Batman: The Enemy Within Episode 2: The Pact Xbox One Review

Batman's second season started off rocky but ended with a massive cliffhanger and now episode 2, The Pact, places Bruce Wayne in the spotlight. Here Bruce is faced with difficult choices as he steps behind enemy lines and blurs the lines between hero and criminal. Every decision has weight and up until the finale, I questioned whether I was making the right choice. This episode forces Bruce to make some of the toughest choices in this series and test whether he's willing to do whatever it takes for Gotham safely, even if that means sacrificing your convictions. 

Episode 2 starts off with Bruce in a difficult situation and doesn't slow down. With one disaster avoided Bruce is suddenly faced with not 1 but 3 new enemies along with stabilizing a relationship with either Gordon or Waller. The surprises keep coming as new layers of the plot expose brand new relationships that Bruce must maintain or build.

Batman plays a minor role this time around. With the exception of a fight scene and a couple of conversations, most of the episode is dedicated to Bruce talking things out. Shockingly these are more exciting than the Batman segments as Telltale places you in difficult positions where you have to either maintain your cover or do the right thing.

Harley, Bane, and Mr. Freeze all make a debut here with their own take. While Telltale has maintained the same personas and much of the character's backstories they've altered them enough to make feel fresh even for seasoned Batman fans. Harley Quinn isn't the same obsessed sidekick of the Joker, here known as John Doe, but instead, it's the opposite. Harley acts as the leader, fully capable but absolutely dangerous.

With the exception of one brief puzzle, the game's pace is never broken. One scene leads to all your actions carrying weight to the supporting cast. While I'm eager to see how my choices play out in the upcoming third episode seeing the immediate consequences made them more relevant to the current tasks.

What sold the entire episode was the magnificent voice cast. Each character was wonderfully voiced, especially Harley who stole the episode. Not only did she convey an uneasy feeling of danger but vulnerability, during one scene in particular she exposes herself in a way that she never did in all the previous meetings.

The episode plays like other Telltale series. You'll interact with the environment using a floating cursor, walk around, and talk to other characters with a limited amount of options available. Some options are timed and others aren't, with critical decisions highlighted with 2 choices. During my 2 playthroughs of the episode, I didn't experience any slowdown or crashes which has become a staple within Telltale's video games since The Walking Dead.

Batman: The Enemy Within Episode 2: The Pact places Bruce in many uneasy situations. During the course of the episode, you'll constantly be tested by everyone including yourself. Depending on the choices this episode can end a number of ways with different characters seeing you in various lights. Best of all this episode gives Bruce his own episode to showcase his abilities to negotiate and infiltrate, creating and breaking bonds. It raises the stakes by placing Bruce in life and death situations creating an exciting dynamic of drama and calamity.

Adam Siddiqui, NoobFeed
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