Games

The Caped Crusader faces his toughest challenge to date as he takes on the combined might of both Scarecrow and the mysterious Arkham Knight in this concluding instalment in Rocksteady's acclaimed trilogy of Batman videogames.

Far removed from the cramped confines of …Arkham Asylum and a further leap on from the open world of …Arkham City, this finale gives players the franchise's biggest environment yet to explore. However, while it may be larger, Gotham City has never felt so busy, with every street teeming with criminal gangs and side quests. Moving around the map has been made easier with the introduction of the Batmobile, which also provides new solutions to the puzzles that regularly stand in your way. It's a surprisingly effective and well-judged addition to the game that only stumbles when the developer decides to add a repetitive stealth element to this part of the game.

Elsewhere it's pretty much business as usual – only bigger and better. The puzzles are tougher, the combat is even more refined and the jump to next-gen consoles ensures the title looks absolutely incredible. Sadly, the PC port is reported to be another story, suffering from gameplay and performance problems that are frantically being fixed by patches.

Batman: Arkham Knight, Warner Bros. Interactive, Xbox One/PS4/PC, £50 approx
HCC VERDICT: 4.5/5