Neon lights interspersed with grey rooftops as from perched atop a gargoyle; Batman surveys the menacing City sprawl below. Lying within Gotham, this is Arkham, an impenetrable, walled district that houses mentally murderous and insanely dangerous criminals. Following the closure of Arkham Asylum, gangs are forming across the super-prison-city, pledging their allegiance to some of Batman’s most iconic nemeses including Two-Face, The Joker, Penguin, Harley Quinn, Hugo Strange and Mr. Freeze to name but a few as they vie for position as top dog within the fortified walls of Arkham – it’s an atmospheric hotbed for violent combat and brutal backstabbing plots that should make for a heart pounding and intense game.
Whilst guiding us through a small section of the game, Adam Vincent, lead animator at Rocksteady proudly explains why Batman Arkham City should satisfy fans and newcomers to Batman’s universe as the gameplay has been ramped up on every level; “This isn’t a sequel as such, it’s not Batman 2.0. Paul Dini has written a brand new story and we’ve built the game from the ground up.” Directly influenced by comments in the forum threads and reviews, the combat is seamless and thrilling plus Batman has a load of gadgets to play with. “We’ve given Batman way more moves than last time and each move is more detailed, more advanced” Adam continues. “As you’re surrounded by hoards of inmates, you can counter attack, taking two or three down in quick succession with some special moves. If you’re near a wall, you can smash heads into it as the environment you’re in can influence the fight. Gone is the claustrophobic, cramped corridor brawls as seen in Arkham City. Fans told us they wanted fluid and exciting combat and I think we’ve delivered”.
As we swoop down over the city, Batman doesn’t just glide. Slick and responsive to the tiniest of adjustments, you have more control over direction as well as the opportunity to use the grapple hook to further propel you along telephone cables and overhangs on buildings. “Build up momentum then head out. It’s possible to get all over the city without ever touching the ground” we’re told before Adam also revealed that there are little surprises laid out for fans who explore - like the rather creepy chalk outline of bodies on the floor near the Monarch Theatre, where Batman’s story first began…
As lead animator, it’s no surprise that Adam was keen to show us some of the more impressive parts of the demo though there’s very little that isn’t impressive. At the courthouse, lycra clad Catwoman has got herself into a spot of bother with Two-Face. The whole interior is themed with the main room divided in two, each having a different aesthetic, which is followed through with the outfits worn by Two Face’s bunch of hooligans. It’s totally absorbing though it’s not long before we’ve landed, feet first into someone’s face and are fighting again. Many of the gang have scarpered in fear yet some remain to fight and have brought heavy weapons with them, attacking from every direction. The combat animations are gruesome yet mesmerising and the takedowns spectacular. Eventually, we free the sexy feline lady (who is a fully playable character with her own storyline in the main game which intertwines with Batman’s story arc), whip out our Cryptographic Sequencer V2 and put on our best CSI face as we check the place for forensic clues as to which iconic Gotham landmark we should go to next.
“For me, the thing I love about this game most is the combat. We took on board all the comments about the first game, added more things that we love or have always wanted to see happen in Batman and have turned out a high-impact epic game” concludes Adam and with an expanded range of abilities, gadgets, locations and characters thrown into the mix, Batman Arkham City feels like it will be an extraordinary and exciting experience.
Available on Xbox360, PS3 and PC, Batman Arkham City is due for release on 21st October.
