All things Batman

[JaySevenZero]

Having finally getting around to picking up Batman: Arkham City, I have to say I'm impressed by it, even more so than I was by the first game Arkham Asylum.

Still strange to think of these games coming from a relatively unknown (prior to the release of Asylum) studio based in Kentish Town, but much credit to them as they have crafted a solid interpretation from the myriad of source materials - the many and various comics, the animated series and the Burton and Nolan live action films - based around Gotham's Dark Knight, yet have given it their own distinctive visual take on the Detective Comics classic.

My own reason for preferring the sequel over the first game comes down exclusively to the open world and relative free form it allows the player to approach the game. Whilst you could take your time with the first game in regards to its narrative, the exploration is tied into the unlocking of gadgets via the story missions far more than its sequel is, which in turn meant that in order to really see what the environments had to offer you had to focus on completing the story missions first. To be honest though I just dig it more because I can just glide about kicking the bejesus out of the various criminal scum populating the city - very satisfying indeed. In terms of general gameplay I enjoyed taking down the sub-bosses in the sequel more than I did in the first game (Scarecrow and Killer Croc being the two I wasn't a fan of in Asylum).

It's hard to say which game I like more in relation to just the narrative as I felt both games delivered the goods but I was pleasantly surprised by the somewhat ballsy dénouement in the sequel.

Both of these games make me reasonably expectant of what the next game will deliver - tentatively being called Arkham World and said to be using the Silver Age comics as reference as the story is being reported as being about Batman's first ever encounter with The Joker.

Also kind of glad to hear something different from Nolan North, even if it does get a little Dick Van Dyke at times!

[Alex79]

Yeah agree with everything (except I loved the Scarecrow section in AA). Both brilliant, and unexpectedly so. Very confident a third game would be nothing short of amazing too. I loved the gadgets, the stealth, the hand to hand combat - all awesome fun. My single criticism of the series so far would be the ending of the second game. I won't spoil it, but I felt it a bit abrupt and not not really enough for such epic games.

[NokkonWud]

The two Scarecrow sections, in particular the second encounter, are two of my favourite parts of the entire first game. The second encounter may actually be my favourite part. Amazing how differently people can feel about things!

[JaySevenZero]

I don't want to come across as being overly critical of either the Scarecrow or Croc sections as I appreciate that the 'crow part was at least inventive in its own way and the genesis of those sections can be seen in both the Ra's al Ghul and the frozen shark tank areas in the sequel.

I gotta say that I liked The Riddler's puzzles in both games but really dig the way sequel has expanded upon them - lots of those "Eureka!" moments when I figure out some of the more obscure ones.

[magicjoef]

Both games are excellent, but I definitely prefer the first one.

It felt to me like Asylum was a very tight and lovingly crafted experience. It was very clear about the Metroid style of progression, and I felt they handled it very well. The environment evolved and changed according to the events in the story, mirrored by the way Batman's suit was getting battle-scarred through out as well. My familiarity with the locations in this game worked when I returned them, whereas a lot of games feel like they are padding when they send you back through an area.

I felt that the Riddler puzzles were also more natural in Asylum, I thought the number of trophies in City was way over the top, almost to a point of parodying in-game collectables!

But, I still really enjoyed City and I do think both do tell a good story, I just feel the impact of the first game and gradually understanding how amazing the fighting system was will leave a far longer lasting impression for me.

(PS, I'm also pro Scarecrow )

[JaySevenZero]

Fair enough.

I like the system they implemented in City in relation to finding the Riddler trophies, with Batman having to interrogate specific gang members. Each member only gives away a certain number of them each time you accost them this also added another slight level of complexity when they were surrounded by half a dozen other guards - all of whom were armed.

As it stands I only have half a dozen of them left to get. I've discovered their locations but these are the ones where you have the pressure plates mounted on walls and I'm having a right old pig of a time trying to trigger them.

[ratsoalbion]

Too many Riddler Trophies...

[JaySevenZero]

Too many Riddler Trophies...

You say this but for me I've found them far quicker than the ones in Asylum.

There's been little mention of Catwoman so far, which was another reason I liked the sequel, especially after you've completed the game and have the ability to switch between the two characters. In truth, I wouldn't be surprised if we saw a Catwoman game developed by Rocksteady sometime in the future either. I certainly think there's room for something different to be done with the character based on what we've glimpsed in City.

[Xantiriad]

Loved the first game. Gave up on "City" fairly quickly.

"City" lost a lot of what made the first game appealing to me:

- the environments lack the claustrophobic and gothic atmosphere of the Asylum;
- the amount of combat is significantly increased at the expense of the strategy & stealth of the original;
- the story is no where near as compelling or interesting.

Mechanically and visually "City" is sound, but artistically and narratively it's lacking for me.

[W1DGET]

The combat system in both games is superb, when you actually master it and can string big combos together of both attacking and defensive moves it is very satisfying. I'm not usually very good at games that require you to learn combos but I spent time learning how to combat each type of enemy and find it a joy now. PS I have played through Arkham City 4 times now :-O

[DomsBeard]

The Arkham series is the first time I've really felt like I'm that character in a superhero game.

[DomsBeard]

The Arkham series is the first time I've really felt like I'm that character in a superhero game.

Wasn't expecting much when I bought Asylum and was pleasantly surprised at how brilliant it was. I know everyone says it but Hamill as the Joker was excellent. Skulking in the shadows and hearing him commentate as you're taking out his men was a nice touch (I could never get bored of the inverted takedown). My only grumbleswith Asylum was that its far too simple to walk around just in detective mode in case you miss anything and the awful final boss.

City for me is the better game as I preferred the story over Asylum due to some of my favourite DC characters appearing

Spoiler: show

Azrael, Deadshot, Talia

. I also really, really enjoyed the Freeze fight as it was quite a challenge.

[countstex]

The Arkham series is the first time I've really felt like I'm that character in a superhero game.

Spot on with that. To the point where I found I would more often walk around than run all the time, as it felt 'right' to stride around. And as W1dget says, the combat is superb and for me alos one of the few games with a combo system I can actually get into! I look forward to anything else they make either in this series, or in the same engine with Catwoman or whoever.

[magicjoef]

Ha, yeah. I strolled into the middle of groups of goons a lot. Bring it on!

[JaySevenZero]

Loved the first game. Gave up on "City" fairly quickly.

"City" lost a lot of what made the first game appealing to me:

- the environments lack the claustrophobic and gothic atmosphere of the Asylum;
- the amount of combat is significantly increased at the expense of the strategy & stealth of the original;
- the story is no where near as compelling or interesting.

I actually would disagree with all of those points. I personally found the environments to be as, if not more, compelling than the first game. For example, being able to find the spot where Bruce Wayne's parents were gunned down along along with other nods to the Batman mythos (most of which were attached to Riddler puzzles in order to direct the player to these locations) made exploration that bit more more enjoyable. But it was more specifically when you entered the various buildings and structures, such as the Museum and the Steel Mill, that it gave me back that Asylum vibe with their enclosed spaces, vents and vantage points.

In regards to the combat, I found that the stealth element increased with City since, as the game progressed so did the number of armed thugs and despite all my gadgets I wouldn't last long in a straight up fight. As a result I would always attempt to remain unseen preferring instead to reduce their numbers with the various stealth attacks.

As for the story, when you say you gave up on City fairly quickly does this mean you didn't finish it? I feel it would be unfair to say the story isn't better until you've seen the conclusion. I felt that the final act in City was far more stimulating in regards to the relationship between Batman and the Joker than the final act in Asylum was. I also felt the the sequel took a more engaging approach to some of the peripheral characters too, such as Victor Strange, Ra's al Ghul and Mister Freeze - which for myself, also gave the overall narrative more of a pull.

[Xantiriad]

I didn't say the story was worse/better. I didn't find it compelling or interesting, hence the reason I lost interest and stopped playing.

The game may have improved later, but that in itself is a valid criticism. I probably played 4-5 hours over three or four sessions and I didn't get the same enjoyment from it that I did the original for all the reasons highlighted.

It 'felt' like I was playing Infamous, and what I liked about the original was that it wasn't an open world full of random encounters. I'm glad to hear it goes back to its roots more later, but I'd already moved on at that point.

[DomsBeard]

Don't bother with the Harley Quinns Revenge DLC though, as good as it is playing Robin 1200MSP for just under two hours gameplay is a rip off.

[AndyKurosaki]

Personally I think Asylum is the better game. Don't get me wrong, City is a brilliant game. But I found it's huge open world a bit overwhelming, there was too much going on. No sooner had I planned to do one thing, something else grabbed my attention.

[Alex79]

Did anyone buy the Catwoman DLC? It came bundled with my copy of the game. I have to say, if I HAD paid £7.99 for it (as it was on the PS store) I'd have been mighty pissed off. I didn't really enjoy playing as the Cat but even so, it was barely an hour of content.

[JaySevenZero]

Did anyone buy the Catwoman DLC? It came bundled with my copy of the game. I have to say, if I HAD paid £7.99 for it (as it was on the PS store) I'd have been mighty pissed off. I didn't really enjoy playing as the Cat but even so, it was barely an hour of content.

I believe it was merely designed as one of those incentives to avoid pre-owned copies as it comes with every new copy of the game. I enjoyed playing as Catwoman during and after the game but as with most of the DLC that came with both Asylum and City it's a little lightweight and perhaps a little overpriced if you were to have purchased it separately.