“This is how it happened … this is how the Batman died,” Commissioner Gordon says during the opening moments of Arkham Knight. Billed as the grand finale in the Arkham trilogy (a series of games that has revitalized Batman in gaming), Arkham Knight has a lot to live up to. Developer Rocksteady Studios pulls out all the bat gadgets it can to send Gotham’s favorite son off well into the night, including one very special addition.

Following the events of Arkham Asylum and Arkham City, this new installment finds Gotham City finally free of The Joker. But, with his top spot in the crime world now vacant, someone new has stepped up in his place: The Scarecrow. Banding together with the rest of Batman’s enemies – and a new foe, the title character Arkham Knight – The Scarecrow spearheads an attack on Gotham, resulting in a citywide evacuation. With Gotham now a neo-wild Wild West between the ruling villains and struggling authorities that remain, it’s up to Batman to lay down his own brand of justice.

That brand of justice has received a shot of adrenaline in Arkham Knight, thanks to the inclusion of the Batmobile. Making its first appearance in the series, the Batmobile (for better or worse) becomes the centerpiece of Arkham Knight. This may seem like a cover to add a fresh spin on a franchise formula that needs some new twists, but the Batmobile is nowhere close to becoming the giant Ewok of the Arkham trilogy. Sure, the gameplay may become a little too dependable on it at times, but Arkham Knight’s Batmobile – which looks similar to the Tumbler featured in Christopher Nolan’s Batman films – is a fun addition to the Dark Knight’s arsenal. Charging through the city streets and taking out baddies has never been more fun. And swooping down into the Batmobile from atop Gotham’s skyline at breakneck pace is a thrilling ride – one that is possible because of a few high-tech upgrades to the Batsuit, including faster aerial maneuvering that will have you really flying like a bat.

As with the previous Arkham games, the presentation of Gotham City in Arkham Knight is breathtaking. The attention to detail that has helped propel the series is here in full effect, displaying an open-world Gotham that is larger than ever before. Players can now choose what missions to tackle in this larger Gotham and when to embark on them. There’s the main story line to follow as well as the ability to mix it up and explore the side missions, giving players freedom from being forced to complete one task before moving onto another.

The Arkham trilogy has been one of the most impressive series of games to be released in recent memory, and Arkham Knight is a fitting way to finish it. With the introduction of a mysterious new villain in Arkham Knight and the beloved Batmobile, this swan song doesn’t take the easy way out and tread over familiar ground – it revs up its engine and crashes through to all-new terrain.

For more, visit batmanarkhamknight.com.

By Jason Savio