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[Xater]

Just completed it, Rocksteady deserve a big congratulations they've made a great game.

Also did anyone else think

Spoiler

their console had frozen on that Scarecrow part (I think its the third one?), almost thought my 360 got the 3 red rings.

:lol

Dude yes! Brilliantly done though.

I also think the boss fights in this game are pretty creative. Doing good bosses is kind of a lost art.

I have not finished the game yet and it keeps suprising me. I don't want it to end!

 

[Zeliard]

This is what we're gonna get whenever someone says anything slightly negative about the game's mechanics, huh? "It's not a problem because you're BATMAN, duh!"

One of the main reasons this game is getting so much praise is because Rocksteady did a wonderful job at making you feel like you're actually playing as, yes, Batman. They didn't take any ridiculous routes and do unrealistic things with the character simply to try and spice things up that need no spicing.

Fuck this is so stupid it hurts. People who take advantage of gameplay features are weak willed now? Is anyone who picks Sagat in SF4 weak willed? Anyone who picks up container hearts in Wind Waker? That game was too easy but let's just blame the players for using the items offered, not the developer for dumbing down the game. Right? Fuck.

This, my friend, is a strawman. I was saying that someone is weak-willed if they literally use (the optional) detective mode for its advantages throughout the entire game despite being annoyed that they can do this. By doing that, you're essentially making yourself an annoyance... to yourself, optionally. That's a pretty weak will. Someone who uses detective mode the entire game, or whenever, and are not annoyed by the fact that they can do this are not weak-willed at all. They are simply playing their game the way they want to, and that's exactly what it's all about.

If you want to make a Sagat analogy, it would be if someone picks Sagat in SF4 after continually complaining that they think he's a cheap, overpowered character that should be nerfed. Stick to your guns, have some balls, and don't pick him. Pick someone else and whoop his ass. Don't abuse detective mode and whoop some ass. Nothing is stopping you but yourself.

One line about combat. The rest was about moving through the environment. Which IS awfully automated. You can't fail. Even if hard makes the combat and stealth sections more difficult you still have the automated platforming and shallow puzzles and exploration, which makes up most of the game.

I took his comments about grappling to things as mostly relating to the stealth combat, since that's when you're often using the feature, other than simply getting to a higher spot to progress. I'm not sure what needs to be all that more difficult. The only way they could have effectively done that would be to allow you to grapple anywhere to make it more versatile, which would probably have added significantly to the development time.

The fact that you are restricted to automated, specific spots to grapple to means it'll inherently be easy, and they weren't trying to do anything overly complicated there. No matter what you think about it, they are trying to make you feel like Batman, and the guy doesn't tend to struggle much when he's grappling to things. He points, shoots, and flies. Grappling anywhere may be reserved for the next game, who knows. That's what I'd rather see, not some added arbitrary difficulty.

I agree with you, but I still see where he's coming from. This game actually reminds me of Assassin's Creed is some aspects, especially the combat. You could use the same weak will argument against that, since a lot of people seemed to just counter the whole time. It's possible, sure, but not fun so I don't see why you would do it. I had a lot of fun with the combat there, same here. You can still counter everything, or even abuse evade rolls and standard attacks. But that's not fun, using all of the moves and countering right after a takedown is fun.

I'm at the

Spoiler

poision ivy

boss on hard, so I'm nearing the end. I don't really agree with what you said about the stealth or combat, the timing on counters sees the same, but the lack of that counter symbol hides it well. And on the stealth side, I've only been caught on a gargoyle once, and it was in the most recent room I cleared(and I was hanging upside down). They typically don't really look, and this is especailly apparent in the predator rooms. If you go for the best times, it basically shows how they can completely miss seeing you despite hooking up onto a gargoyle and whizzing right past them.

Whether or not that annoys the player is up to them, I'm personally fine with it. I also love Hitman despite the AI in that being annoying at times.

Did you play it at all on normal, though? I played it for two hours on normal and had to restart the game on hard, because it was honestly too easy. Combat against thugs on normal difficulty is pretty much solely about getting that combo meter up - there's never any point where you're worried about your own survival.

Hard difficulty to me is where the real game lies. Enemies aren't nearly as hesitant to attack you when someone else is attacking you, and they also hit a lot harder, which is why you can't really button-mash to near the same effectiveness as on normal. Various people keep saying they die in the first fight on hard difficulty, and that's because you have to time things more carefully due to the goons' added aggressiveness and power.

 

[pixel monkey]

Of course I am. It's a video game.

Just because AA is a more fleshed out Batman experience that previous games doesn't excuse its flaws.

Blather, blather, blather and bitch...drone, drone, drone with the hate.

Fixed. If the game is so flawed and left you so wanting, and you obviously don't care for it...why the fuck are you even in here?

 

[Papercuts]

Did you play it at all on normal, though? I played it for two hours on normal and had to restart the game on hard, because it was honestly too easy. Combat against thugs on normal difficulty is pretty much solely about getting that combo meter up - there's never any point where you're worried about your own survival.

Hard difficulty to me is where the real game lies. Enemies aren't nearly as hesitant to attack you when someone else is attacking you, and they also hit a lot harder, which is why you can't really button-mash to near the same effectiveness as on normal. Various people keep saying they die in the first fight on hard difficulty, and that's because you have to time things more carefully due to the goons' added aggressiveness and power.

No, I wasn't really a fan of the demo and wanted to get rid of the counter symbols, so I went right to hard. I know the demo was on easy but I had a feeling normal wouldn't be much harder. I got hit quite a bit at the start of the game but never died until the

Spoiler

bane fight

. And it took me by surprise when I went into a challenge room and saw the counter symbols again, but I don't really think it's that much harder aside from pure damage output. They do seem to swarm a lot more though, that's the main difference I can see, but even that doesn't really affect that much aside from ground takedowns. I still think people might have struggled at the start more because they were getting used to the combat still.

Actually, if it tracked deaths, most of mine were easily from

Spoiler

scarecrow sections

. I have no idea if they did anything to them based on difficulty though.

Fixed. If the game is so flawed and left you so wanting, and you obviously don't care for it...why the fuck are you even in here?

I think this is pretty unfair, I don't think having gripes is a bad thing, and personally it'll add more to an official thread compared to a 100% love in.

 

[Red]

You can use your batarangs to break the spores before they hit you.

Still tedious going around taking the plants out one by one.

Getting insanely frustrated at these challenges. I have 3 medals on the first two combat challenges and can't even get 2 on the third. What the fuck. I don't know what else I could possibly do to increase my score, my god at the leaderboards and those crazy people in the top 100.

I've noticed you get ridiculous amounts of points for doing ground takedowns when your combo meter is high; it multiplies your streak by 100. Is that the best way to increase the score? It's so infuriating when I'm in the middle of one and some random guy busts onscreen and hits me with a bat :lol

 

[JRW]

Some are slow, but it doesn't seem like you can tell ahead of time. I really don't like them either, and those spores HURT.

If you crouch & walk up to a plant you can destroy it before it even releases spores..at least that's how i did it 99% of the time. (referring to story mode)

 

[Jeff Stephen]

Just use

Spoiler

the middle stick!

Simple.

Just finished the game on hard and

Spoiler

the two titan battle is ridiculous.

As for dodging the

Spoiler

Joker's bullet, it's not possible.

And just discovered Ivy's pods can be destroyed.

 

[Papercuts]

If you crouch & walk up to a plant you can destroy it before it even releases spores..at least that's how i did it 99% of the time. (referring to story mode)

:O

Fuck. Don't know why I never thought of that, I would run past and roll to avoid the spores, only destroying ones in my path.

 

[MMaRsu]

This game is so fucking amazing and you know it . I fucking loved running into

Spoiler

Two Face and Freeze's

cells .

I love this game so much

 

[stupei]

As for dodging the

Spoiler

Joker's bullet, it's not possible.

Why do people keep saying this?

Spoiler

Is the middle stick on your controller broken or something? You should get that checked out.

 

[pixel monkey]

I think this is pretty unfair, I don't think having gripes is a bad thing, and personally it'll add more to an official thread compared to a 100% love in.

Under normal circumstances, with any old standard release where you've got for and against, I would agree with you completely. But in this case, you have thousands of positive posts, raves, GOTY, etc. and nothing but superlative reviews all over the goddamn interwebs.

Whenever we see a release come along like this (and granted it's not that often), there always has to be like three fucking guys who want to be the first to say "Hrumph...I don't like it." It's the lone fish swimming upstream, rebel without a fucking clue syndrome. And it's so played out.

 

[Snuggles]

One more question...I heard something about

Spoiler

Ra's al Ghul

making an appearance, but I never noticed anything. Is there any hidden cameos or anything like that?

 

[Zeliard]

No, I wasn't really a fan of the demo and wanted to get rid of the counter symbols, so I went right to hard. I know the demo was on easy but I had a feeling normal wouldn't be much harder. I got hit quite a bit at the start of the game but never died until the

Spoiler

bane fight

. And it took me by surprise when I went into a challenge room and saw the counter symbols again, but I don't really think it's that much harder aside from pure damage output. They do seem to swarm a lot more though, that's the main difference I can see, but even that doesn't really affect that much aside from ground takedowns. I still think people might have struggled at the start more because they were getting used to the combat still.

Those two things do make quite a bit of a difference, though. It's easier to counter on normal because enemies attack you a lot less frequently, not just due to the counter symbol. So you combine the higher frequency of attacks with the added power, on hard, and your behavior in combat becomes a bit different. More reliant on proper timing.

I actually found that the combat on hard looked a lot nicer visually simply because of the way I had to time things, and the flow that resulted. The enemies attack you more, which means more options for countering and comboing, which means more options for Batman looking fucking awesome.

And yeah, they should have made the counter symbols optional on every difficulty. I'm sure some people love playing on normal and don't want to see them, especially after they get used to the combat. When I was playing on normal, I definitely didn't. The game's HUD is very minimal, so that makes them more distracting than they otherwise would be.

 

[pixel monkey]

One more question...I heard something about

Spoiler

Ra's al Ghul

making an appearance, but I never noticed anything. Is there any hidden cameos or anything like that?

Spoiler

Check the morgue.

 

[Penguin]

I like how all the plots.. even the minor ones you didn't think of are closed up.

Mostly talking about

Spoiler

The Arkham tapes and what happens to the Riddler

And I loved collecting stuff in this game, not only was it different for a lot of the challenges, but the interviews you collected were golden. I loved Harley's and Riddler's and loved the end to Scarecrow's. :lol

 

[Phaethon0017]

These checkpoints are annoying...Right after

Spoiler

I trapped Killer Croc

I decided to turn it off and take a break. When I came back I had to do it over again. Not a lot but not having a good sense of where it's going to kick in next is making me leave my PS3 on, and it's getting hot.

What is the best way of getting rid of those plant pods? I always seem to get hit in the face :-/. Dodging just makes me get hit in the butt. It was easier outdoors but in an enclosed space its a new deal.

 

[pixel monkey]

What is the best way of getting rid of those plant pods? I always seem to get hit in the face :-/. Dodging just makes me get hit in the butt. It was easier outdoors but in an enclosed space its a new deal.

Use the right trigger to sneak up on them. This was addressed on this page just a few posts up.

 

[Penguin]

These checkpoints are annoying...Right after

Spoiler

I trapped Killer Croc

I decided to turn it off and take a break. When I came back I had to do it over again. Not a lot but not having a good sense of where it's going to kick in next is making me leave my PS3 on, and it's getting hot.

What is the best way of getting rid of those plant pods? I always seem to get hit in the face :-/. Dodging just makes me get hit in the butt. It was easier outdoors but in an enclosed space its a new deal.

You can walk up to them and press A(on Xbox)/X on PS3 to punch them. :lol

 

[Jeff Stephen]

Be sure to double tap LT and take out the spores before destroying the pods.

 

[Amir0x]

i am going through this game at a snails pace.

i never want it to end :lol

 

[MMaRsu]

"I eat punks like these for breakfast"

Legendary

 

[Phaethon0017]

Use the right trigger to sneak up on them. This was addressed on this page just a few posts up.

Ah. Thank you all for the help. I swear, I'm better about the Riddler's clues.

 

[JRW]

These checkpoints are annoying...Right after

Spoiler

I trapped Killer Croc

I decided to turn it off and take a break. When I came back I had to do it over again. Not a lot but not having a good sense of where it's going to kick in next is making me leave my PS3 on, and it's getting hot.

What is the best way of getting rid of those plant pods? I always seem to get hit in the face :-/. Dodging just makes me get hit in the butt. It was easier outdoors but in an enclosed space its a new deal.

It always saves when you go through a door. I got used to going through the nearest door before quiting. (just watch for the animated circle in bottom right corner)

Try crouching and walking up to the plants, usually gives you enough time to destroy them before pods are released

 

[Dude Abides]

I just noticed that the HUD disappears if you don't need it, e.g. you're not in combat. This game has so many nice little touches like that.

 

[ezekial45]

Spoiler

Check the morgue.

Can this only be done when you first go there? I tried going back and i found nothing there.

 

[Red]

Argh Batman why are you jumping across the room to hit the guy with knives and ending my combo instead of kicking the dude right next to you in the face omigod

 

[Rummy Bunnz]

Fixed. If the game is so flawed and left you wanting, and you obviously don't care for it...why the fuck are you even in here?

This is fucking hilarious coming from you. How many negative posts did you make in that Prototype thread? Cuz everyone understood that you hated it right away but you sure felt the need to post again and again and again.

I agree with you, but I still see where he's coming from. This game actually reminds me of Assassin's Creed is some aspects, especially the combat.

Yup. It's reminiscent of AC, but not as automated. I like it far more.

You could use the same weak will argument against that, since a lot of people seemed to just counter the whole time. It's possible, sure, but not fun so I don't see why you would do it. I had a lot of fun with the combat there, same here. You can still counter everything, or even abuse evade rolls and standard attacks. But that's not fun, using all of the moves and countering right after a takedown is fun.

Yeah, that's not enjoyable for me. To me the reward is winning in the most efficient or rewarding manner. So in Assasin's Creed I would have been countering constantly, because it was quicker, easier, and had no real downside. To me that's a failure in game design. I don't dig it! Though if you enjoyed it that's just fine. I just don't appreciate being insulted cuz I prefer mechanics over immersion.

I don't really agree with what you said about the stealth or combat, the timing on counters sees the same, but the lack of that counter symbol hides it well.

Yeah, Zeliard is the first person I've seen claim that hard is a whole different game. From other impressions I've read it sounds like once you get over that initial hump the game remains relatively easy with no real difficulty curve.

No matter what you think about it, they are trying to make you feel like Batman, and the guy doesn't tend to struggle much when he's grappling to things.

Hey, it's the "BUT IT'S BATMAN" defense again. You could say the same thing about the protagonists in most other games in this genre, yet controlling most of them requires a bit more effort than Batman does. Would your feeling of Bat-power be greatly reduced if the controls weren't as streamlined?

I also don't have the energy to argue about this detective mode bullshit anymore. Once I see "strawman" in my browser window I know it's time to move on. I made my point numerous times, and maybe I didn't do it as well as I could have. What's the point in repeating myself. I'm Donald Duck Dunn here.

 

[pixel monkey]

This is fucking hilarious coming from you. How many negative posts did you make in that Prototype thread? Cuz everyone understood that you hated it right away but you sure felt the need to post again and again and again.

Are you actually comparing the reaction to Batman: Arkham Asylum with that of Prototype? One is a shining example of what can be accomplished in this medium via inspired writing, fleshed out characters, exciting gameplay, and wonderfully applied technology.

While the latter is a pedestrian example of lazy developers aping what's worked in the past for them and simply copying and pasting it into a game with a character no one asked or gives two shits about, all piled on top of an engine straight out of 2003.

Come on, I know you can do better than that. :lol

 

[theluma]

Ok just bumped into a freaky glitch.

SPOILERS UP UNTIL THE BOSS THAT CHARGES AT YOU

Spoiler

So you know when Harley is threatening to kill Gordon if any of the thugs spot you? Right so the first time I had to do it I took out all the guys, climbed up the stairs and grappled onto the roof. The I moved on top of Harley and pressed triangle when it asked me to for the takedown. I did the takedown but the cutscene didn't start, I just did a takedown as if it was a normal guy. So Harley collapsed for a second, but then she stood up again and stood completely still, holding her gun. I threw a batarang at her and she immediately started shooting at me. I frantically beat her up until she collapsed on the floor again, dropping her gun. Thing is, she just got straight back up again, standing completely still as if she was holding a gun except there was nothing in her hands. Then I could beat her up all I wanted but she would simply react to the blow and then her model would just jump back into the weird standing position with no gun. As I beat her up she was making male noises. Obviously some weird skin mix-up happened as I reloaded the checkpoint and this time it worked fine.

BTW can anyone that has beaten the game tell me far in I am considering I just beat

Spoiler

Bane

. I know it tells you the percentage but I assume that takes collectibiles into consideration as well.

 

[Hyunkel6]

Just found out that you can do a ledge takedown halfway in the game. Any other "environmental" takedowns? I don't want to miss any.

 

[Downhome]

Just found out that you can do a ledge takedown halfway in the game. Any other "environmental" takedowns? I don't want to miss any.

There is also a "corner takedown" when you're hiding behind a corner and someone starts to walk by you. I assume you know about the inverted takedown and stuff like that.

 

[pixel monkey]

Can this only be done when you first go there? I tried going back and i found nothing there.

Spoiler

He's there when you've been drugged and you discover the bodies of your parents. I'm not sure about later during the storyline, but he's definitely gone after you beat the game.

 

[NameGenerated]

When I beat normal, is there like a New Game + if you go to hard or do you have to do all the Riddler's stuff again? Also are there any Riddler things that a possible to miss after certain game points pass?

 

[Kard8p3]

http://i29.tinypic.com/7283k1.jpg

Might be a spoiler to some. Great scene though.

Hey can you get a similar shot of the first time you see

Spoiler

giant scarecrow while he's saying you're in my world now?

 

[Rummy Bunnz]

Are you actually comparing the reaction to Batman: Arkham Asylum with that of Prototype? One is a shining example of what can be accomplished in this medium via inspired writing, fleshed out characters, exciting gameplay, and wonderfully applied technology.

While the latter is a pedestrian example of lazy developers aping what's worked in the past for them and simply copying and pasting it into a game with a character no one asked or gives two shits about, all piled on top of an engine straight out of 2003.

Come on, I know you can do better than that. :lol

No, I'm not. I didn't really like Prototype. I'm just cracking up at your hypocrisy, that's all!

 

[Red]

When I beat normal, is there like a New Game + if you go to hard or do you have to do all the Riddler's stuff again? Also are there any Riddler things that a possible to miss after certain game points pass?

There may be one missable riddler challenge. Cameo spoilers:

Spoiler

Ra's al Ghul's body is in the morgue until after you beat the game, whereupon it vanishes. It must be scanned to solve a riddle, and if you skip it I don't think it can be solved after the endgame.

Everything else remains open after you beat the game, but if you start a new game you must collect everything over again.

 

[Revolutionary]

Can this only be done when you first go there? I tried going back and i found nothing there.

It's not the Morgue.
It's Dr. Young's office... she has a mini-morgue in there.

 

[NameGenerated]

nevermind, I read above.

 

[Papercuts]

Yeah, that's not enjoyable for me. To me the reward is winning in the most efficient or rewarding manner. So in Assasin's Creed I would have been countering constantly, because it was quicker, easier, and had no real downside. To me that's a failure in game design. I don't dig it! Though if you enjoyed it that's just fine. I just don't appreciate being insulted cuz I prefer mechanics over immersion.

Well, in AC countering is the most efficient, but I found it rewarding to use the different attacks and counter when needed(same for Batman). I can understand the rest though, in Bioshock the 1-2 punch with the electricity and the wrench was really overpowered and I used it for most of the game. It makes me seem like a hypocrite to defend AC and AA for a similar issue, but it really did seem completely pointless to me in Bioshock to even bother with stuff like the bees when it wasn't getting nearly as much done. I don't particularly care for a lot of aspects in that game though.

Yeah, Zeliard is the first person I've seen claim that hard is a whole different game. From other impressions I've read it sounds like once you get over that initial hump the game remains relatively easy with no real difficulty curve.

Eh, there might be more differences but I haven't been able to notice them. I do know that, back to the AC comparison, this game does actually have a few points where it was a similar feeling of fighting 2-3 guys while the rest stood and watched, this was most apparent to me

Spoiler

in the mansion when you fight 10 guards, most of them stood there despite it being on hard while I was actively fighting 3-4.

However, the game avoids it well for the most part by sticking to smaller scaled brawls, and I don't really think anyone wants 10 people on them at once.

Argh Batman why are you jumping across the room to hit the guy with knives and ending my combo instead of kicking the dude right next to you in the face omigod

Haha, yeah that kills me in the challenge rooms. The combos are so important but sometimes he locks right on to the person you don't want to hit, I've even had him kick right toward an enemy but slightly in the wrong direction so I hit one of the electrical gates.

 

[mattso]

Ok thanks.

Spoiler

Is that body in the same morgue where the Scarecrow first appears? I only got the Great White Shark riddle there so far. I just got to the bat cave btw. Does he appear later or is it a different place all together?

it's the riddle that says

Spoiler

"It'll be a cold day in Hell when this Ghul rises again."

so just watch out when that one pops up

 

[bigdaddygamebot]

Those two things do make quite a bit of a difference, though. It's easier to counter on normal because enemies attack you a lot less frequently, not just due to the counter symbol. So you combine the higher frequency of attacks with the added power, on hard, and your behavior in combat becomes a bit different. More reliant on proper timing.

I actually found that the combat on hard looked a lot nicer visually simply because of the way I had to time things, and the flow that resulted. The enemies attack you more, which means more options for countering and comboing, which means more options for Batman looking fucking awesome.

And yeah, they should have made the counter symbols optional on every difficulty. I'm sure some people love playing on normal and don't want to see them, especially after they get used to the combat. When I was playing on normal, I definitely didn't. The game's HUD is very minimal, so that makes them more distracting than they otherwise would be.

+1 for truth

 

[Y2Kev]

I love the boss fights in this game. So creative!

 

[pixel monkey]

No, I'm not. I didn't really like Prototype.

Well, at least we agree on something.

 

[Red]

Haha, yeah that kills me in the challenge rooms. The combos are so important but sometimes he locks right on to the person you don't want to hit, I've even had him kick right toward an enemy but slightly in the wrong direction so I hit one of the electrical gates.

If only there was a more efficient way of getting an obscenely huge score besides straddling a goon's neck and whacking him in the head, all the while leaving yourself open to attack for five bloody seconds, then maybe I wouldn't be so goddamn aggravated at all these little and occasional quirks in the system. Like getting caught against a wall as you're brushing past, causing Batman to run in place and get a cinder block chucked as his face. Or using the automatic batarang and having him throw it at the large and empty space behind him, causing Batman to falter for moment, giving a thug just enough time to chuck a cinder block at his face. Or going in for a ground takedown and suddenly and inexplicably losing your combo, causing you to fume with inglorious anger and taking solace in the fact that you can stop playing and watch, smiling, as Batman is hit in the face with a cinderblock chucked by the triumphant bastard in the corner, who's been holding it over his head for the past forty seconds.

 

[Papercuts]

If only there was a more efficient way of getting an obscenely huge score besides straddling a goon's neck and whacking him in the head, all the while leaving yourself open to attack for five bloody seconds, then maybe I wouldn't be so goddamn aggravated at all these little and occasional quirks in the system. Like getting caught against a wall as you're brushing past, causing Batman to run in place and get a cinder block chucked as his face. Or using the automatic batarang and having him throw it at the large and empty space behind him, causing Batman to falter for moment, giving a thug just enough time to chuck a cinder block at his face. Or going in for a ground takedown and suddenly and inexplicably losing your combo, causing you to fume with inglorious anger and taking solace in the fact that you can stop playing and watch, smiling, as Batman is hit in the face with a cinderblock chucked by the triumphant bastard in the corner, who's been holding it over his head for the past forty seconds.

And even when you do nail it, it's nowhere near a score like 98K. I have no idea what these people are doing for these scores, it's madness.

 

[Rummy Bunnz]

Well, in AC countering is the most efficient, but I found it rewarding to use the different attacks and counter when needed(same for Batman). I can understand the rest though, in Bioshock the 1-2 punch with the electricity and the wrench was really overpowered and I used it for most of the game. It makes me seem like a hypocrite to defend AC and AA for a similar issue, but it really did seem completely pointless to me in Bioshock to even bother with stuff like the bees when it wasn't getting nearly as much done. I don't particularly care for a lot of aspects in that game though.

Yeah, I agree with you on Bioshock, though I was very fond of it. There's a lot to criticize about it, but its lack of depth and difficulty didn't bother me much, and I've been trying to figure out why. Maybe it's because I didn't realize your choices didn't matter until after I beat the game. Also the controls were pretty much in line with other FPSes. It may have been easy but you still had to aim and shoot, y'know? It's not like AC where the platforming was all automated. And I do enjoy seeing numbers grow bigger, and managing ammo and shit is somewhat satisfying. So it met the bare minimum of what I need to keep me satisfied, though I really wish it was more like System Shock 2.

If only there was a more efficient way of getting an obscenely huge score besides straddling a goon's neck and whacking him in the head, all the while leaving yourself open to attack for five bloody seconds, then maybe I wouldn't be so goddamn aggravated at all these little and occasional quirks in the system. Like getting caught against a wall as you're brushing past, causing Batman to run in place and get a cinder block chucked as his face.

They gotta put car batteries as weapons in the sequel.

 

[Hyunkel6]

There is also a "corner takedown" when you're hiding behind a corner and someone starts to walk by you. I assume you know about the inverted takedown and stuff like that.

Yeah, didn't know about the corner takedown though. Thanks.

 

[Red]

And even when you do nail it, it's nowhere near a score like 98K. I have no idea what these people are doing for these scores, it's madness.

I don't understand it at all. I keep asking everyone I know who has the game if they know some trick to the combat challenges that I'm oblivious to, but they're all as clueless as me. There must be some way of reliably getting a high score, but I can chain together combos like it's my job at this point and I'm still coming up short. I'm relying less now on ground takedowns and more on instant takedowns and throws, but it's not making much of a difference. I have a high combo more consistently, but I'm getting less points for it. When I try to mix things up and go for the variety bonus I invariably get ambushed during an attack animation (the batclaw) or have Batman do some sort of funky shit that messes everything up (throwing batarangs at doors, buckets).

 

[venom2124]

I finished the game on hard two days ago and can say without a doubt it's very good. Probably the best comic book inspired game to date, unless I'm forgetting something. But I did not find it perfect as a Batman game. Quick note, I consider myself a pretty hardcore Batman fan and Arkham Asylum is by far my favorite graphic novel. I prefer a realistic depiction of Gotham and its heros and villains over some of the more fantastical elements that are introduced sometimes. For example, I love No Man's Land and War Crimes, but hate the Hush and recent Batman RIP storylines. I also believe that Nolan nailed a cinematic Batman. Bale's Bats and Ledger's Joker are actually my favorite depictions of those characters. With that out of the way, maybe my next few comments will make sense and not seem too nitpicky. Spoilers ahead...

Spoiler

Right off the Bat (sorry), I wasn't a fan of the exaggerated character designs. The atmosphere won me over though, and it was a thrill when the island opened up for exploration. Too many amazing moments to name, but the Crime Alley segment definitely stands out. Little details, like finding the Great White Shark's parts in a jar, helped make this game something special. Thinking back, the only thing I was unhappy about in the first 80% of the game was the handling of Bane. Dini took Batman's most strategic enemy and made him a dumb thug. A dumb thug that needed backup no less. I really was disgusted to see the Batman and Robin Bane. Other than that terrible boss fight, it was a great ride until Poison Ivy showed up.

Spoiler

I hate Poison Ivy. No other way to put it. She's the female Aquaman. Instead of fish, she controls plants. Get the fuck out of here with that. I was annoyed with pods, not because they were troublesome, but because they were a waste of time. Squads of Joker goons should have populated the grounds of the Asylum that late in the game, not immobile plants. Ivy's boss fight was a waste as well. It actually felt like a wannabe Contra boss. And of course she needed backup. I could have tolerated Ivy's whole terrible section of the game if the final boss ended strong. It did not. More of the same, two titans and more backup. Then the kicker. The Incredible Hulk, I mean Joker. Worst designed boss that I can currently think of. He too needed backup. The standout villain encounters, Croc and the Scarecrow in particular, were soley against the villain. No goons needed.

Spoiler

For me, the game seemed to change tone with Ivy's appearance on. While not as dark as the graphic novel Arkham Asylum, it borrowed many elements from the book. All that was thrown out and it felt more like a cartoon tone. Lighter with less menace. I guess Joker's grand scheme, an army of monsters, helped contribute to its cartoon feel. I would have much preferred the Joker have no distinct scheme, merely wanting to trap Batman in the madhouse to prove that the Dark Knight is as insane as his enemies. As I mentioned earlier, some of my disappointment would have been erased if the final boss was strong. I personally feel the devs should have stuck to the graphic novel and put in a second appearance from Croc as the last physical encounter. Fighting Croc on Arkham Asylum's roof would have been an epic ending. Anyone that has read the book can attest to the awesomeness of that fight. And of course, Joker would factor into the ending, just as he does in the book.

I'm aware I sound like I hated the game, but I really did like it. So much fun and such great atmosphere. It's just unfortunate the last quarter or so of the game is so much weaker than the rest.

 

[.GqueB.]

Hey, it's the "BUT IT'S BATMAN" defense again. You could say the same thing about the protagonists in most other games in this genre, yet controlling most of them requires a bit more effort than Batman does. Would your feeling of Bat-power be greatly reduced if the controls weren't as streamlined?

I also don't have the energy to argue about this detective mode bullshit anymore. Once I see "strawman" in my browser window I know it's time to move on. I made my point numerous times, and maybe I didn't do it as well as I could have. What's the point in repeating myself. I'm Donald Duck Dunn here.

I read some of your points at work. Now considering this is a videogame Id agree with you. The game is a bit too hand holdy and easy at times. But considering this is a Batman game Id disagree.

The "BUT ITS BATMAN" argument may sound a bit ridiculous but its also extremely valid. The main reason superhero games have failed time and time again is because of the fact that developers felt as if they had to gimp every hero to make the game more challenging. Take away all of their powers for no reason. Make them weaker for some other reason etc etc. The only time games like this succeed is when the developer lets you become that hero and says "fuck it let them eat cake".

Take this game. Then take the Wolverine game this year. Then take spiderman 2 last gen. All of these games were pretty simple really. I think I died like once in Spiderman. But they succeeded because the developer just allowed you to become that character. They let you become the savage that could get shot 50 times and not die. This is what made the game fun. If they DIDNT do this, I wouldnt be Wolverine. Id be some dude walking around with claws.

This is the point I think youre missing. I mean... youre Batman. Everything about him is effortless. Everything he does is effortless and thats the main draw to the character. Take away all of the things youre complaining about and youd just be some dude dressed in a batsuit. The whole point of this game (it seems) was to make you feel like Batman. They had to be a little handholdy with it because what other possible way could they have accomplished that? The detective mode makes things a bit easy Id agree but it also points toward the problem solving aspect of the character. "I know where they are, how do I take them all down" etc etc. I agree that the game wouldve been better off without it but I can easily understand why its in there as well.