Batman: The Enemy Within - Episode 3: Fractured Mask (PC) Review

Bruce Wayne is now part of The Pact; a team of popular Batman villains whose mission is to… err, who knows? Yes, you've read that correctly, the third episode has been released, and our hero still won't get to know what the point in playing the spy is. Moreover, this rarely feels as if it's going anywhere, since it looks as if one small scene has been stretched as far as it could go, where almost every single episode so far (first season included) could easily be divided between a beginning, middle, and end - but, hey, Catwoman is in this game!

Furthermore, the way the cast is handled remains disappointingly inconsistent. Some have remained pretty much the same: Bane is still just a boring brute, and Dr. Freeze a forgettable extra. Others, like John Doe have actually improved (if only by a bit), with his struggle between sanity and lunacy slowly becoming the focal point of this season, while some, like Fox's daughter Tiffany, have finally decided to step into the spotlight… which is the exact opposite of what Harley, Amanda, and Gordon do, with the latter almost feeling like a wholly different (and whiny) person altogether.

The biggest disappointment, however, seems to be the main man himself. On one hand, this episode provides a surprising amount of opportunities to be a total a-hole, to the point that it feels as if Telltale is trying to play with the "live long enough to see yourself become the villain" theme - something that, needless to say, is always good in a Batman story. On the other hand, though, he can still be the blandest of the bland - not to mention that, once again, Batman is too bored to even appear on his friggin' show! The real problem, however, remains the fact that nothing has really happened here.

Take a look at this brief synopsis of all episodes to see what this means: Realm of Shadows? Batman's father was probably a criminal mastermind. Children of Arkham? Bruce finds the truth, while a new evil appears. New World Order? Bruce gets attacked on all fronts, and loses almost everything. Guardian of Gotham? Bruce escapes from Arkham, with the help of a certain prone-to-smiling fellow, and gets closer to the main bad guy. City of Light? Batman confronts that person. The synopsis of The Pact, as well as Fractured Mask? Goons are planning… something.