Watcha Playin’?-Telltale Batman: The Enemy Within Ep. 1 Impressions

Now that the final episode of Telltale’s Batman: The Enemy Within is out, I finally decided to buy the season pass and dive in. I loved the first season; I thought its takes on familiar (one could even say over-used) characters were original and, in some cases, surprising. Allowing you to choose whether to deal with situations as Batman or Bruce was a fun dynamic that felt true to the character while giving him something fresh that other games haven’t provided. All this left me excited to play the new season.

I’ve only gotten through the first episode so far, but I’m having a good time with it. This first episode focuses heavily on The Riddler, and has stuck with the commitment to re-think what the Rogue’s Gallery looks like in this rendition. Instead of the usual smarmy nerd we’re accustomed to, Telltale’s Riddler is actively dangerous and often brutal. While he’s been out of Gotham’s crime scene for all of Batman’s career, he apparently used to rule the city’s underground with an iron fist. His come-back proves that he hasn’t mellowed at all with age.

I’m not as hooked by this opening as I was with the introductory episode of the first season, but I think that’s okay. This time, it feels like it’s building up to something more and knows it. The thing I’m really excited about is the introduction of Amanda Waller into this world. She’s always been one of my favorite DC characters, so I’m excited to see her in action with these re-done versions of characters. I am somewhat surprised that she doesn’t seem to be much different than her canonical comic persona, however (if you’re not too familiar with her, check out this episode, “The Wall You Won’t Try”, of Misty Knight’s Uninformed Afro for a great explanation of her character). She still runs a shady, government-associated-but-probably-not-legal organization, and is still very much about playing by her rules and no one else’s.

Her introduction seems to be the new choice dynamic of this game. You can still choose who between Bruce and Batman is going to deal with a situation, but the real emphasis seems to lie in who you choose to align yourself with: Waller or Gordon. Gordon feels like his toes are being stepped on. Gotham is his city and he and Batman should be the ones to take care of it. Waller knows that you’re dealing with something bigger than Gotham’s usual thugs and eccentrics, and her group has the resources and experience to deal with it. She wants your help, but she’s going to do whatever it takes to get things done, whether Batman is on board or not.

Pretty much every big choice in this first episode revolves around who you  want to placate. I ended up going with Waller because I love her and wanted to see what she’s up to, but also because Gordon was getting on my nerves. His insistence that he and the GPD could handle the clearly over their heads problems that are unfolding started to sound naive, and as I’ve said many a time, I don’t have time for white men’s egos. I’m excited to see how this Waller-centric playthrough will pan out, and if I’ll regret the decision. The game seems to lean towards her being the obvious poor choice, but we’ll see what happens.