By the time you reach the midpoint of any episodic series, it starts to become truly difficult to talk about it in any meaningful way without spoiling some of the big twists and turns that have led there. The same is true of Guardian of Gotham, the fourth and penultimate episode for Telltale’s Batman series. Getting here, it’s always felt as though Bruce Wayne and Batman only really has a loose handle on the situation, that each episode has heaped another load of baddies onto the pile of those that he has to deal with.
So, spoiler warning, I do discuss the plot, but in fairly loose terms and without revealing too much beyond what Telltale have done in trailers and so on.
So we find him at rock bottom. Lady Arkham, whose identity was revealed in the rather dramatic twist at the end of the last episode, and her psychotropic cocktail of drugs have seen him banged up in Arkham Asylum. There’s a few rather familiar faces to see here for fans of the Bat, who’ll spot a certain Victor Zsasz playing chess and Arnold Wesker happily sat there with his sock puppet in a communal area that could be ripped straight out of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest or Twelve Monkeys. And then there’s a much… smilier John Doe who’s more than a little deliriously happy to make your acquaintance.
Yes, it’s another occasion where the series revisits iconic characters and moments from the Batman universe as a whole, but once again, the team of writers behind the series have found a new and interesting way to do so. The Joker might be deranged, as always, but there’s an air of mystery and mystique to him. It’s also fascinating to see him first meeting Bruce Wayne and not Batman.
If you expect the Joker to be the main antagonist of the episode, though, think again. In fact, Bruce spends barely any time locked up before he’s set free to go his merry way, admittedly through pulling a few strings and potentially striking an uneasy deal with the devil along the way. I’m torn over whether or not I like his appearance, as a consquence. It feels too brief, too superficial, like a token gesture to check him off the list. It could prove to be that he’s the mastermind behind all of the Children of Arkham, the rise of Harvey Dent, and everythat’s wrong in the city, but I definitely hope not.
Back on the outside, Harvey Dent’s consolidated power base is going toe to toe with the Children of Arkham. The streets are on lockdown, and these hired goons are hardly the most honest of people, but Telltale’s game engine still isn’t equipped to show the kinds of action needed to really sell the war on the streets. At the very least, the story kicks on a notch so that those who have hidden behind a mask of propriety aren’t able to do so for much longer. It’s time for Batman to take some people down.
And so this is one of those few episodes in Telltale’s long list of graphic adventures where the story well and truly diverges. Do you go after the Children of Arkham or after Two Face’s goons? It’s not really as simple a decision as that, but with one more episode to go, it’s clear that you’ll be taking on the other side soon enough. However, it leaves this episode feeling shorter and more abrupt that the first half of the season.
Guardian of Gotham is a solid episode, but outside of a few little flashes, doesn’t excite or intrigue me as much as what went before. I’m torn on whether or not I like the Joker’s appearance, it doesn’t have time to really linger too much in the moment, and ultimately, it’s just one of those episodes that takes you part way on a journey without getting you to your destination.
