Batman: Arkham City - Reviews - Post #882

[Tunisia]

I think for head-on multiplayer combat they'd need to make huge changes to the way combat worked, which could only be a bad thing- it was nigh on perfect in Asylum. The competitive assault courses thing could work, but that would have very little advantage over just taking turns to do the same challenge and comparing your times, pragmatically.

Some sort of co-op thing like splinter cell, maybe where you needed both players for some combat or movement combos, or simultaneous takedowns or distractions, would be pretty good. I wouldn't think that Robin would make an appearance in this game though, he doesn't really work in the darker portrayals.

[Matt G]

I wouldn't think that Robin would make an appearance in this game though, he doesn't really work in the darker portrayals.

I wouldn't say that this is one of the darkest portrayals and Robin was mostly alright in the Animated Series, where most of the voices for this are coming from. Still I probably don't think he'll be in it, Catwoman seems a more likely choice as Robin would either be a hell of a lot more animation work or just a reskinned Batman, which would be a bit rubbish.

[Majora]

I think I preferred the way Harley looked in AA. She looks a bit more ordinary in this. Hope it's the same voice actor, I her voice

[moosegrinder]

Hopefully, if the tapes return, then the actress will make her Harleen Quinzel voice different from the Harlet Quinn voice. That was one of the few things that bothered me about the first one.

[Not Thread Owner]

He's had a shave. At least it looks like he has.

Yeah, but he looked like that at the start of AA too.

I'll probably get stoned to death for this, but I'm more pumped for this game than Halo: Reach.

Halo what?

[The Sarge]

New(ish) info from OXM (still looking for scans, but I'd be surprised if any of the pics in the mag were different to those posted on the last page)

- Arkham City is four or five times larger than Arkham Asylum.

- The game starts by being briefed by Alfred, he explains the Two-Face vs Catwoman situation and you start heading to the area where the two are located.

- Batman is now much more agile, he is now able to plunge into a dive mid glide to accelerate flight.

- Two-Face has a gang roaming Arkham City, you will find them wearing face masks replicating their boss'.

- Criminals who aren't connected with any super villains roam the street.

- Story suggests that Professor Strange has been kidnapping Gotham citizens who are opposed to Arkham City.

- One and half years after the original game.

- Use new detective mode to discover a thugs super villain boss. This will be used to find The Riddlers men.

- The Riddler is in Arkham City, they hint you are almost certain to come face to face with him.

- Jack Ryder has been put into Arkham City due to him becoming to close to the truth on the city while working on an expose. Rocksteady were hesitant to reveal what Ryder had uncovered.

- Your first meeting with Two-Face is early on in the game. You are greeted with him displaying Catwoman tied up side down to a baying crowd of criminals. His two conflicting personalities being voiced out loud.

- Two-Face decides Catwoman's fate with the iconic coin toss. She gets lucky this time.

- The first confrontation with Two-Face results in Batman getting shot in the chest only for Catwoman to slip out of her chains and hit Two-Face into the acid she was about to be chucked into. A flirtatious conversation is then held between Catwoman and Batman only to be interrupted by a smiley face sniper dot rolling up Catwoman's suit. The shot is fired and misses her by a whisker.

- Your first detective mode experience is finding the bullet hole on the floor and figuring out its trajectory.

- Trajectory reveals the location of the shot. A bell tower housed by the Joker.

- Joker has a potentially fatal desease.

- Calendar Man is confirmed.

- The date and time effect your interaction with Calendar Man, set your console of PC's time a month ahead from last and you will receive a completely different conversation.

- Batman's launcher has received an upgrade, you can now stop at anytime instead of being forced to the end every time.

- You are pitted against a lot more thugs at once compared to the original game.

- Increased amount of combat animations.

- Phone booths ring only for thugs to stand by it, afraid to answer. Rumours going round suggest anyone that answers these calls end up dead.

- The mysterious caller ends up being Victor Zsasz, this starts one of many side quests in the game.

- To start the side quest you must follow a number of ringing phone boxes only to greeted with him at the final one.

- Co-Op seems to be hinted. Catwoman has very similar combat techniques to Batman when in game.

- Rocksteady suggest Crime Alley will make an appearance.

- Rocksteady insist that the only confirmed villains so far are the ones you have seen.

Minor spoilers about how the game starts (this is probably subject to change) as well as info on the Two-Face/Catwoman scenario and some new villains confirmed.

[Down by Law]

Christ those screen are fantastic!!! Definetely the game to watch next year.

[Pob]

- Batman's launcher has received an upgrade, you can now stop at anytime instead of being forced to the end every time.

What does this mean? I really hope it means that you can detach yourself from the grapple before reaching it's destination point, and then glide off somewhere. This would be brilliant for getting around on those rooftops.

[The Sarge]

What does this mean? I really hope it means that you can detach yourself from the grapple before reaching it's destination point, and then glide off somewhere. This would be brilliant for getting around on those rooftops.

I think that's exactly what it means. If you look back through the GI scans, there's one pic of Batman grabbing a wire as if he's about to mount it/launch off it. Might be the above or it might be a random wire that helps you get around the City.

[Pob]

I think that's exactly what it means. If you look back through the GI scans, there's one pic of Batman grabbing a wire as if he's about to mount it/launch off it. Might be the above or it might be a random wire that helps you get around the City.

I think you can stop halfway along the line-launcher (the one that you use to move horizontally across gaps), then hang off the wire, like in that shot.

I love the fact that "Batman will be more agile". There's loads of potential for making simply getting about really fun. Using the line-launcher or the cape in the first one to get from place to place without touching the ground was brilliant, but there were limited opportunities for doing that in the confines of Arkham. With a bigger playground and extra control over the gadgets, it's going to be awesome.

I've said it before, but it's like Rocksteady have rifled through my brain and produced the exact sequel I wanted.

[Nespresso]

I wouldn't think that Robin would make an appearance in this game though, he doesn't really work in the darker portrayals.

The guy pushed some other guy's eyes back into his skull in the latest animated flick. I'd say he's competent.

[Fugitive]

I'm probably in a minority here, but I think Robin is just completely wrong. Both In this game and in the comics.

To me, Batman is a lone operator and doesn't need a brightly coloured child hanging around to distract him, save him in the nick of time, or to be saved in the nick of time.

That said, The Dark Knight Returns wouldn't have been the masterpiece it is without little Carrie in it.

[SM47]

There's a police zeppelin in one of those shots, I'm calling it: fight atop a burning zeppelin, zeppelin collides with building, Batman is like 'Fuck's sake.'.

[Space Renegade Ulala]

Like I said before, the only Robin I want to see is Damian. I'd happily play co-op as that misanthropic mini-Bruce.

[Sarlaccfood]

Love dem screens.

Looks like Batman will be spending less time running on the ground this time, which is not very Batman eh?

[Tunisia]

I really hope it means that you can detach yourself from the grapple before reaching it's destination point, and then glide off somewhere.

I'm pretty sure you can do this in Asylum?

EDIT: Sorry, got mixed up between the grapple and the zipline.

[The Sarge]

Few more details from the OPM Podcast.

The blowout starts from 01:00 onwards, and opens with the revelation that Batman: Arkham City is actually finished. Rocksteady can play from start to finish, meaning that the next year until release is just polishing, and adding new features.

One toy the developers are going to have to balance is something called the 'Boost Grapple' - it's the grapple from the first game, but it now fires you up into the air, so you can zip around the city "Just Cause style". If that doesn't sound cool enough, Batman can also punch through walls, providing their thin enough. Nice.

There are also now side-missions that you can choose to take along with the main objective; for instance, Zsasz is calling random telephone boxes and telling the people who pick up that they'll die in the morning. You can choose to get involved and try track him down, or just walk past. However, it's unclear how this might work in co-op. Yep, co-op was hinted at; journalists saw Catwoman sneak away into the night using the exact same moves as Batman. One asked whether this means co-op will be in the game, to which a developer replied "We're not talking about that right now". Nice.

And, finally, it rains a lot in Arkham City. Harley Quinn drenched in rainwater?

http://systemlink.gamersguidetolife.com/2010/09/new-batman-arkham-asylum-details-games.html

Link to the podcast for those who are interested.

http://opmpodcast.wordpress.com/2010/09/02/opm-uk-podcast-episode-14/#comments

Mostly old info, but the hint that Catwoman might be the co-op partner is great news.

[Joyrex-J9]

Sounds very promising.

I hope by making the game world larger they don't forget to put plenty of things to do and find in it. By that I mean - we don't end up with wishy washy sandbox like city with fuck all in it (ala GTA4) One of the great things about Arkham Asylum was the brilliant map and going back over it discovering the secrets you'd missed, that were right under your nose some of the time.

[incapable hulk]

I'm probably in a minority here, but I think Robin is just completely wrong. Both In this game and in the comics.

To me, Batman is a lone operator and doesn't need a brightly coloured child hanging around to distract him, save him in the nick of time, or to be saved in the nick of time.

That said, The Dark Knight Returns wouldn't have been the masterpiece it is without little Carrie in it.

I can certainly understand that view.

I think for me, someone like robin is needed. It provides a counterpoint to batman, and makes the darker elements of batman stand out all the more for having that contrast of youthful enthusiasm in robin.

Without robin, batmans just a grim loner with nothing really to lose. His parental attitude to robin, as well as the fact that robin has a similarish origin to batman but behaves completely differently add, IMO, a completely different dimension to batman.

I dont think you need the tim drake or dick grayson versions to be in every comic with batman,or even explicitly mentioned, but its enough to know they exist in that world and that theres more to batman than just being grim and gritty and angry all the time.

As someone else said though, if robin were to feature- it should be damian.

[TheSlugFormerlyKnownAsNap]

"Batman: Arkham City is actually finished. Rocksteady can play from start to finish, meaning that the next year until release is just polishing, and adding new features."

That would be amazing if true. While a part of me wants to play it NOW (now! NOW!), I'd fully appreciate it if they avoid going head to head with the Call of Duties, Halos and Gran Turismos of the Christmas seasons but instead make the game as good as they possibly can and release it when it has a bit more breathing space. Really, really looking forward to this.

[Pob]

It's not coming out for a YEAR?? I thought it would be out around April time

[TheSlugFormerlyKnownAsNap]

"Fall 2011" apparently.

It'll be a long year

[Pob]

Presumably it'll be the post polished game ever, then.

On the one hand they might have lots of time to add cool features like the challenge rooms from the first one. But then the greedy publisher will probably insist they save 'bonus' content for DLC or pre-ordering.

[TheSlugFormerlyKnownAsNap]

Yeah or they start working on their next title instead.

[The Grand Pursuivant]

Yeah or they start working on their next title instead.

If they do that, it better bloody well be Batman 3.

[Wroth]

It bloody well better be BatmanBatmanBatman

[SM47]

As someone else said though, if robin were to feature- it should be damian.

I dunno about that, I don't think many people outside of comics fans know who Damian even is. They'll be more familiar with earlier Robins. If you suddenly go 'Hey, here's Robin, he's actually a violent little assassin lunatic who also happens to be Batman's illegitimate son', folks not familiar with the last couple of years of Batman comics will be like 'BUH?'. I salute the efforts of the writers to alter the dynamics of the Batman-Robin relationship, but I don't think having Damian as Robin in this particular game would work all that well.

[Fugitive]

I can certainly understand that view.

I think for me, someone like robin is needed. It provides a counterpoint to batman, and makes the darker elements of batman stand out all the more for having that contrast of youthful enthusiasm in robin.

Without robin, batmans just a grim loner with nothing really to lose. His parental attitude to robin, as well as the fact that robin has a similarish origin to batman but behaves completely differently add, IMO, a completely different dimension to batman.

I dont think you need the tim drake or dick grayson versions to be in every comic with batman,or even explicitly mentioned, but its enough to know they exist in that world and that theres more to batman than just being grim and gritty and angry all the time.

As someone else said though, if robin were to feature- it should be damian.

That's fair enough, but I always thought Batman was at his best when he wasn't battling costumed buffoons anyway. I loved those occasional one-shot complete stories of Bats using his detective skills to solve everyday crimes before beating down a few 'normal' criminal types with his superior fighting skills.

But I stopped reading comics along time ago. After - in my opinion - the rot set in with Bane 'breaking' the Batman and months of Jean-Paul Valley followed by endless crossovers, etc., I became heartily sick of upstart writers and blatant rip-offs, so comics and I parted company.

Which is why I'm so grateful to Rocksteady for how they handled Arkham Asylum, and why that short scene in which you controlled a very young and recently orphaned Bruce Wayne for a few minutes is just about one of the greatest moments I've ever experienced in a videogame.

[Superunknown]

Which is why I'm so grateful to Rocksteady for how they handled Arkham Asylum, and why that short scene in which you controlled a very young and recently orphaned Bruce Wayne for a few minutes is just about one of the greatest moments I've ever experienced in a videogame.

That sequence was brilliantly handled. I loved the way that the corridor of Arkham Mansion slowly metamorphosed into an alley of Gotham. It was a truly cinematic experience, and as you say one of the best videogame storytelling moments I've witnessed.

[incapable hulk]

I dunno about that, I don't think many people outside of comics fans know who Damian even is. They'll be more familiar with earlier Robins. If you suddenly go 'Hey, here's Robin, he's actually a violent little assassin lunatic who also happens to be Batman's illegitimate son', folks not familiar with the last couple of years of Batman comics will be like 'BUH?'. I salute the efforts of the writers to alter the dynamics of the Batman-Robin relationship, but I don't think having Damian as Robin in this particular game would work all that well.

I dont actually think robin should be in the game, I was just responding to fugitives comments about robin in general

But IF they were to put robin into this, damian would be much more suited.

I dont think people need to be that familiar with this robin, as all it takes is a quick nightwing reference to sort that out.

But hopefully they'll resist the urge to put robin in.

That's fair enough, but I always thought Batman was at his best when he wasn't battling costumed buffoons anyway. I loved those occasional one-shot complete stories of Bats using his detective skills to solve everyday crimes before beating down a few 'normal' criminal types with his superior fighting skills.

But I stopped reading comics along time ago. After - in my opinion - the rot set in with Bane 'breaking' the Batman and months of Jean-Paul Valley followed by endless crossovers, etc., I became heartily sick of upstart writers and blatant rip-offs, so comics and I parted company.

Which is why I'm so grateful to Rocksteady for how they handled Arkham Asylum, and why that short scene in which you controlled a very young and recently orphaned Bruce Wayne for a few minutes is just about one of the greatest moments I've ever experienced in a videogame.

Oh I agree, I prefer the detective aspect of batman. But robin doesnt mean batman has to fight costumed buffoons. Theres been many a great batman story written where robin has existed, and its been a dark detective story.