Batman stands out among most other superheroes for one simple reason. He isn’t one. There’s no radioactive animal bite, or dip in a bath of chemicals, or abandoned alien child left on earth in his past. He’s simply a pissed off billionaire haunted by the murder of his parents, obsessed with dealing the justice they never got. He does not rely on superpowers, but on his wits, his naturally acquired physical prowess, and his ability to intimidate by making himself seem more powerful than he actually is. These combine to make him a symbol of hope in a city of lawlessness, and to take on criminals much more powerful and dangerous than he.
Which is why it is perhaps puzzling that it took until 2009’s Batman Arkham Asylum for him to star in a truly brilliant videogame. Sneaking around, picking off victims one by one before an almighty brawl where you are totally outnumbered are scenes very much associated with video gaming as well as Batman. The game’s excellent freeflow combat system, combined with fantastic set pieces where you pick off heavily armed goons one by one, and a fantastic cast of Batman villains with unique takes on their classic designs, almost effortlessly came together into what was surprisingly one of the best games of that year. You felt exhilaration sneaking up on a goon from behind, and breathless as you traded punches with one muscled henchman to the next. Ultimately, you felt like the goddamn Batman!
So the second Batman game from developers Rocksteady, entitled Arkham City, was hailed with both great enthusiasm and curiosity, as people wondered where exactly they could go from there. The answer was into the streets of Gotham itself...in a manner of speaking.
Batman’s home town has always been a mixture of dark gothic architecture from the past, mixed in with a decayed and sordid vision of the future. Arkham Asylum nailed the gothic quota in spades, so naturally Arkham City leans more to the decayed end of the spectrum. The heavily walled super prison in which Batman finds himself imprisoned is fully utilised by Rocksteady, and is filled with buildings and references to places famous in Batman lore. For example, the game begins with an incarcerated Bruce Wayne climbing the Ace Chemicals building, where a long time ago a small time crook fell into a vat of chemicals before re-emerging as the hero’s arch enemy.
This very much sets the tone for a game filled with references and nods to the hero’s rich history. The cast roster is filled with allies of Batman helping him bring peace to Gotham, but their number pales in comparison to the number of villains he must face. Given the eclectic assortment of wrongdoers is another reason for the dark knight’s popularity, it is perhaps natural that Rocksteady saw fit to cram in as many as they possibly could without making the disc ten inches thick.
While undoubtedly fan pleasing, it comes at a price. Arkham Asylum excelled by focusing on a hand-picked few villains with the Joker as ringleader. With so many villains jostling for your attention many are reduced to mere cameo appearances, some don’t get the screen time they should and others struggle to fit in. And Hugo Strange doesn’t really fulfil the role of big baddie as effectively as Joker did in the first game, and once again the clown prince of crime is the star of the show in the parts where he does appear.
This doesn’t detract from what is otherwise a very cohesive and dark story that truly befits the main hero. Moreover it is encouraging to see Rocksteady taking creative risks with the property, unafraid to kill off characters that have been big players in the universe for years to fit the story they want to tell. And while death rarely lasts forever in superhero fiction, it is nice to see a bold approach that sets this game apart from the official continuity, similar to Christopher Nolan in his Dark Knight films.
This is not the only reason the game zips along at a lightning pace. You Kapow, Biff and Thwack your way from massive set piece to another, one moment clearing a room of goons, the next swinging from rafters as you avoid the gazes of henchmen armed to the teeth with rifles and grenades. There is a lot more variety in the enemies that you face, and even the common yobbo’s change their outfits depending on which supervillain they pledge their allegiance to.
Combat in the first game was so fluid that Rocksteady could have easily just rested on their laurels. But to their absolute credit they have ladened Batman with even more moves to enhance the experience further. Gadgets can be thrown into combos a lot easier, and a fresh set of melee attacks breaks up the sometimes monotonous task of dislocating one shoulder after the other. The stealth sections too see a wealth of new options for picking off baddies one at a time. This increases your flexibility and presents you with plenty of backside kicking options. No longer is there only one way of taking an enemy down, now there are several. And each fresh technique has their use as enemies continually get wise to your tactics and bring gadgets of their own to the party.
These lead up to the boss fights, a disappointing feature of the first game. Not because of their lack of ambition, rather because of how they revolved around simply stunning each villain with a batarang before leaping in for the kill. Rocksteady have listened to the critics, and the bosses this time require a mix of techniques and gadgets to bring them down. Batman’s more physically imposing foes are saved for such occasions, and often appear just when you least expect them. The final battle, without spoiling too much, is a really unexpected affair, leaving you wondering afterwards whether you have actually defeated the last boss or not. Often it is harder to tell when a game is about to finish, as opposed to a book or film where you know when you are about to reach the climax. Yet it is worth noting just how effectively Arkham City builds to a climax without you realising until it is almost too late.
The main game is a decent length in its own right, but the countless unlockables and side missions mean there is a huge amount to do even once the story is over. Riddler trophies are back, this time serving a decent story telling purpose as opposed to just being there to irritate you. Finding them all will take some patience, as much down to their number as to their trickiness, but the rewards of extra missions and back story segments make it worth it. Throw in a number of side missions featuring lesser known characters and villains, and the chance to play a more difficult version of the game with all your gadgets and moves in place upon first completion, and you have a package well worth the full retail price. And that’s not mentioning the Catwoman missions/DLC, which offer a welcome distraction despite the inconsistent timings in between appearances. The chance to experiment on goons with a unique character to Batman is a sign of where the future of this franchise may reside.
But for now, we have a sequel that well and truly stands shoulder to shoulder with its predecessor. It is a fantastic fusion of what made the first game so powerful, and shining example of what happens when a developer builds these foundations with one ear to their fans wishes. Arkham City is very recognisably the offspring of Arkham Asylum, yet with its setting and fresh approach to combat it sometimes feels totally different. This is no bad thing, and helps to refine a gem that was already well cut in the first place. Ultimately, whether you prefer this over the first game will depend on what preference you have for Batman as a hero. Do you prefer him skulking through shadowy gothic belfries to save the day, or swooping down from a building top into a decrepit alleyway to save the day? Both have their place, and both are undoubtedly, and unashamedly, Batman. And it is to Rocksteady’s credit how well they have realised this.
No comments:
Post a Comment