Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

Batman: Vengeance offers a solid blend of stealth, detective work, and brawling action that captures the feel of the animated series. You’ll patrol a fully realized 3D Gotham, investigating clues with the Batcomputer, interrogating suspects, and following footprints to uncover hidden objectives. The game rewards careful observation: scanning crime scenes and piecing together evidence feels satisfying and in tune with the Dark Knight’s analytical side.

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Combat leans heavily on timing and gadget use. You can unleash a flurry of punches and kicks, but the real fun arrives when you mix in Batarangs, explosive gel, and the grapnel gun. Each gadget has multiple functions—your grapnel gun becomes both an assault tool and a traversal aid, while explosive gel lets you set traps in advance. This encourages creativity and keeps encounters fresh, as you decide whether to go in guns blazing or set the Joker’s goons up for a dramatic takedown.

Stealth sections work well, though they can be a bit repetitive if overused. Batman can cling to walls, drop from vents, and sneak through air ducts—tools that hearkens back to the show’s emphasis on shadow and subterfuge. At times the AI seems to react strangely, but the tension of evading armed thugs in dark corners never truly fades. These moments highlight Batman’s status as the world’s greatest detective rather than just another punch-happy hero.

Boss fights against iconic villains such as Mr. Freeze, Poison Ivy, and Harley Quinn put your mastery of the game’s systems to the test. Each villain encounter is unique: Freeze’s cryogenic attacks force you into evasive maneuvers, Ivy’s plant-based traps demand precision and environmental awareness, and Harley’s acrobatic assaults are as unpredictable as they are entertaining. Overall, the gameplay loop of detective work, gadget-driven combat, and boss showdowns creates an engaging rhythm over the course of the adventure.

Graphics

Visually, Batman: Vengeance embraces a stylized approach that mirrors the animated series rather than a gritty, photo-realistic aesthetic. Character models look just like their cartoon counterparts, complete with exaggerated expressions and smooth animations. This art direction ensures that the game feels like an interactive episode rather than a separate Batman universe.

Gotham City is rendered in moody hues and dramatic lighting, with towering skyscrapers, dimly lit alleyways, and the occasional neon sign flickering in the rain. The environments are detailed enough to feel lived-in, but the level design occasionally funnels you down narrow, linear paths. Still, the sense of scale when you glide from one rooftop to another is genuinely exhilarating and helps sell the illusion of being the Dark Knight on patrol.

Cutscenes blend seamlessly into gameplay, using the same engine assets so you never feel jarred by a sudden shift in visual style. Voice acting from the series’ cast (including Kevin Conroy as Batman) lends authenticity to the experience, and facial animations during dialogue manage to convey emotion convincingly, even by today’s standards.

While textures can appear dated and polygon counts low by modern benchmarks, the intentional cartoon look means these limitations never detract from enjoyment. In fact, the art style holds up remarkably well, with vibrant colors for villains and dark, oppressive shades in crime-ridden districts. The result is a game that looks like it came straight out of your TV screen.

Story

The narrative kicks off with the Joker’s apparent demise—an opening twist that sets the stage for a tense power vacuum in Gotham’s underworld. With the Clown Prince of Crime seemingly off the board, crime bosses like Mr. Freeze, Poison Ivy, and Harley Quinn scramble for dominance. This premise immediately gives Batman a frenetic detective case to unravel: who is pulling the strings, and is the Joker really gone for good?

The plot unfolds through a series of missions that take you from the gothic streets of Gotham to the frosty corridors of Arkham Asylum and the overgrown paths of Ivy’s botanical fortress. Each locale ties back to the character you’re confronting, giving context to their motivations and spotlighting Batman’s investigative prowess. The story pacing is brisk, rarely lingering too long on exposition, and always rolls forward with a sense of urgency.

Dialogue is sharp and witty, capturing the dynamic between Batman and his rogues gallery. Confrontations with Harley Quinn inject humor, Freeze’s icy monologues ramp up the dramatic stakes, and Ivy’s seductive threats add a layer of tension. Key story beats are supported by theatrical set-pieces—crash landings, collapsing scaffolding, and explosive gadget reveals—that feel worthy of the cartoon’s biggest episodes.

Perhaps the biggest strength of the narrative is its willingness to play with expectations. Just when you think the Joker is dead and buried, clues start to surface that suggest a far more sinister scheme. This ongoing mystery keeps you invested until the final showdown—and echoes the classic “detective” spirit that makes Batman stories so compelling.

Overall Experience

Batman: Vengeance succeeds as an adaptation of the beloved animated series, offering fans an opportunity to step into Bruce Wayne’s boots and patrol Gotham’s dark alleys. Its balance of stealth, combat, and detective work captures the varied skill set of the Dark Knight, while the story’s twists and familiar villains keep the narrative engaging from start to finish.

While some mechanics—like repetitive stealth sequences and occasional camera quirks—show their age, the tight integration of gadgets and environment design helps maintain excitement. The graphics’ cartoon-inspired style may not wow with cutting-edge realism, but it creates a timeless visual identity that holds up even years after release.

Newcomers to the series will find an approachable, self-contained adventure that doesn’t require extensive comic lore knowledge, while longtime Batman fans will appreciate the faithful character portrayals and voice acting straight from the show. Whether you’re solving a chilling mystery in Arkham Asylum or exchanging blows with the Riddler’s goons, Vengeance delivers a satisfying taste of life as Gotham’s silent guardian.

Ultimately, Batman: Vengeance is a compelling action-adventure that combines the best elements of gameplay and storytelling from the animated series. It’s an essential pick for anyone who’s ever dreamed of wielding the Batarang, activating the Batwing, or simply gliding through a rain-soaked Gotham night in pursuit of justice.

Retro Replay Score

6.7/10