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[Skyzard]

Yes. Each area has a mid-boss and a boss, you can beat the mid-boss anytime but to reach the Joker/Penguin/Black Mask you need another area's gear upgrade. In Penguin's case if you've unlocked the Lighthouse you can't do anything else right now.

Thank you but I think Ive still got a bit more to do then, haven't unlocked the lighthouse. Just trying to figure out how to get to penguin, I followed his blood trail... Led me back to this area with a broken or collapsing elevator (not the one that goes up and down).
It says he's in the room behind this one.. Can't figure it out yet but will get back to it tomorrow! Embarrassingly bad run through so far I love moving forward though, anyway thanks for the guidance again.

Tip: use detective mode a lot!

 

[brooklyniteOne]

The first 45 minutes or so was just ok but at about the hour mark I found myself really enjoying it. Plus it looks great on vita. Glad I took the chance with it. At the very least this game is a real good first shot at a portable batman game in the shadow of the arkham games. If theres another by this team I think they could hit it out the park with a better story, and some refined mechanics etc. built off this base. Even saying that though is a disservice becuase its a solid game with some cool things going for it like the touch detective scanning etc.

 

[schlew]

Looking for a little help. I'm very early in the game, but I'll tag it to be safe.
I have beaten

Spoiler

Grundy and have progressed a little further with the help of the gel launcher. I got as far as a room that has you enter a floor grate to the left to get past a barricade. I end up in a room with a Black Mask and some computers. The map shows some crypto level A markings, but I don't have the sequencer. I went aaaaall the way back to Grundy, but can't seem to exit that tunnel and backtrack any further. I likely missed something obvious.

 

[Enojado]

Really enjoying the game so far. Looks nice on the Vita's screen and I think it does a great job of translating the atmosphere of the console games to the small screen.

 

[Rei no Otaku]

I'm stuck here and I can't figure out what to do.

Spoiler

I did most of Black Mask's section and I was told to come here for a gadget to progress. So I went through Penguin's area until I came here. The area it's telling me to go to is off this room. I scanned the whole area and all I found is that broken pipe. I can use the gel launcher on it but it does nothing. Anyone know?

 

[Fowler]

Looking for a little help. I'm very early in the game, but I'll tag it to be safe.
I have beaten

Spoiler

Grundy and have progressed a little further with the help of the gel launcher. I got as far as a room that has you enter a floor grate to the left to get past a barricade. I end up in a room with a Black Mask and some computers. The map shows some crypto level A markings, but I don't have the sequencer. I went aaaaall the way back to Grundy, but can't seem to exit that tunnel and backtrack any further. I likely missed something obvious.

EDIT: Just figured it out. Not spoiler tagging cuz it's kinda generic.

Back in the room where you're stuck, head to the right. Crouch under to get to the next room. On the left end of the room is a locked door, but on the RIGHT end (where you start), there's a ledge to climb up to! TOTALLY missed that...

 

[schlew]

EDIT: Just figured it out. Not spoiler tagging cuz it's kinda generic.

Back in the room where you're stuck, head to the right. Crouch under to get to the next room. On the left end of the room is a locked door, but on the RIGHT end (where you start), there's a ledge to climb up to! TOTALLY missed that...

Awesome, thanks!

 

[OmegaZero]

That Black Mask fight was really annoying.
It took me maybe 20 retries before I finally figured out what to do.

 

[romulus91]

batman or MoF? would much appreciate advice from people who have played both

 

[schlew]

Edit: Nevermind.

 

[Suzzopher]

Don't suppose anyone can help me out.

I am currently a little stuck in the administration building.

Spoiler

I'm in a library and the Joker has gassed the room, my only option is to go back the way I came but if I go that way I have no other options, so I am completely stuck.

 

[TheKingOfPain]

Don't suppose anyone can help me out.

I am currently a little stuck in the administration building.

Spoiler

I'm in a library and the Joker has gassed the room, my only option is to go back the way I came but if I go that way I have no other options, so I am completely stuck.

Spoiler

Is this the first time you meet the Joker? If so, you must go to the far left and open the door, fight a thug and then climb, break a panel with the batrang and sneak into a passage.

 

[Suzzopher]

Spoiler

No this is after you meet the Joker. There are hostages in the room if that helps?

 

[PaulloDEC]

I'm a little way in now, and I'm not sure how I feel about it. Where the console titles had richly detailed and varied environments dripping with atmosphere, Blackgate seems to be mostly composed of boxy metal corridors and miles of tedious rusty vents. Where the console games allowed us to use Batman's athletic moveset to freely roam and grapple as we pleased, Blackgate puts a constant stream of doors to open and vents to crawl through in front of us, while only allowing us to grapple when we're going somewhere specific. The game feels limiting and claustrophobic where others in the genre (Guacamelee for example) never did.

I'm not all that far in yet, so I'll reserve final judgement. Hopefully I'll find myself more in the swing of it soon.

 

[TheKingOfPain]

Spoiler

No this is after you meet the Joker. There are hostages in the room if that helps?

Spoiler

Ok, got it. Once you've taken down all of the thugs, go the right side, hop on the scaffoldings above the cell with the guards and scan the wall: there's a vent you can go through.

 

[Suzzopher]

Thank you

 

[Yanikun]

batman or MoF? would much appreciate advice from people who have played both

MoF - by a significant margin in my opinion. Plus if you're in the US the new MSRP is $29.99, and you can get it for $18.49 on Amazon at the moment. No-brainer.

 

[Skyzard]

I'm stuck here and I can't figure out what to do.

Spoiler

I did most of Black Mask's section and I was told to come here for a gadget to progress. So I went through Penguin's area until I came here. The area it's telling me to go to is off this room. I scanned the whole area and all I found is that broken pipe. I can use the gel launcher on it but it does nothing. Anyone know?

haha I was stuck there a little earlier!

tip - keep scanning (yes that room)

Spoiler

the door, blood...keypad...keycode

=---=-=--=-=-

Also I'm stuck, uploading pics... Peff hallp

[Map IMG may be a spoiler ]http://i.imgur.com/gj5HRoL.jpg[/IMG]

Spoiler

Last of his blood trail is in this scene to the right as far as I can tell - no clue where to go, he seems to be in a room behind this one according to the map.

EDIT!!! >__< Figured it out

Spoiler

same tip as above

- I actually did this a few times to make sure I wasn't being a fool...scan carefully people!

Finally! the next area

 

[JacksUsername]

Also I'm stuck, uploading pics... Peff hallp

EDIT!!! >__< Figured it out

Spoiler

same tip as above

- I actually did this a few times to make sure I wasn't being a fool...scan carefully people!

Finally! the next area

I'm glad I checked this thread. I just got to that exact part, and even started heading to administration thinking I was missing something. Saved me a lot of time!

 

[Undead Bokun]

Apologies if this has been asked but is there an alternate non-touch screen way to do detective mode in either the Vita or 3ds version? I was really looking forward to this but I am not a fan of touch controls so when I heard about detective mode my interest waned.

 

[nampad]

I finished the game yesterday and in my opinion this game feels like a dumbed down handheld version of the Batman Arkham series. I usually dislike this term and have played a lot of handheld spin-offs over the last two years (Uncharted GA, LBP, Assassins Creed: L, CoD BO: D, Killzone: M).

The change of gameplay from full 3D to 2.5D accounted partly for this. Even though I was disappointed that the Vita won't get a real Batman Arkham game, I personally like the 2.5D metroidvania style and was really looking forward to this game.
My biggest gripe with the gameplay is their weird pseudo 3D leveldesign. It made the exploration more complicated and I never learned my way around the world. I constantly had to look on the map, which thanks to the 3D leveldesign didn't really help me that much. The only time I liked the idea was at a predator encounter, which happened once in the whole game, what a missed opportunity.
I am sure that if they would have kept the gameplay to a classical 2D plane, maybe with a little bit background stuff, I would have enjoyed the game more. Ironically, this even more dumbed down gameplay probably wouldn't have let me feel like this game was a dumbed down handheld game because it didn't try so hard to be like the console experience.
It still is a solid game and I had some fun with it. Among those other spin-offs, I would rank it besides AC: L. There are many better handheld games to spent money on.

To spare you reading and myself writing a wall of text:

+Overall presentation works well.
+Graphics are nice.
+Many hidden goodies to find.
+Gameplay got much better with more gadgets...

-...after a slow start. Overall there weren't enough good puzzles/exploration with those gadgets.
-Weird pseudo 3D leveldesign with a slow loading and complicated map.
-In your face 3D presentation with bad camera perspectives in some encounters.
-Boss encounters aren't well designed.
-Combat wasn't varied and boring because there weren't enough enemies.
-Not enough interesting predator sequences.
-Vita's input abilities not used (no touchscreen on map, no backtouch detective mode).
-Bad playtime lengthening endgame.
-Minor bugs (game crashed, beaten enemies clip through the ground).

 

[Yanikun]

Apologies if this has been asked but is there an alternate non-touch screen way to do detective mode in either the Vita or 3ds version? I was really looking forward to this but I am not a fan of touch controls so when I heard about detective mode my interest waned.

In the 3DS version, there's a detective mode button on the touch screen. You press it once to enter/leave detective mode, but to actually scan around the environment, you leave your finger on it but move the reticle with the circle pad. You don't use the touch screen to look around at all, that's just in the Vita version. I don't know if there's a way to use the analog stick instead on the Vita version though.

 

[AgentOtaku]

So what's estimated the final playtime for this? Including trophy-hunting, etc.

Wondering if I should wait for a price drop...

 

[Yanikun]

I just noticed something weird. I was watching Vita gameplay and thought it was weird how the guy was able to keep his combo going that easily. I then compared with 3DS footage, and sure enough, the combo number on screen fades almost instantly there. WTF?

Here's the footage:
Vita (gameplay starts at 2:20)
3DS (gameplay starts at 3:00)

 

[Derrick01]

So what's estimated the final playtime for this? Including trophy-hunting, etc.

Wondering if I should wait for a price drop...

You will probably hit the BS 10 hour mark if you're going for all trophies. I finished with 87% in 5 1/2 and that's including a couple instances where I was confused by the shitty map and weird level design in certain areas. There's not a lot of game here and the stuff that is there is not compelling at all. Going from this to Origins feels like going from batman forever to the dark knight. The combat difference alone is massive, it's way too stripped down in this game.

 

[OwlyKnees]

I just noticed something weird. I was watching Vita gameplay and thought it was weird how the guy was able to keep his combo going that easily. I then compared with 3DS footage, and sure enough, the combo number on screen fades almost instantly there. WTF?

Here's the footage:
Vita (gameplay starts at 2:20)
3DS (gameplay starts at 3:00)

The 3DS player is swinging at air. Not connecting will drop your combo.

 

[schlew]

Edit: Nevermind, should`ve followed the golden rule of ``When in doubt, SCAN SCAN SCAN``

Ugh, stuck again. Hopefully someone can help.

I`m in the Cell Block (I believe, the area that

Spoiler

Joker

runs. I`ve progressed pretty far into it, and I`ve come to a roadblock.

To the left is an electrified floor, can`t seem to get past it, perhaps I need an upgrade. To the right, where the ! marker is, there`s a high up ledge. There`s no grapple point, and running and gliding from the left hand side doesn`t get me anywhere close. Do I need another upgrade or something? I can't imagine needing to backtrack OUT of the Cell Blocks, seeing as how I'm very far in.

Please help, Gaf. You're my only hope.

 

[TheGrue]

Back in the room where you're stuck, head to the right. Crouch under to get to the next room. On the left end of the room is a locked door, but on the RIGHT end (where you start), there's a ledge to climb up to! TOTALLY missed that...

Yeah, I had gotten stuck at this exact place and finally figured it out myself. Was going to post what to do, but you got it.

I am really enjoying this game. It scratches the Metroidvania itch enough for me and for Metroid, at least, that game was never about the combat for me, so I don't mind that the combat here is pretty simple. Metroid was always about boss battles and exploring, which this game definitely has. Glad I decided to get it.

 

[AgentOtaku]

You will probably hit the BS 10 hour mark if you're going for all trophies. I finished with 87% in 5 1/2 and that's including a couple instances where I was confused by the shitty map and weird level design in certain areas. There's not a lot of game here and the stuff that is there is not compelling at all. Going from this to Origins feels like going from batman forever to the dark knight. The combat difference alone is massive, it's way too stripped down in this game.

thanks

 

[Yanikun]

The 3DS player is swinging at air. Not connecting will drop your combo.

Okay, that makes sense. It's just hard to believe there's someone actually able to have any control over which moves connect and which don't because you can't even choose which guy you're punching, the game just makes you hit whoever is closest, whether that person is in the foreground or in the background, and you can't even choose what kind of move you want to use (you press the action button and sometimes it will trigger a regular punch, sometimes a kick, sometimes an uppercut etc.), so it's literally hit and miss. The combat in this is a disaster.

 

[Muffin Awesome]

Alright , number 1 why is Blackgate 39.99 and not discounted digitally? Follow up is it worth full retail, it seems like a neat game, but some first impressions are scaring me from committing, should I bite the bullet if they fix the digital discount?

This will be my P4G break game, I have been trying to beat that since December, the missing social links and not knowing what to do is overwhelming and terrible for a completion"ist", and first time father...

 

[jackdoe]

Does anyone understand how the map works in this game? I have no freaking idea.

 

[majorscud]

I think I may have found a game breaking glitch. Spoiler tags just in case.

Spoiler

I'm in the industrial complex. I got the keycard to restore power, but I got to the area with the elevator after the water pump without turning the power back on. I can't go forward due to no power, and I can't go back due to the water pump coming back on. I'm stuck and even restarting the game doesn't help.

 

[brooklyniteOne]

Alright , number 1 why is Blackgate 39.99 and not discounted digitally? Follow up is it worth full retail, it seems like a neat game, but some first impressions are scaring me from committing, should I bite the bullet if they fix the digital discount?

I paid $39 on amazon and got a $10 credit. I think its totally worth 29 bucks. Isnt the $35 discount price a sony first party thing for the most part?

 

[JacksUsername]

thanks

Also keep in mind that a couple of trophies seem missable; specifically the combo trophies, since the game really only serves a handful of encounters where it would be possible to get a combo that high. I was thinking of going back for a platinum, but that really put me off.

Just beat it this afternoon. It took me about 6 1/2 hours and I finished at 79%, and I would guess I probably had a minimum of a half hours worth of idle time. Overall, it's a pretty forgettable experience; in fact, I was trying to look at the requests for help above, and realized I couldn't even provide guidance, since I already don't remember what powerups you're supposed to have at that time.

Major problems: the map is hard to read, making navigation a much larger pain than it should be. Enemy encounters are too few and far between, and when they do pop up, there is a lack of variety of enemies and weapons. Collectibles feel like collectibles for the sake of collectibles. When you die in a boss fight, it checkpoints you before the cutscene, typically in the room before. You can skip the cutscenes, but it's still a design that annoys me, since you can be forced to wait for a load, and then in-game cinematics. It's especially a shame, since the boss encounters tend to be the most unique sections of the game.

 

[spannicus]

Went to GS to get this then realized that nextgen games drop in a few weeks then walked right out lol. Still I wanna play this game but damn I just feel like its a pretty yet boring game based off of all tge impressions, not to mention short.

 

[Derrick01]

Does anyone understand how the map works in this game? I have no freaking idea.

It's pretty awful. For rooms that have multiple levels and paths that lead to the background the map is fucking useless. I had so much trouble trying to go north in one room because 4 other exits existed that all led in different directions, the map showing none of them.

 

[majorscud]

WB games confirmed the glitch I found is game breaking and there is no fix except to delete your save game and start all over again.

Spoiler

In the industrial level, do NOT go past the water pump with an electric boomerang after you have the engineers keycard until after you have restored power or you will be saved there with no way back or forward.

 

[JacksUsername]

WB games confirmed the glitch I found is game breaking and there is no fix except to delete your save game and start all over again.

Spoiler

In the industrial level, do NOT go past the water pump with an electric boomerang after you have the engineers keycard until after you have restored power or you will be saved there with no way back or forward.

Yikes. And I imagine since it's a progress based bug, it probably applies to both 3DS and Vita? Which version are you playing?

 

[Diablohead]

Being a metroidvania sort of game I am expecting the game to be fully broken by next year or at least some major short cuts being found somehow.

Sucks that there is a way to trap yourself, hopefully patched at some point.

I still want to play this game but since I am waiting for a vita tv, maybe the game will drop a little bit in price by then.

 

[majorscud]

Yikes. And I imagine since it's a progress based bug, it probably applies to both 3DS and Vita? Which version are you playing?

Vita

EDIT: WB rep said they are working on a patch for some game breaking bugs (wouldn't tell me the others) but there is no ETA.

 

[Rei no Otaku]

Ok, I'm stuck again. I'm in the cell block area and there's a bunch of cells around me and a few platforms you have to grapple between. All the way to the left is a lock that I have to hack, but can't get to. I've scanned the entire area and there's nowhere for me to go. I can't even leave the way I came.

I was liking the game at first but the level design and map really fucking suck at times. Who decided to have a map that doesn't take into account multiple floors and the fact that you can move between the foreground and background? Also the having to scan things before you can interact with them is stupid.

EDIT: Nevermind. I figured it out. Just terrible level design.

 

[Muffin Awesome]

I paid $39 on amazon and got a $10 credit. I think its totally worth 29 bucks. Isnt the $35 discount price a sony first party thing for the most part?

Was that for physical or digital? I would do that in a heartbeat digital.

 

[Father_Brain]

Hey, at least the HD console version will probably have a 3D map now that people are complaining!

 

[nampad]

Ok, I'm stuck again. I'm in the cell block area and there's a bunch of cells around me and a few platforms you have to grapple between. All the way to the left is a lock that I have to hack, but can't get to. I've scanned the entire area and there's nowhere for me to go. I can't even leave the way I came.

I was liking the game at first but the level design and map really fucking suck at times. Who decided to have a map that doesn't take into account multiple floors and the fact that you can move between the foreground and background? Also the having to scan things before you can interact with them is stupid.

EDIT: Nevermind. I figured it out. Just terrible level design.

That was my favorite area because you actually had to think a little bit.

 

[mocolostrocolos]

So far, which is the consensus regarding the game?

Shall I buy it for 30 bucks?

 

[schlew]

WB games confirmed the glitch I found is game breaking and there is no fix except to delete your save game and start all over again.

Spoiler

In the industrial level, do NOT go past the water pump with an electric boomerang after you have the engineers keycard until after you have restored power or you will be saved there with no way back or forward.

Okay, so I'm a little nervous.

I'm in the industrial complex. I was told to head there to find the

Spoiler

secret entrance to the warden's office.

However, I'm currently following

Spoiler

Black Mask

, and I've passed the water bump, and at the elevator. Do I need to not continue chasing after

Spoiler

Black Mask

? I do not have the

Spoiler

keycard

, so am I supposed to go get that first before taking this elevator down?

 

[Yanikun]

So far, which is the consensus regarding the game?

Shall I buy it for 30 bucks?

The cheaper it is, the better it gets.

The game looks good, there's a lot to explore in the prison, finding the necessary items is pretty tricky, but fights are few and far between and you spend more time scanning the screen to find objects to interact with and getting lost because of the broken map than doing any real, meaty gaming. There's very little action, so the gameplay feels a bit light to me, considering it's not a particularly long game. I don't think it's something I'll have pleasure going back to, so I definitely think $40 was too much. $30 is a good price if you know what to expect.

 

[Blue Submarine No. 6]

I'll admit it: I'm loving this game... I can see there are some valid criticisms being made here, but after about 5 hours of play I'm still enjoying the hell outta this; for me, just having a good Batman game on a handheld is a huge win!

I got so excited about Blackgate, I took a break to go play some of the portable Batman games that preceded it:

Ya, I love the hell out of a good Batman video game on a handheld...

 

[Grisby]

Now that I got my first keycard I'm having more fun with the game. Very slow though.

And yeah, the map blows something hard.