Overview

It is a much darker universe than you might have imagined since Batman is neither the Hulk nor Spiderman, and he has to face day after day the scum of Gotham City. And since Batman is nothing but a masked man, he has no special powers and fights like everyone else.

In other words, this Batman Begins has a much more realistic approach to the myth than the previous episodes released on the original Xbox (Dark Tomorrow, Rise of Sin Tzu), and it is also much more mature than the latter. Indeed, it's hard to remain indifferent to gameplay as original as the one present in this game. Batman Begins lays the foundations of original and enjoyable gameplay.

Gameplay

Most of the missions will lead you to move quietly in the shadows of the streets of Gotham City, looking for several enemies to scare. Because, yes, you understood it well, in Batman Begins, your main asset will be fear. So we know very quickly that it's useless to go for it and that it's essential to move forward carefully and surprise your opponent to put all the chances on your side. And while you're at it, you might as well take advantage of all the latest arsenal, including a grappling hook, an optical cable and electronic equipment used to hack into monitors. Gadgets are essential to advance in the adventure.

However, suppose Batman Begins has many qualities. In that case, it is still terribly linear, to the point that some gamers eager for thrills may quickly drop the control as the progression is scripted and indigestible. It is impossible to carry out your tactics; you have to do what the developers have imagined, period. As a result, you have to kill yourself trying to figure out what they were thinking in this or that situation. This means that there is only one solution for each situation. It is, therefore, impossible to imagine any freedom of play in this game, which is the main criticism of Batman Begins!

The gameplay is quite pleasant for the rest, and we take a malicious pleasure to sneak behind our prey and frighten him, then to run straight at him without him having the time to react. Those who think they have perfect control over our superhero will have a hard time winning a hand-to-hand fight without a preliminary approach; the game always encourages this tactic, and to tell the truth, it's not all bad.

As far as the fighting is concerned, many moves are available, and several special moves will be possible in certain situations. You might also say that Batman is a pro in martial arts to the point that his adventures could almost be considered an excellent choreography! It's a pity, however, that there isn't more variety in the moves you make.

As for the life span, on the other hand, nothing exceptional. Between 6 to 9 hours to finish the adventure, a few bonuses to unlock and zero replayability since the title is linear.

Graphics & Sound

The soundtrack is of good quality with good, realistic sound effects and music that fits well with the action but nothing remarkable, just like the gameplay.

Finally, as far as the graphics are concerned, we discover a visually spotless game that transcribes the movie's universe very well. Batman is very well modelled and is even admirable, so much so that we quickly understand why your enemies are so afraid of you. The special effects are also well rendered with very well reproduced effects and beautiful speed effects during the few races present in the game.

Conclusion

Not exceptional, but far from being the same level as the movie. First of all, the gameplay is original, and the fans will probably get hooked; then, the direction is excellent, and the universe very well described. There is one major flaw: too linear and scripted to the core.