Batman: The Telltale Series - Episode 1: Realm of Shadows

 PC
User Score
6.5

Mixed or average reviews- based on 237 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 129 out of 237
  2. Mixed: 45 out of 237
  3. Negative: 63 out of 237

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  1. DBPirate1129
    Oct 28, 2016
    8
    A great introduction to Telltale's latest venture and perhaps their best one yet. Thankfully, they did not fall into the trap of following the same old, same old Bruce Wayne--Batman origin story. They have thrown in a couple of twists while also somehow making Bruce Wayne more interesting than Batman. I hope that in future episodes, they help evolve Batman as a character, but there'sA great introduction to Telltale's latest venture and perhaps their best one yet. Thankfully, they did not fall into the trap of following the same old, same old Bruce Wayne--Batman origin story. They have thrown in a couple of twists while also somehow making Bruce Wayne more interesting than Batman. I hope that in future episodes, they help evolve Batman as a character, but there's certainly nothing wrong with having Bruce stand out.

    Some of the actual gameplay, such as a part in which Batman is solving a crime scene, is extremely boring and can get old fast. I know some people like to bash Telltale games because of their lack of gameplay, but in my opinion, the game would be a lot better if it was JUST choices, as opposed to choices with some poorly designed Arkham-inspired crime solving in there.    … Expand
  2. Yahiaheni
    Jan 9, 2017
    10
    Wow this really is Telltale's masterpiece
    And I've played all of their games since TWD
    But this one really nailed it because of the risks it took of not sticking too much to the source material, I actually like their villain and the origin story they created Choices were not like some other Telltale games where a lot of them are being either cruel or kind I found myself pausing    Wow this really is Telltale's masterpiece
    And I've played all of their games since TWD
    But this one really nailed it because of the risks it took of not sticking too much to the source material, I actually like their villain and the origin story they created
    Choices were not like some other Telltale games where a lot of them are being either cruel or kind
    I found myself pausing countless times to decide on what to choose
    They handled the balance really well between being Batman and Bruce
    The character development was also great especially for Harvey, of course it all dépends on your choices
    I had some technical issues but they were Nothing big and I experienced a few of them on the first episode only. I actually think it runs pretty smoothly on my potato so don't listen to the butthurt players over this small issue
    All in all this game really exceeded my expectations and was Worth every penny.    … Expand
  3. Talbis
    Aug 2, 2016
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Well, this is a weird one... If you're familiar with Telltale previous games you know what to expect - a dated engine, quick time events and a love it or hate it writing. This time with bugs on top. For some reason I decided to play this game with a controller and in the opening action sequence I died. I failed. So I repet things, I mean, surely I did something wrong, no? No. I died again. It took me two more attempts to discover that the right trigger is on the left side of the controller according to Telltale games. Getting stuck on the "codex" screen and having to restart the game is another bug I found. Next one was the ever changing resolution of the game... Yeah, if you want my advice, every time you open the game make sure the resolution is set to what you desire. And I mean every single time. For me, it went from 1080p to 1024x768. Yeah. Beyond that the game looks like an episode of "Archer". Add to that poor lip syncing and dated animations and you get the whole picture. The writing is okay-ish... Main character is portrayed very well. Supporting cast is severely lacking. Harvey Dent looks like a professional athlete more than a DA, Gordon looks like J. Jonah Jameson and Oswald Cobblepot... I don't know the dealer the Telltale team gets their drugs from, but keep away. The overall story is acceptable but predictable like hell. At least Batman is doing some detective things but despite IGN's words, it's nothing special, mindblowing or challenging. The game would've been a lot better had they secured the rights to Batman TAS from the '90, got their writers and cast, but nope... This game doesn't look like any Batman you might be familiar with. It's not true to the comics or any other incarnation of the Dark Knight. It does have one good feature... you can buy it, play it to completion and get a re-found and that's my recommendation.… Expand
  4. KeyboardPlayer
    Sep 17, 2016
    0
    engine is outdate, story is not so good, puzzles aren't even a thing and worst of all there's no key rebinding. how can a 2016 game not have such a simple, basic, MANDATORY feature is beyond me.
    Don't buy.
  5. Sevorast
    Aug 2, 2016
    4
    Game has potential but the engine is apparently broken, can't progress through menus 75% of the time, and having crashing issues the other 25% of the time, literally can not make progress in the game because when the menus work the game crashes and when the game isn't crashing the menus don't accept inputs and I have to alt+f4 and restart game.

    Refunded for now, really hope they fix    Game has potential but the engine is apparently broken, can't progress through menus 75% of the time, and having crashing issues the other 25% of the time, literally can not make progress in the game because when the menus work the game crashes and when the game isn't crashing the menus don't accept inputs and I have to alt+f4 and restart game.

    Refunded for now, really hope they fix these issues so I can update this score in the future.    … Expand
  6. Linzo48
    Aug 2, 2016
    3
    Game sucked, immediately regret buying it. There is little to no interactivity at all in the game. The reason I kinda liked Season 1 of The Walking Dead was because there were a lot of point and click puzzle solving to do. I don't know why Telltale's newest games don't have that anymore. The choice making aspect of the game is a gimmick, it doesn't affect the story's narrative at all. ItGame sucked, immediately regret buying it. There is little to no interactivity at all in the game. The reason I kinda liked Season 1 of The Walking Dead was because there were a lot of point and click puzzle solving to do. I don't know why Telltale's newest games don't have that anymore. The choice making aspect of the game is a gimmick, it doesn't affect the story's narrative at all. It resulted in me not caring on what I chose. But the worst part has to be the QTE moments. Even if you didn't press the correct button you'll still win like what the hell?! This game is a joke.… Expand
  7. MalistiX
    Aug 10, 2016
    0
    You cannot release a game say it has a new improved engine and have it be less stable then your previous games, this game runs worse then I do and I am in bad shape.
  8. Asadar
    Aug 4, 2016
    0
    No option for keyboard, outdated graphics, poor optimization, etc.
    And, I failed the first game-play sequence again, and again, and again.
    I will change my note when they will finally make a playable game.
  9. Nobilis1984
    Aug 4, 2016
    1
    unplayable on the PC.
    I bought the game only through Steam. Since jerky only and although I have quad-core computers. The life which I could see was press primitive knobs.
  10. TudorelU
    Aug 31, 2016
    10
    One typical game of Telltale. Amazing. They've made Bruce and Batman exactly how they are in comics or movies. The story is good, but what's even better is that you make your story depending on the choices you make. The first episode had a good part of story, and i am sure the rest of the episodes will keep it good.
    Also, i am expecting to see the Joker. :)
  11. Zer0TheHer0
    Sep 18, 2016
    0
    Still can't rebind keys... incredible. Still can't skip cutscenes that you've seen already, thus killing replayability. Very bugged, you can get stuck and need to restart the chapter. Still based arond annoying quick time events instead of proper puzzles. Story is kinda weak.
    Telltale is getting very, very stale. Those games worked for a while, but now it's too much. Can't recommend.
  12. Batmanfanboy97
    Aug 2, 2016
    10
    Telltale have shown they really understand the Bruce Wayne character and the Batman character from personality to skills the story is very interesting seeing Batman more early on in his career tackling crime from meeting catwoman for the first time to the personal life of Bruce Wayne supporting his freind Harvey dent and the villain being crime boss carmine falcone. The gameplay itselfTelltale have shown they really understand the Bruce Wayne character and the Batman character from personality to skills the story is very interesting seeing Batman more early on in his career tackling crime from meeting catwoman for the first time to the personal life of Bruce Wayne supporting his freind Harvey dent and the villain being crime boss carmine falcone. The gameplay itself is through choice and quicktime event's and the main highlight for me being this detective segment the voice acting is amazing also troy baker did a great job as Batman i highly recommend this if you are a batman fan.… Expand
  13. Dukay66
    Aug 3, 2016
    8
    After the great Walking Dead Season One, I felt like Telltale Games has offered more of the same for many more stories over the last couple years and it's gotten very old. I haven't played much of their stuff since, but luckily Realm of Shadows breathes new life into the developer's very niche set of games. While the formula isn't new here, it's the refined experience and intriguing storyAfter the great Walking Dead Season One, I felt like Telltale Games has offered more of the same for many more stories over the last couple years and it's gotten very old. I haven't played much of their stuff since, but luckily Realm of Shadows breathes new life into the developer's very niche set of games. While the formula isn't new here, it's the refined experience and intriguing story that makes their take on Batman work.… Expand
  14. Raiden94
    Aug 2, 2016
    0
    Exactly what you'd expect from Telltale, only now, the developers have clearly overstayed their welcome. The game suffers from the typical limitations we've come to expect from the studio, and it's starting to get annoying. It runs poorly, it looks awful, and the animations are straight out of 2007.
  15. KnightFire919
    Aug 9, 2016
    8
    I'm not really a fan of TellTale games but I really enjoyed this one. I thought if looked and felt like I was in a Batman comic book. It certainly was more enjoyable than the last Arkham game.
  16. Troublewalking
    Aug 11, 2016
    8
    I have this for XB1 and unlike the PC users, there were no real issues on the console. The game is a visual novel/choose your own ending game, which is typical of Telltale games. It does a solid job with the Bruce/Batman switches. It seemed to have more choices than the Borderland episode 1, I recently played. I bought the first episode, and it is so short, that I would recommend buyingI have this for XB1 and unlike the PC users, there were no real issues on the console. The game is a visual novel/choose your own ending game, which is typical of Telltale games. It does a solid job with the Bruce/Batman switches. It seemed to have more choices than the Borderland episode 1, I recently played. I bought the first episode, and it is so short, that I would recommend buying the entire thing. Though I think 15 bucks would be true value for the entire season. I didn't feel it was 100% true to batman, with the Cat Woman story arc, and Cobblepot's and Dent's relationship with Wayne, not sure though. I could be confusing movies with actual cannon. Certainly worth a play if your into these types of games.… Expand
  17. TheLewdOne
    Aug 4, 2016
    8
    I'm giving this series the benefit of the doubt so far. I'm a fan of TT games but even I rolled my eyes when I heard they were going to tackle Batman next. Between the Nolan trilogy, the newest Snyder film, the Arkham series and The Killing Joke movie I was a bit worried Telltale might have thrown in with the wrong franchise this time around. However, this ended up being a lot better thanI'm giving this series the benefit of the doubt so far. I'm a fan of TT games but even I rolled my eyes when I heard they were going to tackle Batman next. Between the Nolan trilogy, the newest Snyder film, the Arkham series and The Killing Joke movie I was a bit worried Telltale might have thrown in with the wrong franchise this time around. However, this ended up being a lot better than I expected. Not great, mind you, but good in my eyes and worth checking out.

    Fans of the Caped Crusader will most likely enjoy living out their favorite Batman archtypes and dancing through conversations with fan favorites like Harvey Dent and Commissioner Gordon. Although these characters have been beloved by generations, this is one of the first products to my knowledge where you don't just get to watch the characters, you get to interact with them through dialogue. Most other popular Batman games in particular follow the beat em up or stealth formula, even games as brilliant as Arkham Asylum.

    This is very much a TT game however and if you have a history of disliking this style of adventure game don't expect this one to change your mind. There was a grand total of one new gameplay bit that I would call fresh and interesting, the rest of the gameplay is the standard Telltale affair. Performance wise I had no problem save for a frame stutter during a transition scene, though I will state that a vocal majority seems to have a lot of issues with this game performance wise. It's always difficult to tell if this is true for the actual majority of players since those with performance issues rate much lower than those without in general.

    In summary, this game surprised me with how much I ended up liking it. I'm not burned out on Telltale just yet but I thought I was certain I was on Batman, and this game proved me pleasantly wrong. A good start for a new series with some interesting ideas for the IP that has me excited for the next episodes.

    JUST DON'T MESS IT UP LIKE YOU DID WITH GAME OF THRONES    … Expand
  18. Tagirix
    Aug 3, 2016
    7
    No, that's not 10 out of 10, but it is a good start for the game like this. I was a bit pissed off, but it's worth playing if you have got a spare hour. I liked the story, but sometimes it becomes boring. Just my opinion. But the art style and the graphics itself were awful. Even The Wolf Among Us had better graphics. I'm going to play the next episode when it comes out, though.
  19. Darrenlikemovie
    Aug 6, 2016
    9
    its great thats all i got to say its just amazing. gives us a great Bruce Wayne story and being batman is amazing. also you really get to do some detective work as batman which is great
  20. kfenix
    Aug 22, 2016
    8
    Batman: The Telltale Series is one of the best Telltale games I have played. It takes a familiar IP, makes it it’s own, creating an entirely new story while respectful of the source material. In that respect, it is the exact opposite of Zack Snyder. It is also really different playing as Bruce Wayne for most of the game. Different in a great way. In most mediums now, Batman is the know allBatman: The Telltale Series is one of the best Telltale games I have played. It takes a familiar IP, makes it it’s own, creating an entirely new story while respectful of the source material. In that respect, it is the exact opposite of Zack Snyder. It is also really different playing as Bruce Wayne for most of the game. Different in a great way. In most mediums now, Batman is the know all and end all, but the game being in the early years, he is still establishing and still relying on Bruce Wayne to do work in the light. It is a refreshing perspective to play as Bruce and one I think only Telltale could pull off. When you played as Bruce in Arkham City, you were basically suited-down Batman. Minor bugs aside, the story is compelling and the gameplay is engaging enough to make 3 hours disappear faster than a nap. Also, seeing how fast some of your decisions pan out will make you want to replay it instantly. Overall, Batman: The Telltale Series is a great game for both fans of Telltale Games and Batman.… Expand
  21. ivimaster96
    Aug 3, 2016
    7
    It's OK. A few problems on PC, at least for me, but otherwise i liked it. The story is good, although it's just the beginning but i hoped for a longer episode, especially after playing Tales from the Borderlands, which episodes were satisfyingly long. Also there have been few important choices so they should introduce more in the following episodes.

    P.D. : Not a fan of that version of    It's OK. A few problems on PC, at least for me, but otherwise i liked it. The story is good, although it's just the beginning but i hoped for a longer episode, especially after playing Tales from the Borderlands, which episodes were satisfyingly long. Also there have been few important choices so they should introduce more in the following episodes.

    P.D. : Not a fan of that version of the Penguin.    … Expand
  22. Furkan5218
    Aug 3, 2016
    10
    optimization problem solved for me, and now i love that game. Graphs, or fight scenes better than telltale games' other games, i like that. Waiting for other episodes. Also The Wolf Among Us :D
  23. Jo0ker
    Aug 21, 2016
    6
    Liked the idea, the choices.. the style different of Walking dead franchise.. but the game is a sh*t on the PC, the game drops the fps and it's not the hardware, that's happened with so many people. They need to fix this on the Episode 2 and the game will raise the quality to me.
  24. Scottish_Church
    Nov 20, 2016
    10
    I was put off from checking out this game because of the Cinemassacre review and the lukewarm scores on this site, but hooooly crap was I wrong. If you're a Batman fan, then this is the best Batman story told since Chris Nolan's The Dark Knight. Maybe my opinion will change once the next two episodes come out, but I couldn't be more impressed by the first three. Give it a chance, makeI was put off from checking out this game because of the Cinemassacre review and the lukewarm scores on this site, but hooooly crap was I wrong. If you're a Batman fan, then this is the best Batman story told since Chris Nolan's The Dark Knight. Maybe my opinion will change once the next two episodes come out, but I couldn't be more impressed by the first three. Give it a chance, make two save files so you can see how the different options truly effect the story, and have a good time.… Expand
  25. Godxon
    Aug 15, 2016
    10
    itz gut, meijn frieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeendddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddssssssssss
  26. GetDaRekM8
    Aug 11, 2016
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This is our first Batman game after the Arkham Series, and to be completely honest the story of this first episode is rather dull and boring, i mean in every single Batman Movie-Game etc, they have to refer to the death of his Parents, but this just took it too far like every 5 mins you get a reference to the death of his parents, i swear the image of Thomas and Martha Wayne dying is burned into my head.

    The Combat in this game works like any other telltale game if you've ever played one, the whole tactics thing and detective is impressive, and the addition of Catwoman into the story is gonna be interesting, you don't put Batman and Catwoman in a game, comicbook, movie etc without creating some kind of weird romance between them.

    Overall verdict, the game is good, but the story is too dull and repetitive.    … Expand
  27. conus21
    Sep 3, 2016
    7
    Ok, the game didn't meet its expectations (fighting is so pointless you can even keep your hands free) but plot can adjust your attention to the screen. It's not a good start for the series, though the game got a potential.
  28. thenthomwaslike
    Oct 25, 2016
    0
    Ive been a telltale apologist for too long. Xbox one controller doesnt work with this game. The official windows 10 pc controller is not supported. I made it 2 minutes into the game before it became impossible to progress because the triggers dont work. I didnt even have a chance to see the rest of the bugs.
  29. mugen_is_here
    Mar 7, 2017
    0
    Horrible move making it only 64bit processor compliant. I was about to purchase this game when Steam warned me that it's not compatible with my OS. Really really horrible move TellTale games! I can't believe that out of all the companies it's among my most favorite companies (the other being Ubisoft) that set this move. Really a bad direction for the market to be heading in if this is a trend.
  30. tigerskin84
    Oct 1, 2016
    5
    i thought that batman & telltale combination could be awesome, well its not, it has a boring history, performance issues, full of QTE, outdated graphics(they said that they improve the graphics for this one), theres almost no interaction....
  31. Batman2752
    Oct 16, 2016
    10
    Utterly fantastic. Telltale really understand Batman. And the updated engine really shows, the loading times are much faster and there is a lot more detail. I have high hopes for the rest of this series, and I have a feeling Telltale won't let me down.
  32. Letiste-Gaming
    Sep 17, 2016
    7
    En conclusión, Telltale demuestra que sigue sabiendo contar historias y crear unos diálogos y unos personajes muy interesantes (aunque se nota mucho lo forzados que estaban aquí para mantener el espíritu de la saga).

    Sin embargo el juego adolece de la poca originalidad a la que se está acostumbrando la empresa. Mantiene la misma jugabilidad y gráficos desde The walking dead: The game,    En conclusión, Telltale demuestra que sigue sabiendo contar historias y crear unos diálogos y unos personajes muy interesantes (aunque se nota mucho lo forzados que estaban aquí para mantener el espíritu de la saga).

    Sin embargo el juego adolece de la poca originalidad a la que se está acostumbrando la empresa. Mantiene la misma jugabilidad y gráficos desde The walking dead: The game, título lanzado en 2012.
    Son 4 años en los que se espera un avance significativo, ya no por la calidad de los títulos si no por saber adaptarse y abandonar la monotonía.

    A falta de probar el Minecraft: Story Mode, este “El Reino de las Sombras” me ha parecido el peor primer episodio de la empresa, hay momentos muy soporíferos, y eso en un capítulo de 2 horas no se puede permitir. Aún con todo, Telltale sabe hacer muy bien las cosas y es un comienzo decente para lo que se nos avecina. Esperemos que suba la calidad en sus próximos capítulos, que esperaremos con ganas.    … Expand
  33. gairiquemero
    Apr 29, 2017
    7
    Like other telltale's game:
    -Good and fresh story (a new version of the typical batman's story)
    -Low gameplay (quick time events + graphic adventure)
    -Low choices importance (in most cases)
    -Bad optimization (fps issues,freeze,etc)
  34. SirRandallGames
    Aug 21, 2017
    0
    This game is buggy and lacks anything that made TaleTell great back in the day. They really need to go back to Sam & Max. The game looks old from the 90's and not much work put into it. I really didn't like the voice for Batman either.

Awards & Rankings

87
#87 Most Discussed PC Game of 2016
97
#97 Most Shared PC Game of 2016

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
74

Mixed or average reviews - based on 39 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 24 out of 39
  2. Mixed: 15 out of 39
  3. Negative: 0 out of 39
  1. Pelit (Finland)
    Oct 11, 2016
    80
    A beautiful and dark interpretation of the early years of Batman starts promisingly, but eventually relies too much on traditional Telltale mechanics that are starting to show their age. [Sept 2016]
  2. Games Master UK
    Oct 3, 2016
    70
    Telltale delivers action and intrigue, but the Caped Crusader's greatest enemy is an uneven script. [Oct 2006, p.71]
  3. PC PowerPlay
    Oct 2, 2016
    60
    A disjointed first episode that makes Bruce a monster and Batman a button mash. [Issue#255, p.64]
See all critic reviews »