Batman: Arkham City - Part 2

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This is a continuation thread, the old thread is [split]347041[/split]

 

[Thread Manager]

This is a continuation thread, the old thread is [split]332400[/split]

 

[Silent_Dave]

The only thing I really hated about Oracle in AA is the fact that whenever she contacted you, you noticeably slowed down. It got really aggravating when you had to be somewhere when all of a sudden, Oracle starts talking, so you have to slow down to a slow walk. On the subject of the Detective Mode, I never saw a problem with it. When I didn't need to use it, I simply turned it off. I usually just used it for puzzles, when I needed to scan an area to see where any armed thugs are, or to light an area that was otherwise too dark to navigate.

 

[ProjectPat2280]

The only thing I really hated about Oracle in AA is the fact that whenever she contacted you, you noticeably slowed down. It got really aggravating when you had to be somewhere when all of a sudden, Oracle starts talking, so you have to slow down to a slow walk. On the subject of the Detective Mode, I never saw a problem with it. When I didn't need to use it, I simply turned it off. I usually just used it for puzzles, when I needed to scan an area to see where any armed thugs are, or to light an area that was otherwise too dark to navigate.

That was a hidden loading screen. I much rather him slow down and put his finger to his comm than to have an actual loading screen.

 

[Wolvieboy17]

Yeah, thats like how they do it in Gears of War. Beautiful game design if you ask me.

 

[Soapy]

A lot of games do that. It definitely beats staring at loading screen.

 

[Mister Sinister]

Also beats Mass Effect's elevators.

 

[thebatsam]

I didn't actually know that was a loading screen. I was fine with him slowing down anyway.

 

[Silent_Dave]

I had no idea that was a loading screen to be honest. I just thought they were trying to make it more realistic or something, but it makes a lot more sense now.

 

[Michael Frost]

The game still had loading screens tho. Between the areas.

 

[Silent_Dave]

I guess it needed more loading screens?

 

[Robin's Holyisms]

So what's have you boys been doing to prepare for Arkham City? Like have you been watching the serials, the live action series, the movies and the cartoons?

Aswell as reading some of the graphic novels and comics?

 

[Silent_Dave]

So what's have you boys been doing to prepare for Arkham City? Like have you been watching the serials, the live action series, the movies and the cartoons?

Aswell as reading some of the graphic novels and comics?

I've just been watching the animated series (the 90's one, of course) and playing alot of Arkham Asylum. I also went back and read the Killing Joke and TDKR again.

 

[Jick]

I played Arkham Asylum some time ago. I hope to read the comics before I buy the second game.

 

[Michael Frost]

I guess it needed more loading screens?

Nope, it just had those.

There's no need for loading screens between Oracle conversations, sorry.

 

[Silent_Dave]

Nope, it just had those.

There's no need for loading screens between Oracle conversations, sorry.

I guess not. Well, even if they make you slow down to a walk whenever Alfred contacts you in AC, it won't make it a bad game, it's just a little flaw in an otherwise great game.

 

[Robin's Holyisms]

ArkhamCity.co.uk had a chance to sit down with Sefton Hill (director), Dax Ginn (marketing game manager), Paul Crocker (lead narrative designer), Kan Muftic (Senior Concept Artist) and Sarah Wellock (community manager) from Rocksteady to discuss all things Batman: Arkham City. Here’s what they had to say!

Your first published game was Urban Chaos: Riot Response, were a lot of Rocksteady huge comic fans before setting out on Arkham Asylum or has it been something that has grown internally through time?

Paul Crocker: I used to work in a comic store and I’ve always been into this stuff. There’s a 10% über nerd within Rocksteady and on the other side of the scale there’s a 10% that have never read a Batman comic before we started, but that helped us. It meant we were appealing to everyone. That’s our job when making the game, to make sure you know about Batman, even if you’ve never read anything about Batman.

Sefton Hill: I think that’s something we’ve worked really hard to do. We’ve got that balance between hardcore and real mainstream fans that have only seen the films. Everyone here at (Rocksteady) loves Batman and we were super excited when starting on Arkham Asylum. But we always realized that this could be peoples’ first Batman game and might only know a very casual knowledge of the characters. We’re not going to jump in and start over whelming you with obscure characters. If you want to know more about the world this is a great place to start. And if you know about the world this game will drive that mythology even deeper. We have to constantly keep in check because we’ve spent four years talking and thinking about nothing else but Batman so you can almost become too entrenched.

Has your approach to marketing changed due to Batman: Arkham City being the sequel to such a critically acclaimed and successful game like Arkham Asylum?

Dax Ginn: It’s changed a lot, mostly due to the expectation and anticipation for the game. I think Arkham Asylum was a very unknown quantity for a lot of people, where as our challenge with Arkham City is more about trying to tell as many people about it as possible.

The core fans that I think really enjoyed Arkham Asylum were hardcore Batman fans. Where as Arkham City has been designed to appeal not just to hardcore Batman fans. People that might not buy many games but will buy the big hits of the year, we’re making sure that those gamers see Arkham City in the top five games they’re going to buy in the year.

Our whole attitude is to turn the release into an entertainment event, not just a game launch. But an event that’s more like a movie launch. Games are traditionally marketed in quite a geeky techie way, we want to treat this as more of a piece of entertainment rather than just a game.

Do you feel interactive marketing like Arkham Asylum's Arkham Care site and Bioshock 2’s something under the sea site are more beneficial than traditional marketing? Do you have plans to do a similar project with Arkham City?

Dax Ginn: We briefly considered doing an ARG (alternate reality game) that was really complicated because we know serious fans really dig that kind of thing. The problem with doing that is that there’s only one entry point, if you try and come in halfway through you feel as if you’ve missed the boat and also, as mentioned before, we’re trying to talk to as many people as possible.

We’ve still got loads of amazing features to come online with the website. We have a really active community in the way we never really had with Arkham Asylum, we’re really putting a lot of effort into the community. There’s so much stuff I wish we could talk about, the website (Community.ArkhamCity.com) is going to really evolve,

Sarah Wellock: There’s a lot of really cool stuff coming!

Dax Ginn: So it’s not going to be a really complicated sophisticated ARG that you’re either on board from day one or you miss completely. We’re creating something which is designed specifically for really hardcore fans, for community people, for guys that loved the first game and that are eagerly anticipating this one.

You recently unveiled Calendar Man’s character model for Batman: Arkham City. His design is very different from past appearances in the comics. Do you work closely with DC to try and stay true to previous character’s portrayals or do they give you creative freedom to change them?

Kan Muftic: My job as a concept artist is to always try and push things as far as I can, to give them a new twist. But you have to keep the old elements, the stuff that people actually like about it. But to still add the twist; I call this method the +1 method. You take something that’s existing but you shave off all the versions from the comics and movies and you’re left with the core character and then add this +1 element which is Arkham.

I think the reason Calendar Man works the way he does is because he exists in the world that we created. And to me characters are always dictated by the world that surrounds them and never the other way round. Arkham’s a gritty, dangerous, filthy horrible place that in reality no one would want to be there. So that’s what always dictates the look and feel of all the characters.

What was it like seeing your Arkham City concepts and ideas practically come to life within the CGI Hugo Strange trailer?

Kan Muftic: I got goosebumps. It felt like a big budget holiday block buster. The little quick sketches I did were moving, jumping, shooting, it was absolutely mind blowing. But wait till you see the game, it’s even better in the game because you interact with the world and all these characters.

You’ve explained how Arkham City is going to be almost five times the size of Arkham Asylum, what constraints are you putting in place within the city to avoid early exploring? Will you be able to explore the entire city from the start?

Sefton Hill: You’ll be able to explore most of the city right from the start, we really wanted to keep the player in-powered as Batman and didn't want to put any artificial barriers in there to stop him getting around.

There are areas that you’ll uncover obviously as you play through the game, there’s lots of secrets and rewards as you play through the game and new areas you get to explore. But you can go and explore the main city right from the start, if you do explore it right from the start you’re going to find lots of secrets around the place and different things to see. We worked really hard to try and tell the story of the different sections within Arkham City.

As you go into different zones the gang leaders will have different levels of security so if you go to areas that are away from the main part of the story you’re going to find them a bit more challenging, which gives it a RPG style almost.

Interview tapes were a great way of givi
ng a further insight into the characters of Arkham Asylum. Will a similar collectible appear in Arkham City?

Sefton Hill: There are tapes, there’s also some new things as well. We spent many many hours just discussing the many back stories of the characters.

Paul Crocker: The great thing about the tapes was that you could find out about the back stories, it was a great way of tying events in the universe that we can’t do in gameplay. It’s also a great way to bridge the game between Arkham Asylum and Arkham City. Obviously time has passed between the two and Batman’s life’s moved on between the games, things have happened, we’re not going to show all that, but we can hint at it in the things that people say about him throughout the city.

Sefton Hill: There’s things other than the tapes, but we can’t talk about them yet!

http://arkhamcity.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=2080

 

[Anno_Domini]

We need preparation to play Arkham City?

Damnit...guess I need to play AA then...

 

[ProjectPat2280]

Damnit...guess I need to play AA then...

Ah rats!

 

[The Joker]

We all know what they say about Batman and prep time

 

[The Caped Knight]

Batman: Arkham City Official Twitter

http://twitter.com/#!/arkhamcitynews

 

[Spider-X]

We all know what they say about Batman and prep time

yup...he can't beat anyone without it

 

[ProjectPat2280]

But can beat anyone with it.

 

[Robin's Holyisms]

Beginning in May, DC Comics will release a comic mini-series that will bridge the gap between 2009's incredible Batman: Arkham Asylum and its upcoming sequel, Batman: Arkham City. DC was kind enough to provide GI with an exclusive first look at the cover art and solicitation text from the fourth issue of the five-part series.

SPOILER WARNING: If you want absolutely no info on the upcoming mini-series or the game that will follow it, you may not want to read the solicitation text below.

With that out of the way -- if the image above makes it look like the Dark Knight is in a rough spot, the plot teaser definitely doesn't help. Apparently Batman will be forced to aid some of his greatest enemies in this issue:

"The miniseries that leads into the story of the Batman: Arkham City video game continues under the guidance of game writer Paul Dini. The gates swing shut on Arkham City, trapping small-time criminals and deadly Super-Villains behind its walls. As the prisoners struggle for survival, a rogue unit of Mayor Sharp's security force hunts down rival gang bosses The Joker and Two-Face. Not only must Batman save the lives of his greatest foes, he's got to fight his way through an army to do it!"

Sharp-eyed readers will note that the writer for the Batman: Arkham City comic, Paul Dini, is the same dude who wrote the scenario for the game as well as for Arkham Asylum. He's also a pretty great superhero comic writer in general, so that bodes well for this mini-series being worth reading. It also features art by Carlos D'Anda

Batman: Arkham City #4 will hit shelves in July for $2.99. In the mean time, check out the full cover art below. As for Arkham City the game, you'll have to wait until October 18.

GameInformer

 

[The Caped Knight]

Awesome cover art