Disagree with me, but I didn't like this season
HUGE SEASON 2 SPOILERS, SORRY!
Parts of this season were cool, but I wouldn't necessarily say it's their best. The start of Episode 4 with Batman taking on the Pact was definitely a HUGE highlight, but everything else felt... sort of strange.
- The first episode of the season was almost definitely the best, if not for the huge setup and potential it leaves for the future, along with Riddler (voiced by Robin Atkin Downes) being awesome. But then the rest of the season sort of just... kind of... doesn't do that much. It's more like the plot just kind of brings you along for the ride the whole way.
- No matter what you do, you HAVE to do what everyone tells you. People are nonstop, constantly bossing Batman around in this season. I get that Waller's blackmailing him, but couldn't Batman just have easily been like, "Listen, if you expose my identity and lose me as an ally, then who is going to help you take down the Pact"?
- They introduced a new character through Iman Avesta. But Iman... didn't do anything. Like at all. She told Waller you were Batman (and you weren't allowed to be mad), she destroyed Riddler's blood (which just felt plot-convenient and like it was for no reason), and then she... becomes unemployed? If you liked her, that's totally fine, but to me she just felt pointless and like she was GOING to contribute something bigger and then didn't.
- I liked John, but he felt sort of random. I get that that's supposed to be part of his character or whatever, but it just felt like it made it convenient for the story or something. I totally liked having him around, don't get me wrong, but towards the end it felt like the writing got lazy with him. It's as if those funhouse jumpscares and whatever decorations were somehow specifically set up for YOU/Bruce to see for the first time, but then John says that a bunch of agents somehow got through it already. Not to mention that Willy (remember him?) conveniently happens to be an engineer, AND a former Ace Chemicals employee or whatever, (AND a graphic desginer?) so that Vigilante John would have an excuse to get his gadgets, and car (with his logo on it?), and a place to flee to for the final confrontation. Like, the story didn't HAVE to give him all these things, but it did. And then didn't really have a reason for it.
- Tiffany felt predictable. Like 'Oh Lucius died, guess we'll have to find SOMEONE else to be our gadget guy!'. But she doesn't HAVE to be your teammate, which is cool and all, but the game very clearly wants you to recruit her. I DID, and didn't really mind her all that much until she admits to the murder. To which you can say "You need a teacher" or "Nah, I'm taking you in", of which I chose the ladder (Batman doesn't like killing, sue me). But then Tiffany says 'You would turn me in?', all the while forgetting that SHE DID THE SAME THING TO YOU FIRST. She called the cops on you in Ep 3 based on a HUNCH. But NOW it's NOT COOL. C'mon man, there's no continuity.
- I get that everyone likes having Harley, Bane, and Freeze around. I admit that I did too. But in hindsight, it feels like it was... too much? Like in Season 1, you got to know Oswald and Harvey when they, you know, WEREN'T Penguin and Two-face. It felt more interpersonal that way. Simply having these recognizable super villains walking around (despite having awesome redesigns) just felt weird after beating the whole thing.
- The ending felt fast. At first I thought the whole thing was going by fast, but upon replays it actually felt pretty well paced (I guess just don't play the last episode with trophy notification on). I understand that the main conflict had been defeated and that everything was coming to a close and all, but after making what felt like a big choice, the episode is just over! After choosing what to give up (your cowl or your bud) it's just like "well what now?" ...And then it's over! Yes you get those end credits scenes, but, like, they're short and non interactive. And the Vigilante ones are arguably more different than the Villain ones.
I don't hate this season or anything, it was pretty fun overall! I just felt like there was more there could have been done to improve on it. I don't know.
This just my opinion though. Feel free to tell me what you liked and why I'm wrong lol
Sign in to comment in this discussion.
Comments
That was kind of the idea really wasn't it, Bruce being in a tight spot this season, forced to work undercover. And I doubt Bruce would risk his identity like that, this time the stakes were even higher than when we got the choice to reveal our identity to Vicki in s1 to save Alfred. Waller would have no doubt revealed Batman's identity, he was just a pawn to her, and wouldn't have stopped her from doing whatever she wanted if she lost Batman as an ally.
I felt like Iman was quite a big character. She was doing her job as an Agency agent when she told Waller who Batman was. Who would be mad about that, she was doing her job while believing it was the right thing to do. What reason would she have not to destroy the blood? Also, why would Waller keep her when she betrayed her.
John's whole character is random. Hmm.. I thought the funhouse stuff was made specifically for Bruce. You can even hear John laughing (if I remember right..) while Bruce is going through it. And then he's freaking out about the dead agents when Bruce gets near, like he switched back from Joker to John. I don't really understand your criticism about Willy.. was all this info about him told in the game? I can't remember honestly.
You can turn down Tiffany, and then she goes to work for the Agency I hear. You have the choice. And it isn't too far fetched for her to follow in her father's footsteps considering how much she admired him. And she tried to turn Bruce over to the cops before knowing he was Batman. Loss and grief can make you do crazy things. Didn't she think he was a criminal or something..
About Harley, Bane and Freeze I can't really understand your point, except that it was weird..? None of them were ever close with Bruce, like Harvey and Oswald were. But I agree that they were underused as characters.
It does end quite suddenly. But the after credits scene made that up for me personally.
I would have liked to see more about the other characters.. like what was the connection between Riddler and Catwoman. Guess they didn't have time to explore all characters in depth, and the focus this season was on Bruce and John.
Disagree with you at all.
It's worth noting that John's mad laughter slowly transitions to crying.
At first, I liked the idea of Bruce being undercover. With that whole thing he had wearing the mask and holding the flare... being the good guy that's forced to do something bad. It was really intriguing! But then he just kind of hangs around with the bad guys and (depending on your choices) doesn't even go to Lotus with the villains at all. And I get that Waller is all-powerful and that she's got all these people under her thumb and what-have-you. But if Batman wasn't an ally, what would she have done?
I know that Iman was doing her job, and it's understandable and most people wouldn't be mad at her about it. I admit that I wasn't PISSED at her or anything, I was more annoyed that I didn't have much of a choice in the conversation! We're cool and You were just doing your job mean the same thing! Like yeah, Bruce loves Alfred and all, but the game (sometimes) lets you be mean to him anyway. Because it's fun to be a jerk!
I know that she did all this pivotal stuff for the story. But if it was important enough to give her a reason to BE HERE, then why did it all happen offscreen? I DIDN'T want her to destroy Riddler's blood, because I knew it would be important, and because there wasn't any urgency to! Yeah, Harley or whomever would've killed to get their hands on it, but not only was it (presumably) under lock-and-key, but it had the potential to turn into a cure or whatever! Wait... Nevermind, the cure causes brain damage. That's right.
John's random. Yeah, and he's lovable when he's being oblivious. The writing with him can be pretty funny ("He crashed my dad's funeral!", to which he playfully gave a thumbs up!). But then he goes off and does something seemingly intelligent and self-serving, such as telling Bane that you were going to recon the Lotus Spa alley. BANE himself says "Something tells me our friend likes to play both sides". The funhouse jumpscares were for Bruce, and they were set up by John himself. But the context of the situation was that John told Bruce that Harley was at an old funhouse. And then John went, "Oh she's not here anymore". And then the agents happened. And then John set up the jumpscares? or was that before he murdered the agents? And WHY? And HOW?
While Batman, Gordon, and Tiffany are investigating the alley, Batman asks Gordon for information on Willy. Gordon says he's, "A machinist by trade. With a... storied employment history. He's been fired from almost every factory and chemical plant in Gotham." And then Tiffany says "Let me cross-reference Willy Deever's former employers with the paint used on Joker's car", to which she finds comes to "Ace Chemicals". So... not only did John somehow BY CHANCE meet Willy through his social group in a bar or whatever. BUT Willy also JUST SO HAPPENED to have formerly worked at Ace Chemicals, and ALSO has the skills and expertise to totally recreate the gadgets that Lucius Fox made for Batman. So Lucius died and Bruce & Alfred were like "Oh well, who's going to be our gadget guy now? We may have to ask Tiffany!" Meanwhile, John's just at a bar and meets Willy. One could argue that this creates yet another parallel between Bruce and John but come on man. That's... just improbable.
I appreciate that the option to turn down Tiffany is there. My brother opted not to tell her the first time, but then WANTED to tell her during EP. 3's fireplace scene. In case you didn't know, one CAN INDEED tell Tiffany right then and there that Bruce is Batman in case you changed your mind! Which is cool! But... the option isn't there unless you say specific things! It's awesome that they allow you to do it, but then it's hidden behind only CERTAIN choices of dialogue. WHY? What's the point?! Regardless though, the game told my brother that Alfred got mad at him for not revealing his identity again. But we didn't KNOW he could! Whatever, minor gripe. I just thought it was stupid that she tried to act all scandalized after I told her to accept the consequences of MURDERING SOMEONE. Murdering Riddler, too! He was one of the cool ones!
With the villains, I just meant that it'd be cool if (for example) we got to see Harley being Harlene Quinzel instead of just being Harley all the time. You know, make it personal. Or maybe something like actually SEEING NORA and talking with Freeze about it. Or yeah, like how you mention, the thing between Riddler and Catwoman! It's mentioned as the reason Selina's here, and then it's thrown up in the air!
I do think that the team is improving though. This season (while I may have gripes with it) was a big step up overall. And Walking Dead Season 4 isn't looking half-bad!
While I do love Season 2, I don't disagree with most of your points.
I would have loved to have had Riddler for longer, or to discover he wasn't actually killed. For that to have worked, a reveal of Riddler having a silent partner in the Pact as Ra's al Ghul would be necessary at the end, or he was merely mistaken to be dead after Tiffany's shot and awoke after the cold storage was obtained. ( Not as far fetched as it seems - In January 2014, a 24-year-old Kenyan man, Paul Mutora, was pronounced dead after swallowing insecticide; 15 hours later he woke up in a morgue, causing staff to “take to their heels, screaming.” In March, Walter Williams, a 78-year-old man, was found alive and literally kicking in a body bag at a funeral home in Mississippi. )
It would've been a nice touch to have the option to tell some of the bossy people to shove it, and perhaps see the team do something brutal to force compliance, or threaten something more awful than having an identity revealed. We are in a different age of comic book heroes, where a few are known and that's not that bad. Show off Waller. I know it's meant not to be clear cut who's side the player should be on between Gordon and Waller, but if the player chooses to get on her bad side, it's a hell of a bad side. Have her take a hostage. Put an explosive collar on Bruce. I waited the whole series to see the 'whole goddamn hurricane' come out, and she stayed mild.
Compared with Season 1, though, I really enjoyed Season 2 more. In some ways, I feel like the relationship we got with John, we should have been able to have with Oswald in Season 1. We never had the opportunity to rekindle the friendship he once had with Bruce, so it was easier to treat him as a normal villain. Really looking forward to Season 3, and in the meantime I'm waiting for the final season of Walking Dead since a lot of the same crew from Batman were involved in that project.
I don't agree with you at all, but I understand why you did not like it. Don't take this as hate
Obviously you are entitled your own opinion. But outside of Walking Dead S1, I feel this was Telltale's best work. I loved the season. I hope you re-play it one day and change your mind
I mostly disagree. I don't think the plot was just there for you to go along for the ride. It was an intrigue/espionage story more than just being a typical "Batman beats up the bad guys" story. Though I do think they could've done some things better. My main gripe with this season is I think it suffered from having too little episodes.
This is a Telltale that would've definitely benefited from the 6th episode treatment instead of the standard 5. By the time the 4th episode finishes all of the build-up and potential plots with other characters are thrown to the wayside to deal with John. There were just so many interesting subplots and character interactions throughout the season I feel like there was some wasted potential there.
I agree that this season should've used a 6th episode because I also felt that Bane and Mr. Freeze were tossed to the side for episode 5 to feature the Joker vs. Batman showdown. I enjoyed the fights that Batman and Bruce had this season and the story was amazing.
Must agree. Sorry man.
I am late to the game. But you are right. Destroying Riddler's blood is a very bad move! I wish Iman Avesta was more cool-headed about it.
I also felt Mr Freeze's arc was incomplete. Like it's touched on and nothing. We didn't get to see whether frozen Nora was taken away by the Agency. To be honest, I strongly suspect Riddler is Selina's father, but somewhere, somehow, this was cut.
There's also a missing arc with Harley and her brain disease. Are they going to leave it as that while she works for the Agency?