Nice that's its the best looking version of the game (when you don't have texture streaming issues), but I hate the odd frame drops that occur at random it seems.
Nice that's its the best looking version of the game (when you don't have texture streaming issues), but I hate the odd frame drops that occur at random it seems.
although there has been many posts about these I have not found them or I can't really tell. The 720p tip seems to work fine.
there is a lot of slow motion moves that Batman pulls off unless those are not suppose to be there I have no clue what I'm looking for I guess. The game is beautiful and love exploring the world. I often hate dark games when the sun never comes up but since this is Batman I'm all for it.
found so many cool hidden rooms and fan service I really don't get why the technical issues talk has stopped gamers from being gamers. Many of my NES games had issues some dude called Angry Nintendo something made videos about those painful games still we played them. Kids these days are so spoiled
A very good game. It's a shame GT's 15 minute 'review' changed people's perception. Minor hiccups are noticeable but if you are not normally affected by slight drops in framerate, hiccups and texture pop in, it's a good game. I like it so much, I double dipped and the off TV play is enough for me. Some type of off TV play should be standard for Wii U.
although there has been many posts about these I have not found them or I can't really tell. The 720p tip seems to work fine.
there is a lot of slow motion moves that Batman pulls off unless those are not suppose to be there I have no clue what I'm looking for I guess. The game is beautiful and love exploring the world. I often hate dark games when the sun never comes up but since this is Batman I'm all for it.
found so many cool hidden rooms and fan service I really don't get why the technical issues talk has stopped gamers from being gamers. Many of my NES games had issues some dude called Angry Nintendo something made videos about those painful games still we played them. Kids these days are so spoiled
It's annoying that no one in the media seemed to put much effort in reviewing the game. I think they just played a little, slapped their old review on it and passed it off in the launch rush. The frame rate things are minor: I've noticed it around 5 times after completing the game. Yes, different from the 360 but not unplayable. It's completely playable. Of course, if you have another solution (360), you probably want to get it for that. Unless you really like off TV. It's a system seller for me. I've played more games in the past month than I have all this year. One TV only in this house.
Hopefully they drop the price to entice more people. Either way, Smiles, I'm playing the hell out of it. Finished the main campaign and I'm about to restart another one with the B:TAS suit. It's probably my 5th play thru. I'm right with you, brother. Best new series for this generation. My GTA, RE4, MGS of the generation. Can't wait for the follow up. And a new optimized engine for the U.
although there has been many posts about these I have not found them or I can't really tell. The 720p tip seems to work fine.
there is a lot of slow motion moves that Batman pulls off unless those are not suppose to be there I have no clue what I'm looking for I guess. The game is beautiful and love exploring the world. I often hate dark games when the sun never comes up but since this is Batman I'm all for it.
found so many cool hidden rooms and fan service I really don't get why the technical issues talk has stopped gamers from being gamers. Many of my NES games had issues some dude called Angry Nintendo something made videos about those painful games still we played them. Kids these days are so spoiled
I didn't notice any improvements by switching from 1080p to 720p. I really wish WB would patch this game.
But it's still a fun game despite the framerate. I played through it again, then again on new game plus, then went after the Riddler challenges. Can't get enough of these Rocksteady Batman games, even the unoptimized ports.
Got the game yesterday and played for a bit. The game world feels small compared to AC3 (the lat game I spend a lot of time with), and the movement feel kind of stiff and sluggish. That said, the fighting looks to be more interesting, you actually have to aim and move yourself. Dialogue and plot feel afwully cliched, but I think that's comic books for you. I started playing with 1080p, I'll switch to 720p next time and try to see if there are any differences.
Got this, digging it so far. If anybody is looking for something that makes a lot of cool uses of the pad functionality, this is definitely something to check out.
Question though - is it possible to use the other Batman models while playing through the main game? This would be so much cooler with Frank Miller or 70s Batman.
Not at all; I'm not going to pretend I can count frames, but it's not bad in any way. Not having played earlier versions of the game, at no point while playing it has the frame rate even crossed my mind. I wouldn't have even questioned it were it not for GB complaining - and I think they were tired & cranky the day they did those videos. Frankly it's better than most games this gen.
Can anyone tell me if the Japanese version of Arkham City has English subtitles/audio? I would rather not have a Japanese person being dubbed over the lovely Kevin Conroy.
Got this for 5,000 in Osaka yesterday on my way home. Only played a little bit last night but it seems cool. Still getting used to the controls...technically never played a 3rd person game using twin sticks, or at least not for very long.
Got this, digging it so far. If anybody is looking for something that makes a lot of cool uses of the pad functionality, this is definitely something to check out.
Question though - is it possible to use the other Batman models while playing through the main game? This would be so much cooler with Frank Miller or 70s Batman.
Not at all; I'm not going to pretend I can count frames, but it's not bad in any way. Not having played earlier versions of the game, at no point while playing it has the frame rate even crossed my mind. I wouldn't have even questioned it were it not for GB complaining - and I think they were tired & cranky the day they did those videos. Frankly it's better than most games this gen.
#1 - Loved the game. Played most of it with the framerate drops and still loved the hell out of it.
#2 - I DO think that switching to 720p made a big difference in the frame rate, especially on the hand to hand fighting
#3 - Use the following code to unlock the alternate costumes before you complete the main story (I think enter after hitting start but before selecting your save file - but may be after the save file but before selecting the story mode).
Change Batsuit in normal game Left, Left, Down, Down, Left, Left, Right, Up, Up, Down.
NOTE that this only allows it for that play through. If you turn off the game and come back, you have to re-enter it
I got this game shortly after Christmas and have been extremely impressed with it. I was a big fan of Arkham Asylum but the podcast chatter from 2011 put me off the game a bit with the whole notion that it was the weaker relation of AA. After putting in about 26 hours finishing the main storyline, the Harley's Revenge content and a good few of the side missions I still find myself coming back to this for more shenanigans (oh and those 26 hours have gotten me to 49% - what the hell?) which is something I never did after completing Asylum. Retreading the wide open areas of the city seems so much less of a chore than the indoor-focussed Asylum and there seems to be a lot more to do in general (the Mad Hatter quest for instance).
Wii U specifics-wise I'm glad I've ended up waiting this long to play it so that the experience has been fresh. I've pretty much played it on just the Gamepad from the start even though access to the tv has never been an issue. It's fucking cool though. The inventory/map management stuff seems to work well on the pad too, as do the hacking/call tracing minigame stuff. The Miiverse community has also proven itself to be great too, at least here in Europe. People are connecting by sharing screens of their favourite moments, easter eggs and areas they've gotten stuck at. It's really won me over to the potential of Miiverse and I really hope people continue to use it this way.
I got this game shortly after Christmas and have been extremely impressed with it. I was a big fan of Arkham Asylum but the podcast chatter from 2011 put me off the game a bit with the whole notion that it was the weaker relation of AA. After putting in about 26 hours finishing the main storyline, the Harley's Revenge content and a good few of the side missions I still find myself coming back to this for more shenanigans (oh and those 26 hours have gotten me to 49% - what the hell?) which is something I never did after completing Asylum. Retreading the wide open areas of the city seems so much less of a chore than the indoor-focussed Asylum and there seems to be a lot more to do in general (the Mad Hatter quest for instance).
Wii U specifics-wise I'm glad I've ended up waiting this long to play it so that the experience has been fresh. I've pretty much played it on just the Gamepad from the start even though access to the tv has never been an issue. It's fucking cool though. The inventory/map management stuff seems to work well on the pad too, as do the hacking/call tracing minigame stuff. The Miiverse community has also proven itself to be great too, at least here in Europe. People are connecting by sharing screens of their favourite moments, easter eggs and areas they've gotten stuck at. It's really won me over to the potential of Miiverse and I really hope people continue to use it this way.
I have a huge disconnect with a lot of posters here about AC. The talk about the story just doesn't vibe. Yes, it's a smorgasborg of all the characters and if I took the time to worry about how the story blends, it might be a negative. But they do such a great job with atmosphere and the setting, that I don't care. Maybe because I'm not invested in Batman canon? I don't know and I don't care. I have a much bigger problem with the level design (how to get from the museum to the joker's lair quickly). It should have been a complete circle with a better solution to tranverse the terrain instead of the weird half circle. Small things in the full spectrum but an annoyance.
I have a huge disconnect with a lot of posters here about AC. The talk about the story just doesn't vibe. Yes, it's a smorgasborg of all the characters and if I took the time to worry about how the story blends, it might be a negative. But they do such a great job with atmosphere and the setting, that I don't care. Maybe because I'm not invested in Batman canon? I don't know and I don't care. I have a much bigger problem with the level design (how to get from the museum to the joker's lair quickly). It should have been a complete circle with a better solution to tranverse the terrain instead of the weird half circle. Small things in the full spectrum but an annoyance.
I'll admit that Arkham Asylum is more focused in terms of the story and your objectives, but Arkham City makes you feel like so much more of a bad ass. Flying across the city and taking out dudes is incredible. Something may have been lost from the whole Metroidvania approach of the last game but I feel that City is better at encouraging you to keep playing after the credits rolls with both the better side missions and the lack of backtracking.
And as a previous poster noted - the section near the end with the massive bunch of snipers on the rooftop was incredible stuff. As was the subway.
Zombi U is a better looking game than Batman although on a smaller scale but still !
Game is hard and I'm glad they included the B.A.T upgrade
Touch item menu is awesome !
Game is great just on the game pad by itself and perfect for the DLC games
Combat is weak and repetitive although provides a good challenge
Enemy encounters are always about counter, counter, counter
Puzzle solving is finding and opening locked doors - boring !
I find that Zombi U has more atmosphere and is more immersive than Batman on the Wii U
The tension is missing in Batman since all you are really doing is just clearing the enemies one at a time. Great fun but not exactly thrilling either.
I find Batman really tense actually - especially when you have to clear out a big room full of armed guards. The unarmed guards aren't much of a threat, but these guys make you feel pretty vulnerable despite all the gadgets. I've really enjoyed the challenge of a lot of the late game content because of this.
Agreed. They absolutely nailed the balance between empowerment and vulnerability. If you play well you can annihilate scores of bad guys but make a couple of wrong moves and you are screwed. Particularly when it comes to guns. I've been playing the game a lot over the last few days and it is not disappointing me!
I'm glad to read you guys saying it's hard, because I find that I'm dying a lot. Part of it is that maybe I'm not taking enough time to survey the environment before rushing in. The other part of it is that I haven't got the combat down yet - I feel like I'm just mashing the attack button then pressing counter when guys get the lines over their heads. But that doesn't seem to lead to too much fluidity in my combat.
I'm glad to read you guys saying it's hard, because I find that I'm dying a lot. Part of it is that maybe I'm not taking enough time to survey the environment before rushing in. The other part of it is that I haven't got the combat down yet - I feel like I'm just mashing the attack button then pressing counter when guys get the lines over their heads. But that doesn't seem to lead to too much fluidity in my combat.
That's the cool thing about the game. You really feel that you improve over time. The challenges are a pretty good place to practice your reactions and how the different enemies behave. You really shouldn't be mashing, unless you have room for it (meaning that nobody is ganging up on you). Prioritse your countering and you can always throw in the jump (double tapping A/X on consoles) to maintain your combo and keep the fluidity of the combat.
That's the cool thing about the game. You really feel that you improve over time. The challenges are a pretty good place to practice your reactions and how the different enemies behave. You really shouldn't be mashing, unless you have room for it (meaning that nobody is ganging up on you). Prioritse your countering and you can always throw in the jump (double tapping A/X on consoles) to maintain your combo and keep the fluidity of the combat.
Yeah, it was really the mashing that was messing me up. I didn't realize just how slow and deliberate you could be with your button presses. I'm getting through fights now only taking one or two hits, and it feels like it's my fault when I do.
When you say the jump, do you mean the evade? That's B on the U.
Also realizing that when your opponents are armed, that's when you go total stealth, isolate them and pick them off one by one. After playing a bunch of MGS games last fall I can't believe how much better the stealth feels in this game (sorry, Snake). Sneaking around doing quick takedowns, disappearing in a cloud of smoke then dropping down from above, then popping up from below, while your enemies freak out and shout after you, but never even seeing you. It's amazing that they did it in a way that's not only this fluid, but an open world.
I got a bit annoyed at the game last night. I died at least 8 times trying to kill Mr. Hammer, before realizing how to evade his attacks. For my defense I hadn't payed the game for two weeks, but still...
I picked this up along with Tekken in February, and I have to say - I'm pleasantly surprised with the quality of the port. I think it's fair to say that some sources had led me to believe it would be complete shit. The opposite is true. As an owner of this game on Xbox 360 and OnLive - I actually think its the best version of the game.
It was torn to shreds on GAF in the Video Preview and Digital Foundry threads, and I just kind of went along with the anti-hype. I'm not just saying that as a Ninthing: if you were a fan of the original Arkham City release and you see this knocking around cheap (it was 23 quid on ShopTo recently), you might really enjoy it again on Wii U.
Yes, it's a game that everyone's already played, and people are probably going to be busy in March playing Tomb Raider and other new games (I've just got Tomb Raider in the post myself), but believe me -- this is a way better port than people have let on.
D.Foundry reported framerate slowdowns in bigger fights, but I played the main campaign right up until
the last encounter with Joker
before I experienced any. What I experienced was highly negligible too, a result of me leaving too many henchmen alive as the
funhouse trains whipped around the level
above my head.
A similar fight against a Titan goon and all of the penguin's henchmen yielded no slowdown whatsoever. Seriously, there has been nary a hiccup.
When I started the game, I couldn't hear Alfred talking. I thought it was some kind of bug -- but then I turned up the gamepad volume and realised that they use it as Batman's radio! I love how you can hear henchmen on the radio, then as you get closer to their location, their chatter fades down on the gamepad and fades up on the TV in a nice, seamless, distance-relative transition... It's nice how you can change it via the options too. You can have all the audio come via the TV or the gamepad in OffTV play mode.
The new kinetic energy / hyper mode thing feels quite satisfying. I had thought it would risk making the game easier, but they've balanced it well.
I like the touch-screen Waynetech stuff. It's well implemented, and it takes away the need to pause so much. The only drawback to it (for me) is that the D-Pad has one less item slot -- 'Up' is allocated to displaying the touch-screen interface for gadget customisation. I've gotten used to that though. I love how Batman touches his arm when you touch the touchscreen. That's a nice touch.
Other things I like, for the benefit of anyone who doesn't have this yet:
The map/sonar is improved. You can set markers (without pausing) by double tapping on the map, you can drag it around, look at the indoor maps for buildings by double tapping on the buildings, etc. Its context sensitive too. During the GCPD rescue mission in the museum for example, you can see the status of the police you're trying to rescue (deceased, missing etc).
The cryptographic sequencer has been given a new touchscreen implementation, the batarangs, batclaw, electric charge gun and other gadgets have been given gyro-controls (over-ridable with analog sticks).
Visually, I don't know if I'm crazy, but it seems like weather effects are more pronounced to me, and some textures look a lot better. I've noticed a couple of places where the geometry looks different, possibly lower, but then there are other places where I've noticed improvements -- such as the bottle-bottom that functions as Penguin's eyepiece, or on specular surfaces and self shadowing models -- some of it looks really good.
Being able to play games this good, in a pseudo-handheld Off-TV mode, with no extra hardware to buy - is joyous
This is not a half-arsed port by any measure. It's definitely better than the 360 version. You could really only argue the PS3 version is better if you somehow experience the slowdowns that I've not really experienced. The interface improvements are all reasonably good. The cutscenes are PS3 quality, so that alone puts it over the 360 version for me. I don't know when I'll ever learn to just not listen to what the Internet says. People tend to nitpick way more than I would and the benefits of buying something are drowned out by all the nitpicking -- I actually feel sorry for the developers of the port given how much people shat on this.
Damn it, I doubt this will be matched in Canada. Maybe I can find someone to ship me a copy. $25 would still be about $10 better than I could find it for up here used.
Damn it, I doubt this will be matched in Canada. Maybe I can find someone to ship me a copy. $25 would still be about $10 better than I could find it for up here used.
There is microstuttering during some of the game over scenes but other than that the game runs and looks great. I think people are over exaggerating regarding the framerate issues. Fantastic game, beat it a few weeks ago but still need to go back and do the Harley Quinn DLC content which is already included.
