Batman: Arkham City - Spoilers Allowed!!

[Spartan Rex]

Re: Batman: Arkham City

Last week IGN previewed Batman: Arkham City and revealed that the Dark Knight begins the game with almost all of his gear he had when we walked out of Arkham Asylum. It's common in games, even sequels, to show you the full potential of a character and then strip them of their power and gear. This way, you know what you're working towards. That's not the case with Batman: Arkham City.

Developer Rocksteady confirmed that it won't "reset" Batman in Arkham City. The Dark Knight comes in to the criminally controlled section of Gotham fully prepared for the challenge ahead. In the 18 months since the events of Arkham Asylum, Batman has altered his gear in anticipation of the task at hand. He's not about to leave his wonderful toys in his other utility belt.

So rest easy, Bat-fans. You enter Arkham City fully capable of stomping faces. And you'll keep those tools as you explore the city.

 

[Agent0028]

Re: Batman: Arkham City

Makes you wonder what awesome upgrades we're going to find as we progress through this game.

 

[SwedishHeat]

Re: Batman: Arkham City

Developer Rocksteady confirmed that it won't "reset" Batman in Arkham City.

It's awesome when a developer 'gets it'.

 

[Natrix]

Re: Batman: Arkham City

No Batmobile...

https://kotaku.com/#!5774776/the-batmobile-is-out-but-who-knows-about-robin

"We're not making a racing game," one of the creators of this fall's Batman Arkham City politely told me today when I inquired when I asked him whether the Batmobile would be featured in this fall's big video game Dark Knight sequel.

No Batmobile. No driving. This caped crusader hitches rides on the undercarriages of helicopters and can swoop down the channels of his city like a hang-glider with the need to chokehold a Joker thug standing at ground level.

We will get no Batmobile is this determinedly non-racing and — emphasis — single-player game. SIngle-player games aren't the kind of games that'd let one person be Batman and another be Robin. Nevertheless, I had that other question on my question list: Does Robin even exist in this Batman universe?

The Arkham City man answered my question by confirming that the characters I saw or heard in his demo of Arkham City today — Batman, Joker, Two-Face, Riddler, and Harley Quinn — are in the game. Of course, that wasn't what I was asking. Of course the details of a game are revealed only an inch at a time. A yes or no on the Boy Wonder's existence must wait.

Funny thing, though. In the demo I saw of Arkham City today, the developers twice garbled characters' lines of dialogue. Each time they had just half-second's worth of speech playing in reverse. They seem to be scrambling some plot detail. What could be so important, so revelatory about what is happening in this game that it too must be obscured — and yet so succinctly stated that it can be expressed in a half sentence. It seemed to be about an event that happened in Gotham.

We need a detective to sort this one out. Or maybe a Boy Wonder.

 

[Starkiller]

Re: Batman: Arkham City

I want co-op online.

That leads itself so well to this game.

Batman & Robin.
Batman & Nightwing.
Batman & Batgirl.

Two player missions would be a blast to play with each other taking down Joker's thugs and stuff. Sigh.

 

[blakus939]

Re: Batman: Arkham City

I'm almost glad there won't be a dedicated multiplayer. Really, I'm sick of the over emphasis and at times, the primary MAIN focus it puts on games that don't even really need it. Give me a badass solo game any day.
Yes, I'm crazy

 

[Shropt]

Re: Batman: Arkham City

If they want to make a multiplayer version of this game then I am all for it. I just want them to do like Assassins Creed and make a seperate version of it to purchase.

 

[sfa]

Re: Batman: Arkham City

I'm almost glad there won't be a dedicated multiplayer. Really, I'm sick of the over emphasis and at times, the primary MAIN focus it puts on games that don't even really need it. Give me a badass solo game any day.
Yes, I'm crazy

Not crazy at all! Not one bit....
When it comes to Batman, solo is the way to go!
Time has shown us that this rule applies to the films, animation & comics too. Batman works better as a solo character and the solo-player aspect of Arkham Asylum is part of what made it so awesome!
I love that they left multiplayer out of Arkham City.

 

[Warden]

Re: Batman: Arkham City

I'm all aboard with no multiplayer. This is a story driven game and quite rightly should be a single player experience.

 

[Cloud]

Re: Batman: Arkham City

I thought it was two player co-op with Catwoman.

 

[wofford29]

Re: Batman: Arkham City

Catwoman is only in the sex mini games with Batman and Kratos as an NPC.

 

[Agent0028]

Re: Batman: Arkham City

I'm almost glad there won't be a dedicated multiplayer. Really, I'm sick of the over emphasis and at times, the primary MAIN focus it puts on games that don't even really need it. Give me a badass solo game any day.
Yes, I'm crazy

I feel the same way.

 

[THX-182]

Re: Batman: Arkham City

I'm almost glad there won't be a dedicated multiplayer. Really, I'm sick of the over emphasis and at times, the primary MAIN focus it puts on games that don't even really need it. Give me a badass solo game any day.
Yes, I'm crazy

Agreed. Too many games that should have great single player experiences don't because they focus too much on co-op or multiplayer deathmatch modes. They put all their time and money into the multi and the single player game ends up suffering or being insanely short.

What ever happened to games that took 8 days to beat rather than 8 hours?

 

[darkknight]

Re: Batman: Arkham City

Off topic, but anyone know where I can buy a AA guide online that is not priced high? I found aone at amazon for $13 but is back ordered but not sure they will come back instock. There are also used one but hoping to get a new one.

 

[axecutioner18]

Re: Batman: Arkham City

Off topic, but anyone know where I can buy a AA guide online that is not priced high? I found aone at amazon for $13 but is back ordered but not sure they will come back instock. There are also used one but hoping to get a new one.

I bought the guide after I finished the game and when they announced the figures to serve as the perfect backdrop for the figures... sadly BBTS is YET to stock the stuff and you guys ALREADY HAVE 'EM!

I got a pdf of the bradygames guide, Ill try linking you a download link for it if you are interested... The guide is great for the pictures and the cool character bios you unlock in the game, all in print. But overall if you are a regular gamer you really probably will not need the guide to finish the game with a 100% score...

 

[Darth Madden]

Re: Batman: Arkham City

Yeah, if you just want help to get through it go here for nothing... https://guides.ign.com/guides/14273491/

But its also cool to have the printed one too like axe said.

 

[darkknight]

Re: Batman: Arkham City

I bought the guide after I finished the game and when they announced the figures to serve as the perfect backdrop for the figures... sadly BBTS is YET to stock the stuff and you guys ALREADY HAVE 'EM!

I got a pdf of the bradygames guide, Ill try linking you a download link for it if you are interested... The guide is great for the pictures and the cool character bios you unlock in the game, all in print. But overall if you are a regular gamer you really probably will not need the guide to finish the game with a 100% score...

Yeah, I just want the guide for the art. But it would be cool if you could share that pdf file of the guide. Thanks!

Yeah, if you just want help to get through it go here for nothing... https://guides.ign.com/guides/14273491/

But its also cool to have the printed one like too axe said.

Thanks for the link, and I prefer owning the book also.

 

[Natrix]

Re: Batman: Arkham City

Another new article:

Batman can't fly. Not in the comics. Not in the movies. Not even in the upcoming video game Batman Arkham City, despite what you might infer from some of the game's screenshots.

The Dark Knight of Arkham City nevertheless seems like a more powerful Batman than the one we last played in Batman Arkham Asylum. I saw the game in action last week and the new wall-punching Batman seems more mighty.

One of the game's developers promised, however, that in at least one way, Batman may seem weaker.

Dax Ginn, marketing manager for Arkham studio Rocksteady, said that Batman's detective-vision, the high-tech filter that turns much of the game world blue and Batman's enemies easily spotted bright hues, will be less easily over-exploited in Arkham City. "It's not so much if you will use it," Ginn said, "But can you use it?"

Rocksteady developers had been saying that players of the first game used detective vision so much that they missed the beauty of the game's natural look — and probably had an easier time getting through the game to boot. I knew Rocksteady wants Arkham City gamers to use detective vision less and assumed they'd apply a timer to it. They tried that, Ginn said, but it felt bad and very un-Batman. "He wouldn't make a gadget like that," Ginn noted. Nah, Batman would use something with better batteries than that.

The Dark Knight, Too Triumphant?Ginn wouldn't say what will prevent Batman from using his detective vision as often in the sequel, but it seems like the Dark Knight's enemies might be scrambling his signals in some way.

It is possible to restrain Batman's power by limiting his gadgetry or smartening his enemies, but the character's power-level paradox is that he is supposed to be a mere man and yet also the mightiest, scariest person imaginable. Video games are a natural medium for emphasizing the latter, easily showcasing a Batman who could beat up the thugs who outnumber him and who can always land a batarang exactly where it needs to go. Arkham Asylum let Batman get beat down and saw him struggle with his fears.

The new game, as sequels do, does appear to feature a more powerful Batman. As seen in the screenshot up top, he can now soar from the heights of Arkham City. That's probably because he needs to — because this game is Arkham City not Asylum and therefore there are greater heights in the game world from which to swoop. I saw this Batman hanging from helicopters, swooping down from them to rooftops, or down from street signs to bad guys on the ground. Surely this is out of the necessity of the new game's virtual geography. Arkham City's action takes place 80% outdoors, Ginn said, flipping the indoor/outdoor ratio from Arkham Asylum. The guy needs to get around. Batman can't fly, but this Arkham City Dark Knight sure seems like he could play Hawkman if he had to, at least the descending part of that role.

In the old Arkham Asylum game, Batman could break through weakened walls with the help of a little bit of plastic explosive. In the new game, he can punch through those walls. That boost in his powers is, on the one hand, a pleasant improvement in game system efficiency, streamlining an activity gamers might often want to make Batman do. But it also makes this Batman just a little closer to Superman, a guy who, billowing cape notwithstanding, he's not.

Just as game developers are challenged by how to make Superman an interesting video game character despite his great strength and lack of weaknesses, Rocksteady and other Batman game creators always need to manage Batman's power levels to make him seem in some way mortal. That is what makes him Batman. We'll see how Rocksteady does when Batman Arkham City comes out this fall on the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC.

 

[Darth Madden]

Re: Batman: Arkham City

Sorry to get a little off topic but is the 3D GOTY edition of Arkham Asylum worth getting? I have the normal 360 version but does the 3D make things any better? Is it worth a try?

 

[Agent0028]

Re: Batman: Arkham City

It will be interesting to see what they're doing with the detective mode. I didn't use it that often, just little peeks here and there. I have a feeling I'm gonna get frustrated with times I want to use it and can't.