Batman: Arkham City - Discussion Thread

[Tarcxy]

Will this one have free roam? I mean, yeah the first one had free roam. But, IIRC there was nothing much we could do except collecting those Riddler trophies right? It was kinda story driven too. So, Arkham City will remain likewise?

[F3niX]

Waiting for its release.. .Definitely a Must Buy on my 360 List

[Bluffmaster]

E3 Special

Batman: Arkham City – Play as Catwoman

Batman: Arkham City is a big world. So big, Batman could hardly patrol it himself. That’s why developer Rocksteady decided to give you a second option when traversing the rooftops – Catwoman is playable throughout Arkham City.

This isn’t some cheap character model swap; Catwoman has her own moves, her own method of travel, her own story, and her own motivations. Unlike Batman, she’s not in Arkham City to restore order. She could care less about who is pulling the strings or what their endgame plan is for Gotham. It turns out Hugo Strange took the prized possessions of every big criminal in the city and stashed them somewhere in the city. Catwoman plans to use the chaos in Arkham City to swipe some serious loot.

This isn’t just a side story, though. Catwoman’s tale is intertwined with Batman’s narrative. About 10% of Arkham City’s story has you playing as Catwoman and it’s a very different experience than controlling the Dark Knight.

Catwoman doesn’t have a bunch of gadgets. Instead, she relies on her whip and a couple of handy tools worthy of a burglar (or ninja), such as caltrops (little spikes that slow enemies). The whip can be used not only to strangle baddies, but also to swing across the city. This doesn’t get her a ton of extension or height, so expect to stick to the lower portion of the city – including the sewers.

She’s quick, too. Much faster and more nimble than Batman, she can get through narrow spaces and even crawl along ceilings. She’s not a brute either, so expect her missions to have a stealth focus; requiring you to sneak through areas, pick the pockets of security guards, and swipe goods before anyone realizes you were ever there.

But what to steal? Fortunately, Catwoman has her own special vision power: Thief Vision. At first, you might mistake this for Batman’s overly helpful Detective Mode, but Catwoman gets no obvious clues as to what to do next. Her vision helps her in one way: Seeing what’s worth stealing. That can often be tied to a game objective, since Gotham’s famed cat-burglar is, after all, going to be involved in thievery whenever she dons the cat ears.

I know E3 offers only the quickest glimpse at games, but it looks like Rocksteady got it right. Not only did it feel like I was playing Catwoman and not some Batman clone, it also fit how I’d imagine Catwoman would exist in Gotham City. If Batman: Arkham Asylum was the Batman game everyone always wanted, maybe Arkham City is the Catwoman game we never knew we could have.

Again, it’s only about 10% of the total game, but it’s not half-assed. Everything is scaled down to what can be managed in that slice of game time. So, instead of a dozen or more gadgets, Catwoman has three – but all of them can be upgraded, just like Batman’s wonderful toys. There are more than 400 Riddler Trophies in Batman: Arkham City and a small portion can only be nabbed by Catwoman. Basically, all the elements of the experience playing as Batman (Riddler stuff, combat, upgrades, open city, story) are also given to Catwoman. She’s not some cheap add-on.

I’m sure playing as Catwoman while Batman goes off to twiddle his thumbs won’t sit well with everyone. It suits me just fine. I wouldn’t have any problem playing the Dark Knight from start to finish, but since the Catwoman sections are being handled with as much care as the rest of the game, the experience from start to finish should be consistent, regardless of the character you’re playing.

IGN

[Spacescreamer]

The game just got juicier.

Shame that they didnt invested in giving her a good face. Somebody needs to tell them that a Catwoman character with resemblance to Julie Newmar is gonna make people go the extra distance in picking up their copies. (She was tailor made for her role of Catwoman in the series.)

Somebody pls post the url to where i can pass the suggestion to these people for their next iteration.

[Bluffmaster]

^I like the face. Atleast its better than Halle Berry in a Catwoman suit. But most of all, I like the new sultry Catwoman walk.

[dovakhiin]

I hope there’s at least one level where we get to drive the Batmobile.
Free roaming with the Batmobile gta style will be taking it a little too far.

[Spacescreamer]

@Bluffmaster

^I like the face. Atleast its better than Halle Berry in a Catwoman suit. But most of all, I like the new sultry Catwoman walk.

Just google out Julie newmar and u ll know what i mean.

Pics on the result page itself will tell you why i wrote that.

Halle berry was belch as a catwoman.

[XTechManiac]

Expect About 40 Hours Of Batman: Arkham City

How many sweaty hours do you think you could last in the Dark Knight’s rubbery armor? How about 40? According to Rocksteady, the game’s main story will be about 25 hours long, with side missions racking up another 15.

"It takes over 25 hours to complete the main stories in Batman: Arkham City,†said game director Sefton Hill during a chat with The Guardian. “To keep players engaged for this length of time, not only do the characters and the story need to progress, but the core mechanics of the game they are playing need to change and adapt as well.

“The side missions in Batman: Arkham City are a good example. We have around 15 hours of story that’s off the main path.”

So. Much. Win.

[Tarcxy]

^^ Side missions? Wonderful. If its something other than solving riddles and collecting trophies, its a sure win..

[viralbug]

This will be epic.

Cmon guys, what do you want next? Catwoman and Batman making out in the Batmobile?

[satyanjoy]

batmobile is not going to happen in this release atleast, as they put significant amount of dev. time in gliding part (as per the interview on ign)

[XTechManiac]

For those who missed it:

E3 2011 GameSpot Stage Shows - Batman: Arkham City - Stage Demo (PC, PS3, Xbox 360)

Combats has been improved. Can’t wait to get this.

[Bluffmaster]

20 Minute Gameplay Footage : IGN

This game is looking so good. I absolutely love the atmosphere of this game.

[dinjo]

Box Art

[F3niX]

When r the preorders starting?

[user67]

Gonna be epic, feel it can!

[XTechManiac]

Box Art for Windows:

[user67]

GFWL sucks.

Long live Steam!

[Aman27deep]

@comp@ddict

GFWL sucks.

Long live Steam!

That’s not GFWL, that’s only GFW, don’t mean you’ll have to use MS live.

[jojothedragon]

@comp@ddict

GFWL sucks.

Long live Steam!

I really have that GFWL shi*. Its one of the things i wish could be dis-invented.