their spars … feels like their way of dancing. Of course she gets away, but at least we know what her plan is – and that is to steal Riddler’s laptop, which is in Harley’s hands. However she keeps it real tight, because of the mole situation, which is the reason we went snooping around Riddler’s lair in the first place. As a side note, the puzzle to open the elevator in the lair wasn’t anything special, but I appreciate the effort in not making my brain feel retarded. That didn’t stop me from dying 3 times before I could figure out I can go upstairs, but oh well.
After this is over, we have a very interesting conversation with John and I kind of find it ironic how Bruce (that was my choice) told him to manipulate people, because he had asked how to get Harley to notice him. I have a feeling this choice will be felt later on in episode 4 or 5. That little chat is cut short and we see the Bat signal lighting up the sky and off we go to talk to Gordon. I find it funny how he suspects Bruce to be corrupted and wants Batman to intercept him and to be honest, I know he has to keep his secret but maybe he should tell Gordon … maybe we’ll get an opportunity later on, however nothing good came out of his rash actions. Gordon threatens to chase Selina and here the episode can be played out differently depending on what you pick. If you choose to warn Selina, which is what I did, later on she will steal the laptop from Harley before John and you will get a chance to spar with her again on the rooftop they first met. If you do not warn her, the police will chase her and she will get into a motorcycle accident, showing up in Bruce’s manor later on. That gives John the opportunity to get the laptop first. Now if you’re wondering what I’m talking about, basically after we talk to Gordon and make the decision about Selina, we will get a chance to converse with John and he will want to become Batman’s apprentice. He offers in return to get the laptop from Harley for Batman and so Batman agrees. So if you hadn’t warned Selina earlier, John will be able to steal the laptop and instead of the extra scene with Selina on the rooftop you get to talk to John in an alleyway and get to teach him some stuff. To be fair, I’m liking his personality even more … he seems so innocent and gullible, however, I get the feeling that John is playing everyone and is turning into the great puppeteer known as the Joker and maybe my words to him will have some effect about that as well.
Anyways, however the following goes, you do get to visit the Batcave and decrypt the laptop and you can choose whether to invite Selina with you or not. Whichever your choice, you get bonus dialogue with her if she is there, but you will decrypt the laptop with the goggles from scanning Riddler’s retinas in the beginning of the episode and find out that Project Lotus is some sort of biological virus, developed by the Agency. Of course we are talking about the same agency Bruce is undercover for, so off we go to talk with Waller.
Little do we know, Tiffany called the GCPD and they come to arrest Bruce. And this is the bad decision I was talking about. Waller steps in and fires Gordon, which no matter what you do will happen, so yeah. We get a chance to talk to Tiffany, who was just trying to protect us from the Pact I guess in a very dumb way, but I did end up being honest with her and told her I was Batman, just for the sake of her dad. I was thinking of doing that from the very beginning anyways. Next up we have a very enlightening conversation with Waller, telling us about SANCTUS, how they were a branch in the Agency from before her time and they were cut loose and now Waller stepped in to clean their mess. I suppose we believe her for how and go investigate the blacksite location we found on the laptop, which was some spa (the correlation to project lotus tho :D). Anyway, we scan a bunch of sh*t there, however Bane interrupts us and we are chucked back to Harley’s office and this is the choice that will probably define the outcome in episode 4. Harley has come to the conclusion that it was either Bruce or Catwoman who stole the laptop and we get to talk to John one last time before making the actual choice, in the excuse of him interrogating us. Basically John knows that it wasn’t Bruce and he tries to talk Bruce into telling the truth, however the man in me and those damn feelings got the best of me and I took the fall for Selina … again. So I ended up chucked into one of Mr. Freeze’s popsicle makers. I find it heartwarming how John tries to step up for Bruce to the very end. At least it’s good to know that Selina actually cares for Bruce … at least.
Speaking of Mr. Freeze tho, I’d like him to be more than a filler character in future episodes, because we barely get to interact with him or he does anything to begin with. Well at least not as much as Harley or Bane.
The story is ever so interesting and I am just itching to know what will happen next. I am so immersed into the game that it will be another sad experience when I have to let it go (just like the Guardians) when it’s over.
As a verdict, I see no reason not to give this another 10/10. Nothing really I want to complain about. Engaging story, mixed up with enough gameplay sections, put in a mix of good OST and pleasant smooth graphics and we have a recipe for success.
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