Hot Heart Posted April 7, 2012 Report Share Posted April 7, 2012 I liked the increased numbers in combat. A lot of it was about forcing you to mix it up a little more. Freeze a guy, zap a guy, yank a gun away. Not trying to say anyone's terrible at the game or anything; I can see how it might get tiring. Thing is, with the outdoors you're never really forced to take on the goons in those open areas. And you can always give yourself an advantage before a fight starts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RockyRan Posted April 7, 2012 Report Share Posted April 7, 2012 (edited) I actively avoid 7+ goon gangs because fuck it, I don't feel like randomly fighting for 10 minutes. If it's part of an event or sidequest sure, I'm not going to whine, but just a random encounter? That's like having 10+ minute boss battles of attrition as random encounters in JRPGs. They become grating and annoying quickly. I do try to mix it up as best I can and I generally get large combos going, letting me do critical strikes that make the fights faster and more tolerable. But there are times when a goon runs at me from behind and throws a punch giving me no time to counter, or I try to counter two guys at once and for some reason one of the two goons still throws and lands a punch in the middle of Batman's double counter animation, or some other nitpicky technicality and I lose considerable amounts of health and my combo counter and it results in either a fight made needlessly longer or an outright loss. God forbid if you want to use a gadget on a goon but don't remember off the top of your head which one of the multiple awkward button combos it is. City has more gadgets/abilities to use in the fight which on paper sounds great, but the sheer number of them forces the controls to be convoluted and confusing. The combat itself is fast and challenging but the controls are made sluggish and awkward by the sheer number of abilities and things to do. Some additions I like, like informant goons that encourage you to AVOID a goon. Little twists like that make it fun, but more moves than a controller has buttons becomes a bit of an issue. Maybe I wouldn't be so peeved at the combat if I wouldn't have had Asylum to compare it to. Asylum's combat was pretty much perfect both in complexity and enemy layout. City feels less refined and just keeps piling on more and more combos, moves, gadgets, and enemy types, making the combat needlessly complicated. Playing on Hard in Asylum forced me to buckle down and appreciate the intricacies of the combat. Playing on Hard in City only highlights how rough and overstuffed the game is, especially outdoors. Edited April 7, 2012 by RockyRan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strangelove Posted April 7, 2012 Report Share Posted April 7, 2012 (edited) Jesus Christ, I could never remember the dpad layout of my gadgets. I fucked up so many times because I pulled out the wrong gadget. I suppose thats more my fault than the games fault though. Edited April 7, 2012 by Strangelove Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hot Heart Posted April 7, 2012 Report Share Posted April 7, 2012 You shouldn't be using the dpad for gadgets during a fight... I wouldn't say Asylum's combat is better than City's. I mean, I love Asylum, but those goddamn Titans were a pain. I think City benefits from more variation, even if there's more to learn. Combat is a big draw to the game, so I don't see a problem with a long, tense fight. Love those challenges where you see about 20 guys all there and it's just, "Let's do this!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strangelove Posted April 8, 2012 Report Share Posted April 8, 2012 Can you completely upgrade everything in Arkham City without doing a new game plus? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hot Heart Posted April 8, 2012 Report Share Posted April 8, 2012 Yeah. The only thing you have to look out for, I think, is that one thing is found by going a different way when revisiting the Steel Mill later. But I'm sure the game tells you there's something down there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheMightyEthan Posted April 9, 2012 Report Share Posted April 9, 2012 I definitely thought the fighting in City was better. Once I did all the challenges in City I still wanted more game so I went back to do the challenges in Asylum (I just ignored them back when I played that game cause normally I don't like that type of mode) and it just didn't feel like the flow was as good as it was in City. Even after I readjusted to the different controls. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yantelope V2 Posted April 9, 2012 Report Share Posted April 9, 2012 I did most of the challeneges in AA to the point where I was actually tired of them so I didn't bother doing them in AC. Getting the Achievement for getting every move in a single combo was pretty tough and frustrating. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RockyRan Posted April 10, 2012 Report Share Posted April 10, 2012 I barely touched the challenges in AA, but I definitely plan on playing through the AC ones this time. Anyways, the game's growing on me. The camera/walking speed outdoors still annoys me, but the combat's getting less frustrating as I'm unlocking more and more abilities. Story's kind of all over the place and definitely less focused than AA's, but it's not outright terrible and it's mostly harmless in that the story gives competent enough excuses to go and beat up particular villains in their own particular way. I just beat (spoilers maybe?) Reveal hidden contents Ra's Al Ghul and uh, that was weird. I think I liked the Scarecrow hallucinations better (I don't know if he shows up in City, so don't tell me if he does!) because they also had the creepy vibe, which was (understandably) absent with Ra'S Al Ghul's stuff, but the weirdass rendition of Arkham City was mighty purty, so I can't exactly fault them for that. The boss battle was pretty sweet too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheMightyEthan Posted April 10, 2012 Report Share Posted April 10, 2012 The only time I found the camera irritating was when I would be standing still on something like a fire escape and trying to look up the building to find a grapple. Any time I was moving I was always running, so the speed didn't bother me. Obviously it would have been nice to just have analog run/walk controls, but I didn't think it was a big issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RockyRan Posted April 12, 2012 Report Share Posted April 12, 2012 (edited) So apparently I've played it a bit obsessively because I've just finished it (expected as much, actually. Play sessions bled over to several hours with this game quite frequently). I give it a thumbs up overall but I do have to say I liked Asylum better when all is said and done. Especially in the story side of things. Reveal hidden contents I don't know what went on with that last 45 minutes. Everything was going great with the predator challenge at the top of the observatory with Strange impatiently walking around the center room and as soon as that challenge is finished the game completely shat on itself. Offing villains, no wait, the MAIN villain, in a completely non-interactive cutscene is always the epitome of unsatisfying, which this game had in spades. Not only did Strange make zero attempt at fighting Batman, he's also forgotten in a matter of seconds when Ra's comes in and nonsensically declares himself the Big Bad. Which, incidentally, has zero impact in the game or the story because he's killed two seconds after that. OK? Was there really any reason to have that twist? Worse yet, the game keeps going after clearly having the climax. "Oh", I thought "the best is yet to come I suppose, that wasn't the real climax". Except it was. After making a massive buildup of the last moments of the game climbing the huge tower at the center of the city, going into a nondescript building afterward and fighting a completely random boss as the "real" final boss is almost like Rocksteady willfully tried to sabotage its own climax and conclusion. It doesn't even make sense gameplay wise. Why is the final boss a completely random villain, even though we're "fighting" Joker? Everyone hated the final boss of Asylum, but at least you're fighting the Big Bad, not some random villain in his place. I have absolutely no clue why they felt the need to include that. Not needed, not even story-wise, because while Joker did escape, I wrinkled my nose when they killed the Joker. Wasn't the whole point of the character that he's "unkillable" (not literally obviously), that he was the yang to the Bats' ying, that one can't exist without the other, and they're forever meant to keep fighting until the end of time? So where exactly did this game get the "power" to kill the motherfuckin' Joker? Hell, why were characters dropping like flies at the end? Strange, Ra's, Talia, AND Joker in less than half an hour. And I know Paul Dini was involved in this, but still. Telltale signs of writers who wanted an easy shortcut to plot gravitas, resorting in killing major characters for no real reason. You know what would've made perfect sense? Joker takes advantage of all the brouhaha, takes the antidote and leaves some for Batman because he'd never actually kill Batman. Killing Joker is so un-Batman (series-wise. I know the character Batman didn't deliberately kill him) that I just went "ugh" at the ending. Yeah, the game's universe is kind of off in its own world in regards to the general canon, but still. Feels oddly invasive. I'm also pretty disappointed the game never actually went anywhere with Strange's "I know you're Wayne" thing other than calling Batman by name. That's it. The story itself and Strange's actions were never affected by his knowledge of Batman's identity, and there was zero danger of his identity being exposed. This is especially disappointing considering this was kind of the angle they went with on the CG trailer and at the beginning of the game. ("I know everything about you, BRUCE WAYNE. Now, I shall proceed to never use this as a bargaining chip, I will never mention it to anyone, and I will never use it to command power over you or influence you in any way whatsoever") One last thing was Catwoman's content, or the lack thereof. There was like, what? 1 hour's worth of playtime with Catwoman in the entire campaign? There was the fight at the very beginning of the game, then she goes to Poison Ivy and fights her goons, then there's the 1 predator challenge room which really wasn't anything special, then a fight and some post-ending mission. And that's it. I wasn't expecting a 50/50 split between Catwoman and Batman, but I was kind of expecting a little more than ONE predator room and an hour's worth of gameplay. I was thinking something like 70/30, and instead it was like 95/5. Edited April 12, 2012 by RockyRan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SomTervo Posted April 16, 2012 Report Share Posted April 16, 2012 (edited) I found the combat in City incredible. Sure, it adds a lot of layers, but it adds so much complexity, it's so deep. Just learning all the stuff you can do is incredible. I found the 'perfect combo' achievement in AA fun, Yant, but in AC... It's way too intimidating. @Rocky: Reveal hidden contents The story is all over the place, but okay. Ras should have been a little fight at the end, at least. There should have been more interactivity. Re: Joker, I really doubt he's properly dead. You have those Lazarus pits and everything, and Harley is still kicking about. What's better, Lazarus pits (or whatever) don't necessarily bring back the same version of the person who uses it (alternate universes or whatever), so we could get a fresh Joker. Who knows, though. The only Catwoman thing I found disappointing was when you decide to head back and save Batman crushed under all the rubble at the Mill, I was REALLY expecting to have one more open-world shot at Catwoman, even if it was under a timelimit to race across the city (which would have been cool). But instead it's just 'yeah I'll go save him' *cutscene of her saving him*. The only thing I really liked from the story were the hints at the next game, and (hopefully) how directed the story will be in that one. It sure sounds good, but I don't know how they'll resolve Bats without Joker. Anyway. I have faith, though I've no idea how they'll up the gameplay ante without a really big open-world Gotham (and the B-Mobile, etc.) I definitely think AA was a tighter game, a game nearer the label 'perfect'. But I think AC is a bigger, more fun game. AA might have captured Batman better, though; it's so tight, it's so exactly what Batman's about. City is a bit too faffy. Edited April 16, 2012 by kenshi_ryden Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheMightyEthan Posted April 16, 2012 Report Share Posted April 16, 2012 On 4/16/2012 at 12:27 AM, kenshi_ryden said: Reveal hidden contents What's better, Lazarus pits (or whatever) don't necessarily bring back the same version of the person who uses it (alternate universes or whatever), so we could get a fresh Joker. Who knows, though. Wait, what? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strangelove Posted April 16, 2012 Report Share Posted April 16, 2012 Yes, explain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CorgiShinobi Posted April 16, 2012 Report Share Posted April 16, 2012 (edited) I think what he's saying is like what happened in Under the Red Hood. EDIT: Also, everyone does realize that Harley is... Reveal hidden contents preggers with Joker's baby, right? Edited April 16, 2012 by Atomsk88 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deanb Posted April 16, 2012 Report Share Posted April 16, 2012 On 4/16/2012 at 2:50 AM, Atomsk88 said: I think what he's saying is like what happened in Under the Red Hood. EDIT: Also, everyone does realize that Harley is... Reveal hidden contents preggers with Joker's baby, right? Reveal hidden contents The pregnancy kit next to the Harley statue kinda gave that one away Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hot Heart Posted April 16, 2012 Report Share Posted April 16, 2012 (edited) Reveal hidden contents In an issue a few years ago, Grant Morrison put forward that The Joker is 'reborn' with a slightly altered image every few years. This time he had been shot in the head by a Batman imposter and has a massive hole where the bullet went. I think he refers to himself as, and looks sort of like, The Thin White Duke (David Bowie persona). If you're looking for the issue, it's called The Clown At Midnight, and it's definitely worth a read. It's written in full prose, with some CGI art that isn't entirely terrible, and has a nice little twist at the end. Not sure if the game would follow that direction though... Edited April 16, 2012 by TheMightyEthan spoiler tags Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SomTervo Posted April 16, 2012 Report Share Posted April 16, 2012 (edited) Reveal hidden contents Yeah, the Joker gets reborn a lot apparently. Re: what I said exactly about Lazarus pits (don't think this warrants spoiler tags as it's nothing mentioned in the game at all), they're basically highly magical and mysterious and chaotic pits, which often seem to function almost as links to parallel universes. A lot of the time when they're used the person who's inserted comes back insane, or completely different, or (obvious to the reader) a version of the character from another universe (i.e. zombie, evil villain rather than hero, chaotic good rather than lawful good, etc.). You basically don't know what you're getting, it's always a huge risk. However, having said that, in the game Reveal hidden contents Ras has been using it since time immemorial apparently, and he's fine. Pretty fucked up and insane, but still himself. Tbh, though, he doesn't seem to take too much of it in. When bad things have happened to individuals who use it they've been totally submerged in it until they emerge again of their own accord. A very exciting prospect is the fact that (iirc) Clayface fell in there at the end of City =D. Edited April 16, 2012 by TheMightyEthan spoiler tags Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheMightyEthan Posted April 16, 2012 Report Share Posted April 16, 2012 Added spoiler tags to people's posts because even though you weren't directly talking about the game you could still infer from them that Reveal hidden contents Joker died. On 4/16/2012 at 7:00 AM, Deanb said: On 4/16/2012 at 2:50 AM, Atomsk88 said: I think what he's saying is like what happened in Under the Red Hood. EDIT: Also, everyone does realize that Harley is... Reveal hidden contents preggers with Joker's baby, right? Reveal hidden contents The pregnancy kit next to the Harley statue kinda gave that one away You'd have to be a lot more observant than me to notice that. This is the first I've heard of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strangelove Posted April 16, 2012 Report Share Posted April 16, 2012 I also didnt notice the Harley thing. I had to read about it. Weird. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thursday Next Posted April 16, 2012 Report Share Posted April 16, 2012 I didn't notice it. I find it weird that Joker would take time out for sex... He doesn't seem interested in women in that way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deanb Posted April 16, 2012 Report Share Posted April 16, 2012 Given how he reacts with and treats Harley in TAS, the origin of the character...oh and a kids show compared to the 15 rated Arkham series, Reveal hidden contents I wouldn't be surprised if it wasn't in "that way", but in the rape kinda way. Loved TAS n all but the domestic abuse parts of it with Harley n "Mr J" were pretty uncomfortable to watch.It's not really something I'd put past him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CorgiShinobi Posted April 16, 2012 Report Share Posted April 16, 2012 (edited) The last season of TAS, or a.k.a. The New Batman Adventures, has more "love is chaotic" feel to Joker and Harley's relationship. I'm sure he has been assertive, but Harley's also a sick mind that enjoys it. EDIT: And don't get me started on the "naked covered in pudding" scene for Joker's birthday. Edited April 16, 2012 by Atomsk88 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheMightyEthan Posted April 23, 2012 Report Share Posted April 23, 2012 (edited) http://www.joystiq.c...-quinn-content/ Harley Quinn DLC launching April 30, GOTY edition of the game including all DLC launches May 29 on PS360. *Edit* - Harley DLC launch has just been corrected to May 29 on PS3 and May 30 on 360. Apparently no word on PC, though a reasonable guess would be May 30 since the PC version uses GFWL. Edited April 23, 2012 by TheMightyEthan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strangelove Posted April 23, 2012 Report Share Posted April 23, 2012 I'm actually not upset about the GOTY version. I usually am for some dumb reason, even though I shouldnt be. I guess upset isnt the correct word, just...not happy about it. That being said, If its not storybased, I dont care about the dlc in any game. And I only paid 30 bucks for the game, so I think I got a pretty good deal. The Harley dlc looks awesome though. Story dlc is just the best kind of dlc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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