Please note that since each episode of Batman: The Enemy Within features the same graphics engine and control setup, those elements will not be repeated in our reviews for the final four episodes. To read our complete thoughts on that, refer to our review of The Enigma.

TellTale’s second episode of Batman: The Enemy Within was a departure from the superhero franchise because it spent so much time away from the actual superhero part. That seemed to split opinion (we personally found it to be a fresh take on the Bruce Wayne/Batman mythos). The third episode, Fractured Mask, returns to more of standard form, with the Bruce/Batman split working pretty evenly.

So what’s happening in this episode? It picks up immediately where the previous one left off, which means that Harley Quinn is leading the gang, John Doe is still an endearing not-quite-Joker, Catwoman has returned to give Bruce all sorts of feels. Oh, and there’s a frozen carcass of the Riddler as well.

It’s quite the setup as we get into the middle episode, and Fractured Mask‘s twists follow what you’d expect in the pivotal middle act of the story. Without going into spoilers, both sides of the Bruce/Batman personality have the proverbial screws turned on them across all of the game’s pivotal relationships: Selina/Catwoman, John/Joker, Harley, Gordon, and Amanda Waller.

TellTale episodes tend to vary in the impact of their endings, and one of the drawbacks of Fractured Mask is that it just kind of stops. Perhaps it’s leaving the big cliffhanger twist for the next (and penultimate) episode, but given the short running time (at about 90 minutes, it’s rather short even by TellTale standards), it feels like a little more could have made it in.

OVERALL (4/5)

Getting back into the Batsuit, The Enemy Within: Fractured Mask shines the spotlight on all relationships — supervillain and otherwise. As all TellTale stories ultimately live and die on the strength of its characters and relationships, Fractured Mask has upped the stakes heading into the second half of the season.

The campaign starts out during Return of the Jedi, and veers off from there. Most levels play like a Star Wars-themed FPS, similar to Dark Forces from the 1990s. Half the time, it’s an immersive-but-short campaign, but the other half, the level design leaves a lot to be desired more

The final episode, Don’t Stop Believin’, streamlines some of the series’ problems for a tighter narrative. That means the explore-and-solve segments that bogged down previous episodes have been cut for a focus on story and character. more

Simply put, Origins is a gorgeous game. It pushes the limits of this generation’s graphical fidelity despite the considerably vast landscape of Ancient Egypt. Lighting, water, character models, and more are all exquisite, and the draw distances are strikingly impressive, especially when flying around using Bayek’s eagle. Similarly, the animation has improved to smoother levels. more

With major set pieces involving a school play, an intense family argument, and an awkward dinner, the pieces are starting to fall into place between the Chloe of the original game and the one starring in the prequel series. more