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Is Return to Arkham Even Worth It Anymore?

Is Return to Arkham Even Worth It Anymore?

The Arkham games deserve better than this. Batman: Arkham Asylum and Arkham City are two of the best action games we’ve ever played. You’ll forgive us for getting our hopes up – like, way up – when Warner Bros. announced that these two games would be getting remastered and crammed into one incredible package in Batman: Return to Arkham . After all, a next-gen remaster should be the definitive experience, right? Taking everything that made the original games outstanding and making it all better… not this time.

Toward the end of May a comparison video surfaced showing the graphical “improvements” in Return to Arkham . That video was a mistake. Like similar videos we’ve seen in the past, we were treated to a side-by-side, shot-for-shot comparison of certain scenes, characters, and environments from the original games and their remastered counterparts. The results were utterly confusing. No one was quite sure what Rocksteady and Virtuous Games, the studio working on the remaster, were trying to prove. Almost everything about the remaster appeared flatter, duller, and over-saturated.

Thankfully Warner Bros. decided to delay the game “indefinitely.” I was totally fine with that decision, and I figured that the entire engine would be getting some kind of overhaul. The word “indefinitely” seemed to indicate that the powers that be realized that Return to Arkham was a big step back. Frame rate was mentioned specifically in a later update, so my mind was at ease. Whether it be by year’s end or early 2017, we should have the two best super-hero video games looking great and running at 60 FPS on our Xbox Ones and PS4s.

But now, Return to Arkham is back! We recently learned that the revised release date is approaching sooner than we thought, and we can look forward to getting our hands on the game on October 18. The announcement was accompanied by a new comparison video. “Time for a comeback,” I thought. “This is the video we were hoping for the first time. Bring on the beautiful textures and buttery frame rates!”

It still looks wholly inferior to the original games. I have no idea what Virtuous Games have been doing over the course of this delay, but things aren’t looking too good. Something about the character models is totally off. When you see side-by-side shots of The Joker, the original version looks like the remaster. It’s baffling because it seems like a great new lighting engine has been implemented, and environments actually look much better. Shadows are softer, bloom effects and smoke look better, and reflective surfaces add a nice touch.

Is Return to Arkham Even Worth It Anymore?

If you’re a console gamer on Xbox One or PS4, here’s the trade-off. Lighting, environmental effects, and certain textures have been upgraded and look much nicer. If you never played either of the Arkham games last gen, you’ll likely love your time with Return to Arkham , and for $50 it’s an incredible deal. For those of you who played and loved the games previously, some of your favorite characters have received an unflattering makeover. The Joker no longer looks very menacing, Cat Woman looks like she’s spent too much time in the tanning bed, and we’re not sure who kidnapped the real Harley Quinn. Assuming Hugo Strange looks the same as he did in May, you’ll also notice that he’s switched to non-reflective glasses and gotten a terrible haircut.

Return to Arkham also isn’t running at 60 FPS, so I can only assume that the studio was struggling to get the game running at a consistent 30. The bottom line is that the definitive way to play these games is still on a powerful PC. The Arkham series has a rocky history with PC ports, but as far as Asylum and City are concerned, that’s your bet by far. Both go on sale regularly, and can be had for a reasonable price.

Have any of you changed your minds about buying Return to Arkham based on the comparison footage? Do you notice any marked improvements over the comparison video released in May? Are there die-hard fans out there waiting to snatch this up no matter what? Let us know in the comments.

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