Batman: The Telltale Series - Episode 4: Guardian of Gotham

I say this each time but it deserves repeating… I both hate and love Telltale games. I really don’t like episodic gaming… I’m four chapters in now and still find it frustrating to get so invested in a story only to have it stop and then I have to wait for a month or so to pick it up again. But on the other hand… they really know how to tell a story (the solution to this problem is arguably to wait until the whole experience is released and then simply purchase it as one complete package).

After the very intense Ep. 3: “New World Order”, Guardian of Gotham feels lackluster in narrative, along with uninteresting dialogue. The player is left with the impression that Telltale tried to invest more on the future of the series, with the establishment of origin stories, rather than the development of the current story itself.

This episode brings great moments, and leaves everything ready for a promising season finale. Still, the "Telltale formula" needs a renovation, since many of its mechanics are getting old.

Despite the abrupt ending in Guardian, Batman: A Telltale Games Series has been one of the most consistent works the developer has put out to date. I still get the occasional audio or jerky animation issue on PC, but at least on my machine, nothing in the first four episodes rang any major alarm bells. With just one chapter left, I think you're in the all clear for going all in on this.

An enjoyable experience with a disappointing final act. There's still plenty of potential left, if Season 2 ever comes along.

I went into the fourth episode expecting intense turmoil that would lead to an exciting finale, but instead came out thinking, ‘Oh, that’s it.’

While the Children of Arkham story kind of takes a backseat, what is presented here is engaging and fun. It also does a good job of tying up a couple of its many loose ends, and setting up for a climactic finale in the next episode. However, the minor technical issues that have been present since the beginning are massively exacerbated here, to the point that they impact the enjoyment players can have with the game. Perhaps after an update is issued things will get better. Hopefully the final episode is crafted with more care.

Clocking in at about an hour and a half, episode four did what it had to do to drive the story along without overstaying its welcome. While I would have liked a little more explanation from one of the plot points that was skimmed over way too quickly, Guardian of Gotham was otherwise a prime example of Telltale’s character development and relationship expertise.

While this is the weakest episode in Batman’s Telltale series yet, my investment in the unpredictable, multi-layered plot hasn’t wavered, thanks to the critical state of each of Bruce Wayne’s relationships. Episode four’s first act felt like it was just filling in time for the season finale, but some conflicts have still been built upon, including showcasing how the people of Gotham are reacting to the intense political climate.