Just as The Dark Knight cleansed our palate of mediocre Batman films, this title does the same for Batman licensed games
The presentation is top notch here. From the grainy and dark visuals to the incredible voice acting, you feel like you are watching a Batman series instead of merely playing a game. The voice actors were taken straight from the animated series, but it looks like the animated series could have used the directors involved in this title. Kevin Conroy plays as Batman, and Mark Hamil plays an INCREDIBLE Joker. Other villains make their appearances as bosses, and a certain villain makes his appearance to give you a wonderful change of pace level on three different occasions.
The puzzle element is fun, but nothing incredibly challenging is ever brought in the way of puzzles. This is an action game through and through. And what's more important than the game play mechanic when it comes to action games? NOTHING! And fortunately for us that's where this game truly shines. The combat is simplified into just the four face buttons, but don't let that fool you. The fighting never feels repetitive or boring. You always feel in full control since the controls are so responsive due to a consistent frame rate throughout. And to add even more spice, Batman adjusts his animations to string the attacks making them always look fluid and painful.
The stealth element is good, but it's definitely nothing compared to games like Metal Gear Solid which are based entirely on stealth. The stealth can be a bit punishing at times, but it behaves more as a puzzle element in this game. I would say it's more comparable to Rockstar's Manhunt & Manhunt 2 games except you have a grappling hook to aid you.
Overall, this is the first game to truly capture the essence of our beloved Dark Knight. It truly feels like you are Batman throughout and this game will (if nothing else) shock you at how many leagues ahead it is from any previous title that used the Batman license.