I’m once again winding my way through the dim, shadow-filled streets of Gotham, just as I’ve done countless times over the years. This time, though, I’m physically tipping my head toward the sky to catch the street signs, the labels on closed storefronts, and the police helicopters buzzing overhead. After a roughly hour-long look at the upcoming Meta Quest 3 exclusive Batman Arkham Shadow, I finally break the surface. My first meaningful view of the city feels so familiar. At the same time, I pay attention to the fact that the action is still firmly anchored at street level—for now—framed by smoldering braziers and drifting mist, rather than letting me race upward among the rooftops.
In that initial hour with Arkham Shadow, there are moments when you do get lifted upward. Still, this street-focused introduction to Batman’s world fits the bill, because it highlights how naturally you can roam through it—and it likely keeps early vertigo from making a skyscraper-top view feel too precarious.
Built by Camouflaj—the same studio behind Iron Man VR—Arkham Shadow is a canon entry in the Arkhamverse, positioned between Origins and Asylum. Here, Batman is still in his early years, with Alfred’s voice guiding me as I pick up the game’s controls. You can move at a normal pace or zip through spaces by grappling, rotate your perspective by 90 degrees using the thumbstick, and then zoom in on the closest point of interest. Batarangs ride across your chest so you can toss them when needed. Smoke bombs are stored on your arm for quick throws. If you bring your arms down and lift them together, you can extend your cape to glide through the air.
The showcase begins in the depths of Gotham’s underworld, where Batman hunts the elusive Rat King. Predictably, we’re led straight into Arkham’s sewers. From here, the game’s systems are introduced step by step, with a particular spotlight on Shadow’s close-quarters combat. You can drive yourself toward opponents by locking onto them with a punch, then follow up with a chain of additional blows to take them out—triggered by the gesture prompts shown on-screen.
It takes a little practice, but by the end of the preview I’m landing combos with one hand while using the other to guard against attacks coming from off-screen. It brings to mind that moment in The Matrix when Neo fights one-handed. There are times I feel surrounded and overwhelmed by enemies, but it’s the kind of pressure that feels constructive—especially when another thug of a similar build winds up a strong forearm and swings it toward my face. Enemy groups seem smaller than in earlier Arkham games, and they wait their turn to strike, but it still sends my adrenaline soaring more than simply sitting back and mashing buttons.
Soon after, the opponents show up with weapons, and this is where I get to try the Arkham series’ signature predator-style gameplay from a first-person view. By pressing my right hand against the side of my head—like I’m fitting my cowl—I activate Detective Mode. Then I can see three thugs with assault rifles marked below and follow their movement patterns. I drop in on the most isolated target, throw quick punches, toss a smoke bomb, and grapple back to safety. Even a decade on, this re-creation of Rocksteady’s approach still manages to feel thrilling.
Arkham Shadow is built to sit alongside Arkham Asylum in terms of scale, with collectibles and optional side areas for players who want to linger beyond the main route. In one part of the demo, I even spot a path that takes me back to where I started, in case I want to retrace my steps and double-check anything I missed. Otherwise, this opening stretch is fairly straightforward. It’s still early, and while it clearly isn’t on rails, the demo gives the impression of stepping into a large Arkham theme park experience—an updated take on a familiar setting that echoes the mood of the original trilogy, while drawing you in by turning your time into something like an obstacle course.
After an hour in the cowl, with Batman now trading notes with Jim Gordon, I reemerge into the bustle of the Gamescom showfloor. It’s a little disorienting—I’m not a regular VR player, so I’m more likely to be impressed by the immersion during those occasional moments when I’m actually wearing a headset. On the flip side, that also means I find it harder to fully absorb the VR control scheme, since I’m used to a traditional controller. Still, after spending an hour with Batman Arkham Shadow, I’m genuinely impressed. It embraces what VR can do and mirrors Rocksteady’s original work with care. How far it will go in expanding that world is yet to be seen, but what’s already been shared about its narrative—introducing earlier, more grounded versions of Harley Quinn, Two-Face, and Scarecrow—has definitely caught my attention. If you’re the type who goes beyond the screen and into the details, Arkham Shadow is one to keep your investigative instincts sharp for.