For me the Telltale Batman seasons have been the strongest work that they have done in recent years and a well thought out use of the DC license. Their own unique take on the Batman Universe has been refreshing and as a hardcore Bat-fan, I have come to really appreciate their take on so many iconic characters to tell a brand new Batman story. As we approach the final chapter of Season 2 we are about to see the handling of perhaps the biggest aspect yet to their DC Vision and one which started all the way back in season 1 along side a multitude of player choices in season 2. It is finally time to meet….The Joker!

The moment John Doe was introduced during Bruce’s short time in Arkham Asylum back in Season 1, fans and players were put on the path to meeting Batman’s most iconic nemesis The Joker. What I really appreciated was the very intricate slow burn with this build up, with almost every choice and decision used in Season 2 to craft and create The Joker with the delicious twist that those choices would either shape a villainous Joker or a Vigilante Joker for Batman to deal with. As John Doe players have made choices that have both manipulated and used his delusional friendship with Bruce Wayne in order to save Gotham City which at times was a little uncomfortable as player choice after player choice put him on the path to his true self. The wait has certainly been worth it to finally have The Joker take centre stage.

But despite the main focus of this finale episode being on the birth of The Joker, the story still needs to tie up all the loose threads of the story and thankfully the writing also remembers that and as we move towards the episode big reveal. This season started with the mystery of who killed The Riddler, with so many credible suspects popping up from John Doe to Harley Quinn and even Amanda Waller. Speaking of Waller, Bruce is still trying to find a way to break the hold she has on him using the knowledge of Batman’s true identity that has kept him on the leash for season 2. Happy to say these story points are all resolved along with a few surprises along the way and unlike other Telltale games of late, there is a clear and concise plan for every story-line and character arc that will hopefully carry over into a third season.

I continue to be impressed with how Player Choice actually feels as though it makes a difference with this series. From the opening episode where all my choices in the first season carried over making this a DC Universe based on those decisions making this a very personal experience for me which I have relished. As is now sadly standard with Telltale games, the wait for new episodes was really the only downside and when you look at the decreasing quality of the other Telltale projects it makes it all the more satisfying to see that though the wait for episodes was longer than I would have liked, they kept their vision on point and delivered each time without sacrificing the quality which is evident in the writing alone.

As a finale episode, and without venturing into spoiler territory, this really was the missing piece of the DC Universe jigsaw and a few rather brave creative choices make this yet again a very unique Batman story. By again dealing with Bruce Wayne as the man under the cowl you still have that thrill of putting on the Batsuit and kicking bad guy butt but also the very real sense of sacrifice that Bruce and those closest to him are constantly making in order to save the city. The writing goes very deep into his crusade and how that not only leads to more flamboyant criminals rising up but what it will eventually cost Bruce in the long run. The notion of sacrifice is something that is used carefully but intelligently especially in the possible room left in the story for the next series if there is to be one. It is a story that is shaped by player choice as from the very small choices to the obvious big ones, each one plays a part along the way which after the rather disappointing Guardians of the Galaxy and The Walking Dead: A New Frontier, does not throw them away in order to give a story point that only gives the illusion that your choice made it happen. This is perhaps for me the purest example of the Telltale blueprint of player choice having an impact, though I was not a big fan of how Episode 4 was heavily marketed on “you will need to make a big choice that will impact the finale” even before that episode had been released.

There are enough rewarding moments for choices the player has made alongside some surprises and twists that compliment the moments that will shape the next season that just left me feeling happy and satisfied as the end credits rolled. Even if I was to put my DC Fanboy hat to the side, this as with the original season, has showed that Telltale can still deliver the experience they achieved with the very first Walking Dead game. Whilst I have been disappointed with other games they have released in the last 12 months, their use of the DC license has so far been absolutely spot on and if they continue to put the focus on delivering their core gameplay and story telling, a third and possible fourth season will be magic for fans.

As a finale episode this delivered everything it had to by tying off loose ends, the amazing final encounter with Joker that legitimately gave me Goosebumps and works to lay the foundation for another season. I have deliberately avoiding spoiling the story as experiencing it really is the best way and with all episodes available now, those who were waiting to play this without the painful two month wait for a new episode can sit back and enjoy what is a solid and entertaining Batverse story.

I am excited to see where Telltale can go with this license and a very tantalizing tease during the credits tells me the best could be yet to come.