Batman: Arkham City - Reviews - Post #882

[Pob]

Yes. I am not hanging around for those bloody dates to come around. So you're going to wait around for new years again. What about the less know dates that are there? Nobody is keeping track of them. I always take the less time consuming route for a achievement anyway.

The in-game calendar next to Calendar Man's cell has the dates circles.

[Jigsaw Monkey]

Yes. I am not hanging around for those bloody dates to come around. So you're going to wait around for new years again.

What would Batman do?

[Judgement]

The in-game calendar next to Calendar Man's cell has the dates circles.

I know. I ment without using the game or any guides.

Are you going to be putting the dates into your phone or actual calender?

I've already done all the dates. I am not going to remember the date, just to listen to a 1 - 2 minute story about what he did on those days.

[Stig]

I already cheated and got that achievement. Not a chance in hell I'd remember all those dates. Plus im actually away on some of them, so then I'd have to wait till the next year.

[Pob]

Anyone managed to get gold in the Iceberg Lounge combat challenge map? It's one of the DLC ones, where you get endless waves of enemies and have to survive for as long as possible.

It's rock hard. I scraped silver (50,000) on an early attempt and last night barely managed to get above 30,000 on most tries. Gold is 100,000. In a strange way it reminds me of Geometry Wars, the way you get into the zone and have to manage the arena.

[smithstock]

Aye mate, that's exactly right. I almost got silver in it but I feel like once you are out of the flow you might as well start again. It's brilliant.

[robdood]

That's called achievement whoring/cheating in my eyes. Would you actually do this ? Wouldn't it be a lot of hassle and half way through you maybe catch yourself reflected in the TV and then decide to go for a walk on the motorway.

Says the man with the AC iPhone app!

[zy]

Anyone managed to get gold in the Iceberg Lounge combat challenge map? It's one of the DLC ones, where you get endless waves of enemies and have to survive for as long as possible.

It's rock hard. I scraped silver (50,000) on an early attempt and last night barely managed to get above 30,000 on most tries. Gold is 100,000. In a strange way it reminds me of Geometry Wars, the way you get into the zone and have to manage the arena.

I beat it with a score of 237,000 using Batman but haven't tried yet with the other characters. My technique is to get into freeflow and so inflict a treacle slowness on knife attackers, at which point the Blade Dodge Takedown becomes much easier -- and at 100 points, better than a Ground Pound. That's my bread-and-butter point-scoring move. To stay in freeflow I don't use any other special moves or gadgets so I aerial assault shieldbearers and stop taser guys with an over-the-head redirect and critical strike in the back. It may seem counterintuitive as Disarm and Destroy is normally the most powerful move in the game but here I want plenty of knives in play. I do fewer counters but more evading to break up the crowd.

I don't use the beatdown on armoured guards -- eventually, one will pick up a knife and he's mine -- unless it's near the centre of the arena because the camera goes in too close at the edges of the Iceberg Lounge (as in many other maps) and you can't see any incoming attacks with the freeflow fisheye lens.

Yeah, I folded and got the additional DLC when it was rebundled recently. Just got to finish Nightwing's campaigns for the 60th Achievement. Joker's Carnival is proving to be my new Shock and Awe (Extreme), as I can't seem to rack up a decently high level before I panic and bank or get hit by some cheesy ninja swipe that started off-screen. Nowhere near the million point mark when time runs out.

[robdood]

Oh man, people wren't lying when they said GFWL is a piece of shit. I'm having no luck converting my 'player 1' account to my xbox account. I keep adding it and it just says my profile is corrupt/cannot be downloaded/is not the right type of profile. Even when it seemingly works, it just isn't available in the profile select screen!

I even tried making a brand new live account, except its managed to associate the CD key with my Xbox account.

Infuriating!!

All I want is the DLC.

[Pob]

I beat it with a score of 237,000 using Batman but haven't tried yet with the other characters. My technique is to get into freeflow and so inflict a treacle slowness on knife attackers, at which point the Blade Dodge Takedown becomes much easier -- and at 100 points, better than a Ground Pound. That's my bread-and-butter point-scoring move. To stay in freeflow I don't use any other special moves or gadgets so I aerial assault shieldbearers and stop taser guys with an over-the-head redirect and critical strike in the back. It may seem counterintuitive as Disarm and Destroy is normally the most powerful move in the game but here I want plenty of knives in play. I do fewer counters but more evading to break up the crowd.

I don't use the beatdown on armoured guards -- eventually, one will pick up a knife and he's mine -- unless it's near the centre of the arena because the camera goes in too close at the edges of the Iceberg Lounge (as in many other maps) and you can't see any incoming attacks with the freeflow fisheye lens.

Good tips. I thought staying in freeflow was the best tactic but I'm so addicted to flinging out gadgets that I'm finding it hard to stop (especially RECing the armoured guys). They also seem to get aggressive real fast and, as smithstock says, once I started taking hits I seem to lose it. I'd been focussing on taking out the weapons ASAP as I find leaving a shield or cattle prod in play to be too dangerous. Agree about knives, though.

[Retroid]

Just finished this, brilliant game loved the "music" for the end credits as well!

Joker can't be dead can he? It felt right but I know it's not possible to have another game whithout him in - he's pretty much what gives Batman his purpose...

Anyway, it was a finely crafted end to an amazing game, really felt special. The fight with Clayface and his little minions was great! Kind of showed you the potential Batman has if he decided to get lethal on your asses.

Currently getting my ass kicked massively on the + mode, it really is insane isn't it?

[Pob]

I beat it with a score of 237,000 using Batman but haven't tried yet with the other characters. My technique is to get into freeflow and so inflict a treacle slowness on knife attackers, at which point the Blade Dodge Takedown becomes much easier -- and at 100 points, better than a Ground Pound. That's my bread-and-butter point-scoring move. To stay in freeflow I don't use any other special moves or gadgets so I aerial assault shieldbearers and stop taser guys with an over-the-head redirect and critical strike in the back. It may seem counterintuitive as Disarm and Destroy is normally the most powerful move in the game but here I want plenty of knives in play. I do fewer counters but more evading to break up the crowd.

I don't use the beatdown on armoured guards -- eventually, one will pick up a knife and he's mine -- unless it's near the centre of the arena because the camera goes in too close at the edges of the Iceberg Lounge (as in many other maps) and you can't see any incoming attacks with the freeflow fisheye lens.

Yeah, I folded and got the additional DLC when it was rebundled recently. Just got to finish Nightwing's campaigns for the 60th Achievement. Joker's Carnival is proving to be my new Shock and Awe (Extreme), as I can't seem to rack up a decently high level before I panic and bank or get hit by some cheesy ninja swipe that started off-screen. Nowhere near the million point mark when time runs out.

Finally did this after another hour last night. Your tactics helped, though I did always take out shields and cattle prods still. I also used the powered-up ice grenade a lot, as this really thins the crowd out for a while. Freeze a few goons, concentrate on knocking some more over and you can sneak in a ground takedown here and there. I found once I got into freeflow mode, I needed to do the occasional disarm/instant takedown just to get a couple of seconds to get my bearings and move the camera around. But it's definitely all about keeping it simple, staying safe and keeping the large combos going.

[pompey88]

Not sure if this has been posted or not, but did anyone notice the little easter egg in the Catwomen DLC when they restarted New Game +? Which relates to the ending of the game so don't look if you haven't completed it:

The picture on the wall...

[Boozy The Clown]

Says the man with the AC iPhone app!

I see your point but surely there's a difference between using that app to keep track of trophy hunting/ riddle solving and going to the extremes of manipulating the hardware in order to get an achievement.

I'll never get the achievement because it's not something I'm concerned about. I can live with the fact that 99% of my games remain unfinished. My point was that going to such lengths merely to get those 10 points, as was admitted, rather than to see the content of the game, is just a little bit odd. IMHO.

[Guest]

I've got a question; I started this and my first bit of gameplay was with Catwoman. That means I've got her DLC installed correct? I then took over as bats and had to save her from some toxic gunk.

[Boozy The Clown]

Yes you have the catwoman DLC installed. She'll pop up a few more times throughout the course of the game.

The best advice I can offer is take it slow. Don't attempt to finish it quickly, make sure to pay attention to the story or you'll get a bit lost. Practise kicking fuck out of bad guys whenever you get the opportunity. Enjoy one of the best games of this generation.

[Judgement]

I see your point but surely there's a difference between using that app to keep track of trophy hunting/ riddle solving and going to the extremes of manipulating the hardware in order to get an achievement.

I'll never get the achievement because it's not something I'm concerned about. I can live with the fact that 99% of my games remain unfinished. My point was that going to such lengths merely to get those 10 points, as was admitted, rather than to see the content of the game, is just a little bit odd. IMHO.

That's the thing. It took me 30 minutes to do it. It didn't take nothing extreme, no great length of time. Just changing the date on my xbox to the date needed.

[zy]

Finally did this after another hour last night. Your tactics helped, though I did always take out shields and cattle prods still. I also used the powered-up ice grenade a lot, as this really thins the crowd out for a while. Freeze a few goons, concentrate on knocking some more over and you can sneak in a ground takedown here and there. I found once I got into freeflow mode, I needed to do the occasional disarm/instant takedown just to get a couple of seconds to get my bearings and move the camera around. But it's definitely all about keeping it simple, staying safe and keeping the large combos going.

Nice one. Yep, it’s carefully building the combos to 50+, 70+, 90+ so that takedowns are worth several grand apiece. I know what you’re saying about bearings but that’s when I normally use a few redirects to exit the closing crowd. I’m pretty sure you couldn’t get away with repeated evades in AA and still keep your combo but you can maintain freeflow focus indefinitely in AC as long as you’re flipping over heads.

I’ve recently noticed how much work I’m putting in with my right thumb in wrestling the camera back to the rest of the mob while I’m fighting. I’ve got a fair spatial memory when it’s just a small crowd, to the point where I will confidently direct an off-screen attack (the sound cues are also pretty good for chair-throwers and cocked weapons) but the camera isn’t always working *with* me. Naturally, it wants to get Vaselined and intimate in showing off my muscular pummels and specials while I am instead looking ahead to the next deserving jaw or justice-deficient conk.

I know that most of you could never countenance playing through on Easy, but I’ve been watching my button-mashing Other Half do just that. And so I've discovered that the game makes extra efforts to help such players. Here’s an example:

When Batman connects to the Batcomputer for info on Freeze's suit, the Easy player is given a full 'combat analysis' listing all 12 moves that can be used against him. I’m particularly taken with some of the illustrations:

"Boo!"

[Uncle Mike]

You get that (the spoilered content) on Normal too, should the game think you're struggling a little.

[K]

Holy shit, Robin is a BAD ASS in this. I love the way they took loads of his counter moves from the Burly Brawl - it looks absolutely fucking sick when you counter three people at once. The takedown throws (B+Y) are horrific.

Is it just me, or can Robin not do the disarm and destroy move (X+Y)?

[Vemsie]

Holy shit, Robin is a BAD ASS in this. I love the way they took loads of his counter moves from the Burly Brawl - it looks absolutely fucking sick when you counter three people at once. The takedown throws (B+Y) are horrific.

Is it just me, or can Robin not do the disarm and destroy move (X+Y)?

He can't, no. If l am not mistaken he can grab people and swing them around though. But you're right, Robin has never been more badass than he is in this.

[zy]

There are some excellent and stupidly sophisticated counter animations when at the edge of the arena, smashing heads into walls or diving off the balustrade. It continues to astound me with how it all segues together and isn't glitching or clipping massively or falling apart on occasion, and on top of that it's a combat system whose rules of play boast an equal integrity. Tremendous stuff.

Haven't seen anyone mention this but I noticed Robin's A+B spinning throw that Vemsie mentions can be directed with the stick. You can either throw the victim into the crowd for a Throw Knockdown (ordinary 10 points per hit) or you can hurl them well clear of the throng and immediately follow up with a ground pound.

Not only is Robin responsible for some of my best combat scores (121k on Rooftop Rumble Extreme) but he's the most capable predator mode character after Batman. They're only minor changes but the Bullet Shield and Zip Kick make for a decent twist, plus he gets proper detective mode, explosive gel and remote batarangs. You can even use his Snap Flash in a combo.

Nightwing is even more combat orientated, in a Bruce-Lee-joins-Kiss-tribute-band kind of way, but his predator challenges suffer from randomness. He's got the same 'where am I landing?' jump as Catwoman and his Electrical Blast is pretty unpredictable when trying to knock guards over rails (ignore the "Sneak up behind..." instruction and try to launch from the platform above).

I've had so much fun with this that other good games have come and gone and I'm back here on the DLC tidy-up. The freight train is a lovely nod to a sidescrolling heritage.

[Jigsaw Monkey]

I've got all the combat medals as Batman, how are people coping with the abramovich twins as the other characters without he Freeze blast?

[Vemsie]

There are some excellent and stupidly sophisticated counter animations when at the edge of the arena, smashing heads into walls or diving off the balustrade. It continues to astound me with how it all segues together and isn't glitching or clipping massively or falling apart on occasion, and on top of that it's a combat system whose rules of play boast an equal integrity. Tremendous stuff.

Aye. Best fighting animations ever, I never get bored of them.

[Smitty]

DAT ANIMATION

[Leccy]

Not sure if this has been posted or not, but did anyone notice the little easter egg in the Catwomen DLC when they restarted New Game +? Which relates to the ending of the game so don't look if you haven't completed it:

The picture on the wall...

I don't see it. Help me out?

[Smitty]

Holy shit, Robin is a BAD ASS in this. I love the way they took loads of his counter moves from the Burly Brawl - it looks absolutely fucking sick when you counter three people at once. The takedown throws (B+Y) are horrific.

Is it just me, or can Robin not do the disarm and destroy move (X+Y)?

His stick-flip to double kick double-take down is AWESOME.

[Don Rosco]

I don't see it. Help me out?

The picture is Cain carrying the body of Abel, in the same pose as Batman carrying Joker's dead body at the end of the game. The caption reads "Cain & Abel: The duality of man", which I guess is a nod to Batman and Joker's somewhat symbiotic relationship.

[Pob]

I've got all the combat medals as Batman, how are people coping with the abramovich twins as the other characters without he Freeze blast?

Can you just do the repeated bat swarm technique, but with their equivalent moves? i.e bat swarm, flurry of punched, bat swarm, flurry of punched. Rinse and repeat until Abramovich is down for mega combo. Catwoman has the whip trip and robin has a similar 360 knock down move. Not sure about Nightwing.

[Pob]

Holy shit, Robin is a BAD ASS in this. I love the way they took loads of his counter moves from the Burly Brawl - it looks absolutely fucking sick when you counter three people at once. The takedown throws (B+Y) are horrific.

You're not wrong about this. I've been going through the combat challenges with him. The sound effects are amazing. I also three-starred that Iceberg Lounge map pretty quickly, thanks to the 'throw and takedown' tip zy mentioned.

It would seem odd if there wasn't some DLC that released Robin (and maybe Nightwing) into Arkham City. He's got all the skills. He does pop up in the story briefly, so maybe they could do a parallel story, 'Opposing Force' style.