ONE of the main themes in Christopher Nolan's acclaimed Batman film trilogy is escalation.

It is the idea that having a masked vigilante stalking the streets does not actually help battle crime but makes it worse with violent gangs raising their game to match the heroics head-on.

That is definitely also the case for Rocksteady Studios' Arkham games.

The London developer's first game was on a small scale with Batman trapped in a claustrophobic asylum with The Joker and the rest of Gotham's criminally insane.

Whereas in Arkham Knight – the third instalment and the finale – the whole of Gotham City has now been evacuated due to threats of a 'fear toxin' being released.

Batman's arch villain The Scarecrow is holding the city to ransom, tanks roam the streets and the mysterious 'Arkham Knight' is hunting him.

So much for saving the day.

But that dark tone is what makes Arkham Knight so enjoyable.

Batman comes to blows with his allies and battles his own personal demons as much as Gotham's overlords in this story-driven conclusion to the hugely popular series.

The gameplay is just as solid too. The Arkham games are now renowned for their innovative combat which sees the caped crusader punch, counter, stun and use his arsenal of gadgets on thugs.

But there is even more polish, speed and finesse to it this time around.

And while the controls may be intuitive and easy to pick up but they are also difficult to master which keeps you on your toes.

It is particularly enjoyable when you team up with one of Batman's allies for some double take downs.

As in the previous games, Arkham Knight's stealth sections see you sneaking up on enemies, stalking them from above using your grappling hook and cape, leaping out of vents and using smoke pellets when you are rumbled.

But new to Arkham Knight is the fear take down where you can eliminate three foes in quick succession.

Batman is also known as 'the world's greatest detective' so expect lots of sleuthing once again.

The ability to reconstruct crime scenes and follow clues has been tweaked to be more impressive.

But unfortunately the Arkham series' newest gameplay dynamic is also the most disappointing – the Batmobile.

Obviously having the car in the game is a huge plus. Who hasn't wanted to ride the Batmobile? And it is integrated into the experience well, used even for puzzles.

But it handles poorly and the combat is repetitive and dull.

Ultimately, Arkham Knight offers a fitting conclusion featuring a diverse range of missions and side quests which pay fan service to Batman's graphic novel origins.

- Weekend reviewed Arkham Knight on Xbox One. Issues with the PC version of the game were still ongoing as we went to press

RATING 9/10

DAVID MORGAN