Batman: Arkham City - Reviews - Post #882

[Vemsie]

In the long run, and for all the excellent improvements, I rather suspect we’ll still be looking back at AA as the better overall package.

I don't.

Going back, I miss the freedom of grapnel boosting through the city and floating, all the improvements made to combat, the new gadgets, the Riddler puzzles (which I really love and find a massive improvement over the first) and the side-quests. I also prefer the villains and boss fights in this and I like doing challenges with other characters, fighting as Robin and Nightwing in particular.

[James Ape]

I'm new to the game, is there any way to skip the cutscenes? they get very annoying seeing them over and over again before a fight? Not to mention the death ones.

[Trigg]

I loved AA as much as the next man but this is a much better game for me. Well, will be when they sort out a patch for DirectX11 the bastards

K; If I remember rightly

the victim you're looking for is on a flyover that has been broken, took me a while to find that one too!

[zy]

I don't.

Going back, I miss the freedom of grapnel boosting through the city and floating, all the improvements made to combat, the new gadgets, the Riddler puzzles (which I really love and find a massive improvement over the first) and the side-quests. I also prefer the villains and boss fights in this and I like doing challenges with other characters, fighting as Robin and Nightwing in particular.

All good points, Vemsie, and I already agreed with everything you just said in my earlier posts Yep, many improvements. Love the flying to the point where I would have welcomed some more interesting AR challenges once I got the hang of it, which is saying something if you'd heard my initial curses. In terms of package I'm saying the first story was stronger; I think the "Metroidvania" (plech, plech) design of the interiors was better in AA, and that it had more variety and detail than you'll find in AC's one curved corridor of city. It also came out of nowhere, with nothing to build on. Strangely, I find now that I also prefer the Titans in the first game too: they're a bit wussy in City and if you complete an Ultra Stun then you actually halt all other incoming attacks, which just seems to cut the risk of the move and turns Titans into docile beatdown combo feeders. But now we have Joker's Russians in the mix too. So, yes, it's a "rubies or emeralds?" question.

[Vemsie]

Aye. Some prefer the first, some the second. Nothing wrong with that. If anything, it proves that Rocksteady is willing to experiment and one hell of a talented studio to boot, probably the one that made the biggest splash this gen.

[Leccy]

Minor plot question

Why did Freeze start a fight with Batman anyway? Apart from being fed up with being given orders. If he wanted his wife back why attempt to stop Batman, and then beg him to save her as his only hope afterwards? Can't figure it out.

[Uncle Mike]

There's a few little issues like that in the plot, I think.

I'd agree with Vemsie and zy above that in many ways Arkham City is significantly better. The grapnel boost, expanded normal enemy types, wider range of gadgets, flying, are all great additions. The size of the city, the volume of riddler trophies, the messiness of it at times, not so much.

It's obviously still great, mind.

[RubberJohnny]

Just done the Mr Freeze boss fight, which was fantastic. Shame there's not more like that. A lot of the others outright tell you what to do, putting the prompt for the gadget on the screen and using QTEs a bit much.

Kind of given up on doing any of the sidequests for this, they're just races and collectathons and not too interesting.

I can see the "audio diaries that aren't audio diaries", i.e. Jokers voicemails, Zsazz's phone confessionals being the thing that gets copied the most by other games.

[Swallow]

Yeah, I really enjoyed that one too. Maybe a bit of a spoiler though?

I'm enjoying the combat in this more than I did at first. The extra options for dealing with armed thugs are well thought out and useful, as the game necessitates by having them in the overworld. The increased XP offered by fighting well outside the challenges seems to provide more of an incentive for doing so than in Arkham Asylum, but I may be misremembering.

Is there any way to turn off the compass and objective indicator at the top of the screen?

[Vemsie]

Just done the Mr Freeze boss fight, which was fantastic. Shame there's not more like that. A lot of the others outright tell you what to do, putting the prompt for the gadget on the screen and using QTEs a bit much.

Kind of given up on doing any of the sidequests for this, they're just races and collectathons and not too interesting.

I can see the "audio diaries that aren't audio diaries", i.e. Jokers voicemails, Zsazz's phone confessionals being the thing that gets copied the most by other games.

Best boss fight in the series. More would've indeed been welcome. I recommend doing the puzzles though, especially when you have all gadgets. Granted, it's a lot of stuff, but I feel some of the puzzles and hostage rooms provide some of the best moments in the game. And the riddles unlock the Arkham City stories, which are quite cool.

But yeah, being a Batman fan gives more weight to the side-quests as some of them provide some excellent fan-service and possible hooks with the third game.

[Leccy]

One thing that irks me in new game plus is that the counter prompts that appear over attackers also disappear in cutscenes, so I'm always trying to remember if I need to counter in the cutscene or not.

I'm fine with it in combat though.

[Jigsaw Monkey]

There's a few little issues like that in the plot, I think.

One thing I never understood...When Harely Quinn stole the antidote from Freeze, why did the Joker wait to take it - only for Batman to destroy it?

Although I may have remember that bit wrong...

[Alan Stock]

One thing I never understood...When Harely Quinn stole the antidote from Freeze, why did the Joker wait to take it - only for Batman to destroy it?

Although I may have remember that bit wrong...

Talia intercepts Quinn before she gets to Joker and rescues the cure. Apparently she never reveals this to Joker and she gives it to Batman just before Joker kills her at the end. All the time I guess Joker thinks that Batman had it, or just didn't know what had happened to Harley. Then of course Joker cocks it up at the end by smashing it after Batman's already had some.

[Uncle Mike]

It's a hole, you guys. Come on! </GobBluth>

[Swallow]

I was disappointed the ending

wasn't more interactive. Walking out of Arkham City carrying Joker would have been a nice callback to the start of Arkham Asylum.

I loved the game by the end though, I even thought the story was pretty decent, if containing a few too many of the afore-mentioned plot niggles. Got a few side missions to go. Am I right in thinking that the Identity Thief is

Hush?

[Vemsie]

You might be.

[RubberJohnny]

How long is the campaign in this? I ask because I'm at like 8-10 hours and have just done the second Catwoman mission. I take it they're not equally spaced, as a lot of plot stuff seems like it's building to the finale. For a while there, I just assumed I hadn't had access to any of those missions as some DLC oversight.

The Mr Freeze thing made me wonder about having sort of mini-bosses for the predator gameplay to mix up the gameplay, like the Titan and hammer dudes in combat.

[Vemsie]

Not that long to go, RJ.

[redman]

combat help?

I've just started this, well 17% or so on the story mission, and I get hit an awful lot during the fights. I've completed AA and so I know button mashing is a no-no (still find it hard to stop though...)

My main problem is dealing with two guys that want to hit me at once, when I'm in the y animation I get a punch from the other guy. I try not to get them too bunched in on me so I'm in the middle but with just more space.

Just wondering if I'm missing some handy techniques or do I just need more practice...

thanks

[Pob]

Tap the counter button twice to do a double-counter (or three times if necessary).

[Swallow]

I'm fairly sure just pressing it once will do a double takedown. I've not been hit while performing a takedown that I can remember - I always get interrupted during ground pounds and occasionally aerial attacks though. Maybe I'm instictively pressing it more than once though, I don't know.

redman - you need to perform lots of combat evades. As long as you're jumping over enemies then you're not going to get hit and your combo timer gets extended indefinitely.

There is a really good combat guide on gamefaqs for Arkham Asylum. I didn't really understand the combat system until I'd read that. I'll find a link and see if there's one for Arkham City.

edit: here's the Arkham City combat guide:

http://www.gamefaqs.com/xbox360/981374-batman-arkham-city/faqs/63221

And his Arkham Asylum one if you want it:

http://www.gamefaqs.com/xbox360/952337-batman-arkham-asylum/faqs/57661

[Graham]

Very frustrated now on my return to the Steel Mill. First time through on hard and the fight with

Joker, Abramovici, Titan and the many henchmen

pushes me to the very edge of my combat abilities. Failed far more than I care to mention. It's really the only fight I've had trouble with thus far and has taken the shine off the game for me.

I can defeat Abaramovici but at the expense of a few of the henchmen getting hits in which leaves me weaker for Titan. Cape stunning Titan tends to end up the same, some of the henchmen getting close enough to weaken me further and then a flailing Titan arm or charge finishes me. Typically using a combination of REC, group ice grenade and batarang and just seem to be getting no where.

[James Ape]

I've knocked down the difficulty to normal since hard was too punishing (I never played the first one) Though now it feels a bit too easy :s

I like the combat very much, and the design of the world if not the characters. It's a very pretty game on the PC. I'm not enjoying traversing the city so much, something feels a little off with moving batman around outside of fights.

[Swallow]

Are you using a 360 controller? Once you unlock the grapnel boost getting around feels a little better as you have to land less often, but it's not exactly smooth.

[Uncle Mike]

That Steel Mill fight on my New Game Plus playthrough is definitely the toughest in the game. It was, I think, my favourite boss encounter.

It's tough, but fair actually. Keep moving, remember Batman's multiple takedown moves (both the one that eliminates anyone lieing down, and the one that permanently disables a weapon or shield are lifesavers) and keep moving. Use the Titan to whittle Abramovic down.

I loved that fight.

[Jimmy Shedders]

Talking of plot holes..

Is anything ever said about what happened to the people of Gotham that had Joker's infected blood?

I seem to remember Batman giving Robin a sample of some kind to test out but that's the last time it's mentioned isn't it?

[KartoffelKopf]

Wait until you try the extrene challenge room version of that fight

I just gave up on the combat challenge rooms, my fingers just aren't nimble enough. I'm just in awe of this though.

[redman]

that's brilliant!!

thanks for the fighting tips Pob & Swallow...

I'm going to read that guide now on my lunch.

[Alan Stock]

Very frustrated now on my return to the Steel Mill. First time through on hard and the fight with

Joker, Abramovici, Titan and the many henchmen

pushes me to the very edge of my combat abilities. Failed far more than I care to mention. It's really the only fight I've had trouble with thus far and has taken the shine off the game for me.

I can defeat Abaramovici but at the expense of a few of the henchmen getting hits in which leaves me weaker for Titan. Cape stunning Titan tends to end up the same, some of the henchmen getting close enough to weaken me further and then a flailing Titan arm or charge finishes me. Typically using a combination of REC, group ice grenade and batarang and just seem to be getting no where.

I found that getting into freeflow combat was the best way to clear the field of goons. When the Titan shows up, keep your distance from him and the goons, attack them from long range and when he charges take the opportunity to cape stun him. Continue to concentrate on taking out the goons using distance gadgets to stop them surrounding you and when they're gone the remaining "big 3" are pretty easy to take down.

[Pob]

Wait until you try the extrene challenge room version of that fight

I just gave up on the combat challenge rooms, my fingers just aren't nimble enough. I'm just in awe of this though.

Holy hell. Starting to see the benefits of the bat swarm special move now, especially on the Lieutenants for harvesting a huge combo. I never used to use it.