Batman: Arkham Knight - Part 1

[The Caped Knight]

There is no such thing as Batman fatigue it's a myth.

 

[DrCosmic]

AC story was far from great. Arkham City is basically chase the cure. A lot of people get brainwashed into thinking 'the setting IS the story' which it isn't.

Thing is, Arkham City ( the game title that is ) never ever was about Arkham City ( the prison itself ). Arkham City is arguably the most intriguing and fascinating premise for a Batman story. A walled off prison like Escape From New York, with some of Gotham's worst villains in there dividing up the land between them. Whenever people talk about the story all they have the image of that very unique setting in the back of their heads.

If you take the setting away, if you just take the game's plot and put it into just a random corner of Gotham City.. it's actually one of most bland, run-down-the-Mill and forgettable Batman stories ever created.

The story in Arkham City is nothing more then a glorified 'chase/track-down story', one we've seen at least a thousand times in the Batman comics and done less contrived too.

Batman has to find Catwoman for information
Batman has to find Joker just because he took a pot shot at Catwoman with a gun
Batman has to find Mr. Freeze for finding Joker's cure
Batman has to find Penguin because he has Freeze prisoner
Batman has to find Ra's Al Ghul for finding an enzyme in his blood
Batman has to find Joker again for taking the cure
Batman has to stop Hugo Strange and stop Protocol 10
Batman has to find Joker again for taking Talia

Practically none of this has ANYTHING to do with the Arkham City situation or Strange foreshadowed "protocol 10", or the hierarchy among criminals and gang bosses.

I called Arkham City contrived because at times it really was. Batman is on a mission to stop Arkham City from the inside, take down Hugo Strange and prevent this mysterious "protocol 10" from happening. Yet for some reason he totally goes after Joker ( whose in prison with rules so "technically" is doing nothing wrong whatsoever ) because he fired a bullet at Catwoman. So what? It's the Joker! It's what he does for God's sake! Wouldn't taking down Hugo Strange be on a higher list for just this once?

Then Joker needs a cure.. which is again totally unrelated to any Protocol 10 sub-plot and is basically there to kill the time.. and of course Mr. Freeze has it. Who was coincidentally just kidnapped by Penguin, who then coincidentally needs a enzyme that only Ra's Al Ghul has, coincidentally one of his ninjas is sitting nearby in Penguin's display case.

I could go on, but the message should be clear. There's nothing extraordinary about Arkham City's story at all. Yes, the idea of prison built between Gotham were the inmates are allowed to tear each other apart.. is nothing short of genius. But it's never used for the story. The idea that Batman has to chase a cure because he got poisoned, is one the laziest and forgettable premises for a Batman story there is. That's the main story of AC.

There is not one character interaction in Asylum or City that matches to scenes like Joker's therapy session with Harley, or the Bruce/Alfred and Batman/Gordon interactions in AO.

By the end of the story in AO you feel like you've been through a proper rich Batman story.

Black Mask may have been wasted in Arkham Origins, but he was better used for the twist in the game. He didn't feel like a non entity. Unlike Hugo Strange and Two Face, who were promoted as big presence characters in AC, and are nothing but glorified cameos with barely any relevance to the main game story.

Even in the game you're always hearing Dent's man blabbing to each other that he's coming back, and you're waiting and waiting for it, and then we find out it's just a Catwoman side mission where she whups him again.

I love Asylum and City, brilliant games, but the game stories are among the weakest Dini has ever written. Asylum is better written than City though. City is by far the weakest of the trio story wise.

This is a beautiful post. It points out something that should be obvious but has been overlooked by many due to hype of the incredible setting and gameplay in Arkham City and Timm's proven Batman skillzah. Not only that, it does so in a comprehensive and utterly non judgmental manner. I wish I could post like this.

AC could have been even stronger if it had centered on Strange (as the opening scenes indicated) with Joker being a wildcard to add some great chaos to the story. I know they wanted to honor Hamill and his last appearance, but I think the game suffered for it a bit. Would have loved to seen territory skirmishes and such as a much more major issue. Having Batman take territory could have been totally cool. Joker could still have been an overarching issue, what with Joker's consolidating power will put him in a position to shut down Arkham City and unleash it on all of Gotham. Could have had a twist too with Red Hood or something. There were options.

 

[TX85]

AC sure had much potential for stories if it had focused on strange and AC itself

 

[OutOfBoose]

New info on the Batmobile in GI.

 

[TheFirstAvenger]

http://www.gameinformer.com/b/featu...mobile-designing-batman-s-iconic-vehicle.aspx

 

[ChrisBaleBatman]

Nice. Next update is supposed to be on the 10th.

No idea when we'll be getting gameplay videos. Has to be the last cherry on this ice cream, I suppose.

 

[TheFirstAvenger]

I doubt we'll see gameplay for a while.

 

[OutOfBoose]

They're going to squeeze it for weeks now... Designing Gotham, introducing old foes, music, arsenal, retrospective... Ugh. Show the goddamn gameplay already.

 

[zenith16]

It'll be before E3 just during that week most likely. That'll be the time we might see game play. unless they hint other wise.

 

[TheFirstAvenger]

It doesn't come out until October so that don't need to release it this early.

 

[ChrisBaleBatman]

Yeah, with the announcement...E3 seems like the place to have some 15 minute live stage demo showcasing the gameplay and the batmobile.

Can't even remember where the word on GI having a gameplay vid came from.

 

[TX85]

E3 is a good bet and will be fine since it would still be months away from release

 

[zenith16]

Yeah, with the announcement...E3 seems like the place to have some 15 minute live stage demo showcasing the gameplay and the batmobile.

Can't even remember where the word on GI having a gameplay vid came from.

it was a poster that doesn't talk that much, but he/she was accurate about the trailer at least. I can't remember the name and I don't feel like hunting it down .

 

[The Caped Knight]

http://www.gameinformer.com/b/featu...mobile-designing-batman-s-iconic-vehicle.aspx

 

[TX85]

Great read on the Batmobile!

 

[Two-Face]

That was a good read on Batmobile. I hope the side missions little while longer.

 

[AnneFan]

"You’re looking at the fast travel system,” Hill said. “I think we felt that it would take away from the experience rather than add to it because moving through the city is definitely part of the game.”

A veiled dig at the Origins batwing, I think.

 

[Jick]

I'm glad for the Batwing. The grapnel boost got boring and tiresome after a while.
I'm sure the Batmobile will be much more fun, though.

 

[BrollySupersj]

http://www.gameinformer.com/b/featu...mobile-designing-batman-s-iconic-vehicle.aspx

Goddamn beautiful. The removal of instatravel is a smart move.

 

[jacobed]

They should have kept it in. Not a big deal that its gone but I like the option. It's nice especially on big maps

 

[CapedCrusader14]

Anybody see that on Steam that Arkham Knight is listed as the 14th of October for a release date?

 

[jonathancrane]

I imagine the Batmobile will compensate.

 

[A Necessary Evil]

AC story was far from great. Arkham City is basically chase the cure. A lot of people get brainwashed into thinking 'the setting IS the story' which it isn't.

Thing is, Arkham City ( the game title that is ) never ever was about Arkham City ( the prison itself ). Arkham City is arguably the most intriguing and fascinating premise for a Batman story. A walled off prison like Escape From New York, with some of Gotham's worst villains in there dividing up the land between them. Whenever people talk about the story all they have the image of that very unique setting in the back of their heads.

If you take the setting away, if you just take the game's plot and put it into just a random corner of Gotham City.. it's actually one of most bland, run-down-the-Mill and forgettable Batman stories ever created.

The story in Arkham City is nothing more then a glorified 'chase/track-down story', one we've seen at least a thousand times in the Batman comics and done less contrived too.

Batman has to find Catwoman for information
Batman has to find Joker just because he took a pot shot at Catwoman with a gun
Batman has to find Mr. Freeze for finding Joker's cure
Batman has to find Penguin because he has Freeze prisoner
Batman has to find Ra's Al Ghul for finding an enzyme in his blood
Batman has to find Joker again for taking the cure
Batman has to stop Hugo Strange and stop Protocol 10
Batman has to find Joker again for taking Talia

Practically none of this has ANYTHING to do with the Arkham City situation or Strange foreshadowed "protocol 10", or the hierarchy among criminals and gang bosses.

I called Arkham City contrived because at times it really was. Batman is on a mission to stop Arkham City from the inside, take down Hugo Strange and prevent this mysterious "protocol 10" from happening. Yet for some reason he totally goes after Joker ( whose in prison with rules so "technically" is doing nothing wrong whatsoever ) because he fired a bullet at Catwoman. So what? It's the Joker! It's what he does for God's sake! Wouldn't taking down Hugo Strange be on a higher list for just this once?

Then Joker needs a cure.. which is again totally unrelated to any Protocol 10 sub-plot and is basically there to kill the time.. and of course Mr. Freeze has it. Who was coincidentally just kidnapped by Penguin, who then coincidentally needs a enzyme that only Ra's Al Ghul has, coincidentally one of his ninjas is sitting nearby in Penguin's display case.

I could go on, but the message should be clear. There's nothing extraordinary about Arkham City's story at all. Yes, the idea of prison built between Gotham were the inmates are allowed to tear each other apart.. is nothing short of genius. But it's never used for the story. The idea that Batman has to chase a cure because he got poisoned, is one the laziest and forgettable premises for a Batman story there is. That's the main story of AC.

There is not one character interaction in Asylum or City that matches to scenes like Joker's therapy session with Harley, or the Bruce/Alfred and Batman/Gordon interactions in AO.

By the end of the story in AO you feel like you've been through a proper rich Batman story.

Black Mask may have been wasted in Arkham Origins, but he was better used for the twist in the game. He didn't feel like a non entity. Unlike Hugo Strange and Two Face, who were promoted as big presence characters in AC, and are nothing but glorified cameos with barely any relevance to the main game story.

Even in the game you're always hearing Dent's man blabbing to each other that he's coming back, and you're waiting and waiting for it, and then we find out it's just a Catwoman side mission where she whups him again.

I love Asylum and City, brilliant games, but the game stories are among the weakest Dini has ever written. Asylum is better written than City though. City is by far the weakest of the trio story wise.

 

[CapedCrusader14]

AC story was far from great. Arkham City is basically chase the cure. A lot of people get brainwashed into thinking 'the setting IS the story' which it isn't.

Thing is, Arkham City ( the game title that is ) never ever was about Arkham City ( the prison itself ). Arkham City is arguably the most intriguing and fascinating premise for a Batman story. A walled off prison like Escape From New York, with some of Gotham's worst villains in there dividing up the land between them. Whenever people talk about the story all they have the image of that very unique setting in the back of their heads.

If you take the setting away, if you just take the game's plot and put it into just a random corner of Gotham City.. it's actually one of most bland, run-down-the-Mill and forgettable Batman stories ever created.

The story in Arkham City is nothing more then a glorified 'chase/track-down story', one we've seen at least a thousand times in the Batman comics and done less contrived too.

Batman has to find Catwoman for information
Batman has to find Joker just because he took a pot shot at Catwoman with a gun
Batman has to find Mr. Freeze for finding Joker's cure
Batman has to find Penguin because he has Freeze prisoner
Batman has to find Ra's Al Ghul for finding an enzyme in his blood
Batman has to find Joker again for taking the cure
Batman has to stop Hugo Strange and stop Protocol 10
Batman has to find Joker again for taking Talia

Practically none of this has ANYTHING to do with the Arkham City situation or Strange foreshadowed "protocol 10", or the hierarchy among criminals and gang bosses.

I called Arkham City contrived because at times it really was. Batman is on a mission to stop Arkham City from the inside, take down Hugo Strange and prevent this mysterious "protocol 10" from happening. Yet for some reason he totally goes after Joker ( whose in prison with rules so "technically" is doing nothing wrong whatsoever ) because he fired a bullet at Catwoman. So what? It's the Joker! It's what he does for God's sake! Wouldn't taking down Hugo Strange be on a higher list for just this once?

Then Joker needs a cure.. which is again totally unrelated to any Protocol 10 sub-plot and is basically there to kill the time.. and of course Mr. Freeze has it. Who was coincidentally just kidnapped by Penguin, who then coincidentally needs a enzyme that only Ra's Al Ghul has, coincidentally one of his ninjas is sitting nearby in Penguin's display case.

I could go on, but the message should be clear. There's nothing extraordinary about Arkham City's story at all. Yes, the idea of prison built between Gotham were the inmates are allowed to tear each other apart.. is nothing short of genius. But it's never used for the story. The idea that Batman has to chase a cure because he got poisoned, is one the laziest and forgettable premises for a Batman story there is. That's the main story of AC.

There is not one character interaction in Asylum or City that matches to scenes like Joker's therapy session with Harley, or the Bruce/Alfred and Batman/Gordon interactions in AO.

By the end of the story in AO you feel like you've been through a proper rich Batman story.

Black Mask may have been wasted in Arkham Origins, but he was better used for the twist in the game. He didn't feel like a non entity. Unlike Hugo Strange and Two Face, who were promoted as big presence characters in AC, and are nothing but glorified cameos with barely any relevance to the main game story.

Even in the game you're always hearing Dent's man blabbing to each other that he's coming back, and you're waiting and waiting for it, and then we find out it's just a Catwoman side mission where she whups him again.

I love Asylum and City, brilliant games, but the game stories are among the weakest Dini has ever written. Asylum is better written than City though. City is by far the weakest of the trio story wise.

I would also like to add that Arkham Knight's story so far doesn't sound that fresh, all the villains band together to take down the Batman on one night?

Arkham Origins worked along a similar story set-up just like that.

 

[jonathancrane]

So did Arkham Asylum.