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[Derrick01]

For me the best way to look at this is BioShock 2 to BioShock. Different dev team, as the main team went on to make their own sequel (<3 Infinite), but still turned out a really nice product.
Here is hoping this too is a really nice product.

I would love a bioshock 2 situation. A game with far better gameplay and level design than the last game.

 

[NotTheGuyYouKill]

Does your interpretation of a new Rocksteady Batman game also involve a leaner Batman? I've kinda gotten over muscle neck Batman.

God yes. I hate Steroid Batman too.

 

[GafferGamgee]

I just got the chance to play a little bit of it (probably 45 mins). Nothing to really judge from having such a short time playing, BUT the combat seemed a little sluggish compared to Batman AC. It's hard to explain till you actually play it, but they seemed to close some of the windows of opportunity for counters after performing certain moves.

I just played Arkham City yesterday and really felt the difference.

I can imagine the response to something like this going one of two ways

1) its intentional because this is supposed to be early career Batman

2) it wasnt intentional but WB Montreal say it was inentional because this is supposed to be early career Batman.

 

[Angelus Errare]

God yes. I hate Steroid Batman too.

I'd hire you for lead designer then. Catwoman, Strix, Jason, Damian as playable characters pls.

 

[WordsintheWater]

Read some impressions in another forum, poster says it's awesome and may even be his/her favorite of the three.

 

[grosvenor_92]

Read some impressions in another forum, poster says it's awesome and may even be his/her favorite of the three.

link ?

 

[chickdigger802]

i don't think unreal 4 supports lean models either lol. Just more particles and veins.


and just finished AC again... damn the ending, weird that my mind blanked out all that :3

AO really does have a low bar lol.

 

[Slixshot]

Read some impressions in another forum, poster says it's awesome and may even be his/her favorite of the three.

link?

 

[Stratostar]

Read some impressions in another forum, poster says it's awesome and may even be his/her favorite of the three.

?

 

[WordsintheWater]

link ?

Don't want to post a link to the forums of that site because they are hinting at the spoiler, but here's the post. Its from the superherohype.com forums.

Post By: jacobed

Got this game a few hours ago. Great surprise to start out the day, I wasn't expecting it til tomorrow. Played the first 2 hours. Just fantastic, as a die hard fan of the first two especially the combat system I cansafely say it's better here than the previous two. I love that Batman is faster and it sounds like he hits harder. Loving the story, Roger Craig Smith is effin fantastic as Batman, I hope he plays him many many more times. The game is beautiful to look at. It already has one of the best boss fights in an Arkham game and I'm only 2 hours in.

Spoiler

I think the backlash over the Joker is a wee bit ridiculous but this is the internet so no surprise there.

It's on track to easily be the best of the 3.

Edit:
Spoiler tagged one part of his post because some people may see it as one.

 

[Slixshot]

but here's the post.

Post By: jacobed

 

[grosvenor_92]

Don't want to post a link to the forums of that site because they are hinting at the spoiler, but here's the post. Its from the superherohype.com forums.

Post By: jacobed




Edit:
Spoiler tagged one part of his post because some people may see it as one.

Alright idk if i wanna take him at his word. I guess I'll find out Friday

 

[NotTheGuyYouKill]

I'd hire you for lead designer then. Catwoman, Strix, Jason, Damian as playable characters pls.

You got it.

I'd love to be able to work in a way to switch characters on the fly ala GTA when not on mission.

 

[Xux]

I just want more Dick. I feel more bummed about Dick using Tim's staff animations than The Terminator using them.

 

[Salsa]

I just want more Dick.

yah you do

 

[WordsintheWater]

Alright idk if i wanna take him at his word. I guess I'll find out Friday

Yea, I'm not saying what he says is true, but these are the only impressions I saw. I don't want to go to gamefaqs because that place is spoiler city. I'll be picking it up at midnight and I'll try to give some impressions hopefully before some of you guys pick it up.

 

[Jirotrom]

just read that the review embargo isn't up until release day...ruh-roh

what does that matter, GTA V was like this

 

[roflwaffles]

Walkthroughs are started to get posted on YT, it sounds like people are enjoying themselves with the game so far.

 

[DrBo42]

I can't fathom it being bad. I can see it being the weakest of the series but not bad.

 

[PusherT]

so wii the wii u version support off screen play? And do we know if the deathstoke challenge maps are available?

 

[Ephemeris]

Rocksteady/WB should fire their other writers and hire me and Ephemeris.


Rather than going straight out with Justice League, I'd love it if Rocksteady just expanded the city of Gotham into a full-on city, and then took on Snyder's approach that Gotham is a city that generates pure nightmare for its inhabitants. It is a reflection of that which has caused you the most fear and pain and suffering. That approach would work perfectly after all the shit Bruce has gone through. Thematically, it can tie into Hush as an antagonist of Batman, Azrael as a failed successor, The Red Hood as his son, so Bruce see his own failures as a father reflected, and The Court of Owls as his surrogate parents.

Fucking thematic narrative arcs everywhere up in this bitch.

Also: No more single night events. It borders on the hilarious that it's perpetually night and that all this shit happens in one single night. Rather, structure the game like a mini-series or series, with each side-quest as an episode and a long over-arching narrative that ties into the side-quests that ebbs and flows. The narrative in AA and AC begins to suffer as we get closer to the end and there's no room for it to breathe. Structure it like a series, each section with a beginning, middle, and end and a continuing story that drives the plot forward. I'd love to be able to play as Batman at night and Bruce in the day occasionally. Have the game take place over a few months. When the Court attacks, that you can make a one-night event at the climax of the game.

Thoughts on characters: Hush goes after Bruce when he gets wind that the Court is also making moves against him. He's the villain of the first part of the game and he wants his vengeance on Bruce Wayne. I like the idea of him continuing to skin people's faces to steal their identities. Hush can be the villain that gets Bruce's head back in the game. And then, from there, awesome shit happens.


After the Joker killed Jason Todd, he's brought back by the Court of Owls, brain-washed, and given the mask, and becomes their enforcer in Gotham. But he's still devious and clever and has his own plans and machinations.

Plus, we could do the labyrinth that the Court of Owls use to try and break Bruce:


The Talons would just be super-dangerous mooks, honestly. I dunno, there's more stuff we can think up.

They not ready to take it to the next level.

You got it.

I'd love to be able to work in a way to switch characters on the fly ala GTA when not on mission.

Ditch the swap points from AC, add that.

Those feels when you patrol as Nightwing and randomly find one of the BatFam kicking some Talon ass.

..If we get started now we can have this done by 2015.

 

[Sober]

I do like playing as Robin though. Love bashing people with the staff and the shield is neat. Rocksteady's next Arkham game should let us jump around with different protagonists.

Robin felt super slow to me, even slower than Batman in AC (like a slower beatdown than Batman). Well, at least we get Deathstroke, which is reskinned Robin.

 

[OrbitalBeard]

so wii the wii u version support off screen play? And do we know if the deathstoke challenge maps are available?

I don't think any info has been revealed on the Wii U version, which is a bit worrying. Hopefully off-TV play is included (it was in Arkham City: Armored Edition, which was ported to Wii U by the same team making Origins). I'm also wondering if we'll be able to use the Pro Controller to play through the game (you had to use the gamepad in Arkham City).

 

[NotTheGuyYouKill]

..If we get started now we can have this done by 2015.

I feel like Arkham City didn't do Two-Face much justice. I mean, him as gangster is great and all, but I always love the other, more psychological takes on him. Idea for side-mission: Pursue an escaped Harvey Dent who is at war with himself and whose mental state has degenerated significantly since Arkham City.

"I am a lawyer. Yes. We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect Union, establish justice. Insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure of the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity. God bless America."

"I am a liar. No. We the acid scarred bitches of history of evil and hypocrisy exalt criminals to office. Vietnam, El Salvador, Chile with lovely missiles, roaring bombs of the rich and the white and the pious and burn children and torture women. Forever and ever, amen. God bless America."

Guilty... guilty... guilty...

He had a great intro sort of bit where he's talking to himself, but then he just becomes generic douchebag.

 

[Ephemeris]

I have a hard time coming up with the last writer to due Harvey Justice.

Man. So much rich history we really don't need to have the Joker take point anymore.

 

[Bluth54]

For those of us who preordered from GreenManGaming they confirmed they are going to be sending out keys today so we will be able to preload from Steam.

 

[doniewhalberg]

For those of us who preordered from GreenManGaming they confirmed they are going to be sending out keys today so we will be able to preload from Steam.

Yaaaaay.

On the two face thing, Tomasi just put in a decent story on him. Literally just rereading long halloween so I'd take more two face.

 

[The perfect Dark]

Got the game! (Ps3 version)
Installing now.

 

[roflwaffles]

Really liking how much more aggressive and Bale-like young Batman is.

 

[EatChildren]

You know, no matter the specific parts I liked or loathed the most, my fondest memories of Arkham City simply come down to the sensation of soaring between buildings and diving down to the streets below to lay the smack down on thugs. That sensation is probably the one big, significant thing I took away from that game, and I think it might be the most "realised" interactivity of emulating what you'd expect to feel if you were indeed this comic book hero. It was just...perfect feeling of Batman.

 

[ekim]

So what's the word from people that got it early? I'm still struggling if I should bite or wait.

 

[Eusis]

You know, no matter the specific parts I liked or loathed the most, my fondest memories of Arkham City simply come down to the sensation of soaring between buildings and diving down to the streets below to lay the smack down on thugs. That sensation is probably the one big, significant thing I took away from that game, and I think it might be the most "realised" interactivity of emulating what you'd expect to feel if you were indeed this comic book hero. It was just...perfect feeling of Batman.

Probably the only way to get further is to throw in the Batmobile. Maybe next gen?

Funny though, now that I think about it Arkham City and Arkham Origins are probably pretty close to fulfilling that promise of what I imagined Batman & Robin PS1 would be like when I read the previews, running around Gotham City being Batman, before finding out the game was actually crap.

EDIT: And now I look up a clip of that game. Ah hahaha what the hell? I don't think Bruce Wayne of all people needs to be that desperate.

 

[Maiar_m]

You know, no matter the specific parts I liked or loathed the most, my fondest memories of Arkham City simply come down to the sensation of soaring between buildings and diving down to the streets below to lay the smack down on thugs. That sensation is probably the one big, significant thing I took away from that game, and I think it might be the most "realised" interactivity of emulating what you'd expect to feel if you were indeed this comic book hero. It was just...perfect feeling of Batman.

Same for me. I'm buying and playing these games because they are what I want an interactive comic book to be like as far as feels are concerned. Sure, a great story would make the game so much better, but that's not all it is. AO can be an AC extension pack and I'll still think it's 10hours well spent.

 

[zainetor]

Probably the only way to get further is to throw in the Batmobile. Maybe next gen?

Funny though, now that I think about it Arkham City and Arkham Origins are probably pretty close to fulfilling that promise of when I read about Batman & Robin PS1 when I read the previews, running around Gotham City being Batman, before finding out the game was actually crap.

EDIT: And now I look up a clip of that game. Ah hahaha what the hell? I don't think Bruce Wayne of all people needs to be that desperate.

I think the problem is: Batman is an hero, so how do you manage the fact that the player can kill people, if he drives carelessly on the streets? That's why I think the havent done it yet, in the arkham games.

 

[SJRB]

Just got a shipping confirmation, should get the game tomorrow. Awesome!

 

[Eusis]

I think the problem is: Batman is an hero, so how do you manage the fact that the player can kill people, if he drives carelessly on the streets? That's why I think the havent done it yet, in the arkham games.

Well you can't exactly kill anyone in Crazy Taxi despite the game being full of pedestrians and other cars, so they'd probably do something similar here with no car collisions being too serious and everyone conveniently leaping out of the way, they already stretch things some with his perfect grappling abilities whenever falling into most bodies of water or bottomless pits anyway. There IS a problem with the thugs though.

 

[AgentLampshade]

Speaking of Two-Face, reckon we'll see a normal Harvey Dent in Origins? If they're following the animated series, him and Bruce are good friends no?

 

[Razgriz-Specter]

Man the new Batman design is so much better.
people will still complain about how buff he is but at least they got proportions right this time.

 

[Ephemeris]

Probably the only way to get further is to throw in the Batmobile. Maybe next gen?

#BATFACTS

• I replayed batman begins's batmobile sections multiple times because they're the best thing about that game. It doesn't hurt that the burnout team designed it.
  
• Arkham City's intro is better than Origins.
  
• You can't run in the cave when you first get there. Something tells me the reviewer stops there. Which is nuts.

Man the new Batman design is so much better.
people will still complain about how buff he is but at least they got proportions right this time.

Agreed. I don't mind I won't be able to swap costumes out until the campaign is over.

 

[The perfect Dark]

After 70 minutes all I can say is: If you like Arkham City you will love this game. It's great so far. Of course I can't say much about the story.

 

[SJRB]

After 70 minutes all I can say is: If you like Arkham City you will love this game. It's great so far. Of course I can't say much about the story.

What about performance? Is it really as bad as during that video from a few days ago? Framerate drops when gliding of moving the camera around fast, that sort of stuff.

 

[rmanthorp]

What about performance? Is it really as bad as during that video from a few days ago? Framerate drops when gliding of moving the camera around fast, that sort of stuff.

My only concern for the game. Other than that, I get it looks like more City. Which I want.

 

[The perfect Dark]

What about performance? Is it really as bad as during that video from a few days ago? Framerate drops when gliding of moving the camera around fast, that sort of stuff.

I haven't seen the video but I would say it's comparable to Arkham City. There are frame drops but it's hardly noticeable so far.

 

[AHA-Lambda]

Read some impressions in another forum, poster says it's awesome and may even be his/her favorite of the three.

Yeah yeah, NEVER trust early impressions like these in my experience. Christ we had Hitman fans proclaim Absolution was the best of the series before its release and beat down anyone who proclaimed otherwise.

For those of us who preordered from GreenManGaming they confirmed they are going to be sending out keys today so we will be able to preload from Steam.

 

[kev26b]

Got my code from GMG, uk here

 

[EatChildren]

Got my code from GMG, uk here

Got mine too, Australia. Lets do this shit.

And by do this shit, I mean preload 16GB.

 

[matrix-cat]

Yep, just got my key in Australia. Pre-loading so hard I can't think straight.

 

[Tak3n]

My key from GMG just arrived as well

 

[kev26b]

With this and rocksmith my weekend of gaming is golden Now all i have to do is stay away from spoilers lol

 

[Eusis]

Yeah yeah, NEVER trust early impressions like these in my experience. Christ we had Hitman fans proclaim Absolution was the best of the series before its release and beat down anyone who proclaimed otherwise.

Hell, just look at launch day/week impressions, they're usually far more glowing than some of us will be after time to beat and digest the game. These people are essentially those that got a head start on this, and more likely to be super fans too.

They're better than nothing though admittedly, and are usually enough to at least tell us the game isn't IMMEDIATELY crappy. And at GMG's discounted price it's probably well worth it even if the full console $60 could've ended up stinging (though Holiday deals without quickly trading in would probably have the same effect anyway...)