Arkham Shadow is perhaps the best Meta Quest 3 game

2016's Batman: Arkham VR was a 90-minute tech demo for the original PSVR that served two purposes: generate countless videos of people doing silly dances as Batman in front of mirrors and wondering why they spent $400 on a headset. In the first place.

It's even generous to call it a “game”, yet it was the best-selling PSVR of the year in Europe. The damage Arkham VR did to the new media's reputation cannot be overstated. It might seem strange to be so hostile to a game that no one remembers, but this is one of the most blatant uses of IP I can think of.

Arkham fans were not fans of The Arkham Shadow Reveal

So, it's no wonder people are hostile towards Arkham Shadow. I was at Summer Games Fest when the first trailer was shown. When it was revealed that this was a VR game, a collective groan of displeasure filled the arena. This does not happen in these kinds of things. People are there to support them. The guy next to me jumped out of his seat and yelled at the Killer Bean trailer. But when you put the letters “V” and “R” together, especially after the word “Batman,” people freak out.

But as VR's bravest little soldier, I was looking forward to Arkham Shadow. I want a legit Arkham game as much as anyone, but I also know that Camouflaj, the studio behind Arkham Shadow, knows more than enough about superhero VR games. Iron Man VR is one of my favorite PSVR games and a great example of how to translate the powers of a superhero into VR controls. If anyone can do Arkham justice here, it's Camouflaj.

I'm ten hours into Arkham Shadow and so far it has exceeded all expectations. Aesthetically, it is absolutely correct. You begin by exploring a post-Origins Gotham amid ongoing riots, and the look and feel of the city is spot on. All of the familiar Arkham versions of Batman's supporting characters, such as Alfred, Harvey Dent, Jim Gordon and Barbara, are present and accurately represented. The writing is solid, the acting to match, and the music is so resonant that, while all original compositions from composer Kazuma Jinnouchi, it sounds exactly how I remember the old Arkham games sounding.

Elijah Wood also plays the Scarecrow in Arkham Shadow, in case you were wondering how Frodo is doping up Gotham with hallucinogens.

Arkham Shadow is a real Arkham game

The gameplay is where Arkham Shadow really earns the name “Arkham”. Predator combines Metroidvania exploration, puzzle solving, hand-to-hand combat, and stealth encounters exactly as you'd expect from an Arkham game. It's also full of gadgets to unlock and upgrade, and secrets to collect – though this time you'll be breaking rat statues instead of Riddler trophies.

Hunter missions are good as always. Using Detective Vision (activated by tapping your temple), you can survey a room full of bad guys from your vantage point, then launch your attack as you quietly and systematically pick them off one by one. You lose, plan. Here you can do everything you can in a regular Arkham game, including swinging from gargoyle to gargoyle (why do all these rooms have gargoyles?), throwing smoke bombs, flipping to silently grab an enemy and pinning them, crouching down to kick. Goblins hide in the back, in the duct, and jump out to subdue them, stun others with batarangs, etc. The techniques you're familiar with are all here, but now you can physically run Batman Siege, which is just as cool as it sounds.

What impresses me the most is the combat, which perfectly replicates the rhythmic choreography of Arkham Brawl in a way I didn't think was possible in VR. Just like in other games, you'll land blows on enemies and counter incoming attacks while combining your techniques to build up your combo meter and perform brutal finishing moves. The way Camouflaj translates Arkham's combat into VR is just perfect in its simplicity, and even if my hands hurt so bad I can't get enough of it. It's very easy to get into Arkham's famous flow mode, where you land hit after hit and jump around enemies, breaking legs and cracking skulls wherever you want.

I've played a lot of VR games with great brawler combat, but never a game that feels like no fist fights. Your first hit on an enemy creates a trail combo that you either have to activate by punching in a specific direction or quickly hitting small targets. Once you've shot down an enemy, you can finish them off by jumping on them and punching them in the head with both fists, and once an enemy comes out from behind you, all you have to do is Put your hand out and automatically turn towards them. and start a counter. It all feels smooth, intuitive, and—if you feel like punching someone right now—very admirable.

Arkham Shadow is about as far from Arkham VR as you can get. The only points it gives are in terms of its size. It's not a sprawling open-world game like Arkham City and Arkham Knight, and it's not as beautiful as either – but what is a VR game? However, in all important ways, Arkham Shadow is a true Arkham game. I know this won't appeal to everyone, but if you're an Arkham fan and want to try VR, I am

Don't think you will be disappointed