Batman: The Enemy Within - Episode 2: The Pact (PC) Review

Compared to the first Telltale Batman games, the first Episode didn't really end with an impressive plot twist or cliff-hanger, apart from the fact that this mean lady known as Amanda Waller revealed that she knows of Batman's true identity. Unfortunately, even that is thrown out of the window, as it will never really be used to create the necessary tension. The developer simply looks as if it doesn't understand the weight that some of the assets used here have…

Take the new baddies, who, similar to the Riddler, are not just a bunch of secondary goons. Take a look at the list: Bane, Dr. Freeze, and Harley freaking Quinn. Apart from the ice-cream dude who doesn't really have much screen time, and thus should not be judged so soon, the rest leave a lot to be desired, with the best example being Bane, a villain who has turned from one of the biggest threats of Batman, to a simplistic, "overgrown bicep," as Harley puts it.

The Queen is quite possibly the only character of any - potential - worth here, as she actually manages to make you feel uneasy with her unpredictable behaviour and the constant challenges she makes Batman face. More specifically, the story this time around is that he must infiltrate this gang that terrorises Gotham, and to do so he acts as a new recruit - and thus, he is constantly tested by Harley… and only by her.

She is not perfect - not by a long shot. Her design could be better, her voice could be better, her dialogue could be better, and, most of all, the story she takes part of could definitely be better. She even outshines the Joker, to the point that she feels more… Joker than him, as he has been reduced to a slightly wacky crackpot of sorts, instead of the marvellous villain he is supposed to - not yet, at least.

As for the rest of the cast, even the "good" guys and gals turn out to be wasted material. One of the most interesting characters of the first episode, Fox's daughter, only makes a brief, and not that exciting, cameo, making it hard to predict what she has in store for players when Episode 3 finally gets released.

Gameplay-wise, it's the same kind of deal: dull to decent battles, QTEs that aren't really QTEs, and multiple-choice dialogue an once more complicated than the one found in Fallout 4. Luckily (for those who hated those segments, at least), no detective work this time around… A statement that sounds somewhat weird in a Batman game. Technically, yours truly is still luckier compared to the rest as, apart from some frame rate issues, it all works as intended.

Of course, titles such as these are ALL story, thus all that matters is how good that is - and it isn't. Many will disagree, but this is actually the least enjoyable episode of both series. It feels as if… nothing ever happens here. Batman rarely appears, important characters don't do anything important, and the plot doesn't really have an exciting closure.