Batman: Arkham City afterthoughts

Now that Battlefield 3 is out (though sometimes barely working), I’ll be putting much less time into Arkham City. I’ll no doubt be revisiting the scum-ridden section of Gotham in the future, because as much as I’m enjoying the current version of EA DICE’s war simulator, “AC” is still my heavy favorite for Game of the Year.

I went back and read through my review of the game (which I wrote before finishing the story) and realized there were quite a few aspects of the game I forgot to mention. Be forewarned, the following may contain spoilers and if you don’t want anything about this game ruined, you may want to move onto another of the many fine articles on this blog. I’ll say it again in big letters SPOILERS AHEAD. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

-I can’t believe I didn’t talk about the Catwoman missions. They intertwine with the Batman story at points and gives a slightly different perspective on the story. For instance, at the start of the game, you as Catwoman are trying to steal something from Two-Face and Batman – looking for info about Arkham City – must save Catwoman. Later on, Batman is ambushed and Catwoman must decide between raiding Hugo Strange’s contraband vault or saving his life. Though her section of the story don’t drastically change anything, it’s neat to get a little bit of a different perspective on the events of the game. Her combat style is a bit quicker than Batman’s and her gadgets (whip, bolos and caltrops) are interesting but ultimately I’d rather be playing as Batman and using his, much wider array of gadgets. On top of that, Thief Vision (her version of Detective Mode) is fairly useless. It shows enemies but not what they are holding and makes everything a muddy shade of brown rather than doing anything useful.

-There are a ton of upgrades to earn. Gadget upgrades, new combat moves, as well as upgrades for Catwoman. While most are just nice to have (especially upgraded ballistic/combat armor), the most effective I’ve found is Batman’s ground takedown where Batman will leap into the air and toss Batarangs at downed enemies, finishing them off. Using special moves like this are fun in the normal game but are basically necessary to use on New Game Plus.

-New Game Plus is unlocked after completing the main story and allows you to play through the game again but against tougher enemies from the get-go and no counter-attack indicator. Enemies on New Game Plus are generally much more aggressive than in the standard game and will regularly have body armor, weapons and firearms making actions as simple as traversing the streets a dangerous task. New Game Plus is a really great challenge – even though I’m stuck on the Poison Ivy boss fight because I never leveled up any of Catwoman’s armor.

-You can also still continue playing the regular game after you’ve finished the story, even if you’ve started a New Game Plus – extremely fortunate for me so that I can level up Catwoman’s stats. You’ll undoubtedly still have plenty of Riddler trophies to collect as well as sidequests to complete so being able to go back and hunt down these overlooked extras outside of the challenging New Game Plus is a nice touch.

-You know, Riddler could almost be Batman’s greatest nemesis – well, in terms of this game anyway. Long after you’ve dealt with Strange, Ra’s and the Joker you’ll still be hunting down trophies and riddles strewn about by Edward Nigma – many of which will probably stump the hell out of you. Often I’ve spent 10-20 minutes trying to figure out some puzzle only to get fed up, fly off in some random direction, only to get sidetracked by another one of Riddler’s puzzles. Plus, Riddler henchmen are scattered all over Arkham City who will mark trophies and riddles on your map. Granted you need to beat down any other henchmen who may be hanging around – which can be kinda difficult as you need to focus on taking down everyone but the Riddler’s man so you can interrogate him (read: threaten him, get info and then smash his face in).

-Augmented Reality missions are a paaaain. These side missions are meant to challenge your flying/gliding abilities but are honestly more annoying than they are worth. These challenges mostly deal with flying/gliding through a series of 4-5 coronas. The first one or two are simple enough but before long you’re tasked with following intricate flight paths that can take just as long to figure out as they can be to complete (since many twist their way through narrow, sometimes indoor, areas). Honestly, I’d rather just dive bomb/glide/grapnel hook (an upgrade which uses the grappling hook to sling shot Batman into the air to extend your glide) around the city for fun – mostly because I have much more fun just flying around than anyone should.

-The voice acting is once again superb. Mark Hamill reprising his role as the Joker and Kevin Conroy as Batman do an incredible job bringing the characters to life. Plus, being a huge nerd, I love putting the Animated Series skin on, playing New Game Plus, and pretending like I’m actually in the Animated Series.

-With the improvements to the combo system (hot key gadgets, attacks built up to by doing longer combos, stun attacks, multiple counters (blade and regular), I’m finding the challenge rooms more enjoyable. Last game the best course of action was pretty much just attacking and countering but “AC” really allows you to get creative with your fighting style while being flexible on letting you extend your combo. The numerous enemy types (inmates, Tyger guards, armored guys, ninjas, one armed clown guys, Titans and the different weapons they can all carry (shield, batons, guns, blades, throwables) keeps the combat interesting and keeps you on your toes. There are also new “campaign” missions available in the challenge section of the main menu but I never got around to trying them out.

-It would have been nice if there were more skins for Batman. Maybe I need to unlock more but it seems like the only one I have is the Animated Series Batman that I got for preordering at GameStop. (Which is great – I loved that cartoon). From what I can gather, the different skins were available as preorder bonuses from different outlets and most will be available for purchase later. I’ve also been trying to find out more information on the Robin DLC (and the alleged Nightwing DLC as well) but haven’t found much solid information other than “they will be available for download at some point in the future.” Though I am pretty sure that the Robin DLC will only allow you to use the character in challenge rooms and won’t let you cruise around Arkham City as Boy Wonder.

-I wish there were a few more boss fights, or at least more interesting boss fights. There really isn’t anything that rivals the Scarecrow parts from “AA” (the Mad Hatter sidequest and the Ra’s al Ghul level are about the closest) and while the final boss fight is more interesting than the final fight in “AA,” I’m still unsure how I feel about it. In the first game you fought Joker, but a beefed up, Titan infused version of Joker which was pretty unsatisfying as a final boss since it was basically just another fight. The final fight of “AC” against Clayface is a multi-part affair and actually comes out of left field (I certainly didn’t guess that Joker never took the cure to begin with and it was, for the most part, Clayface we were seeing). And while the fight with him is intense and leaves the door open for another game (Clayface did just jump into Ra’s’ immortality pit, didn’t he?), I’m not sure how I feel about the ending as a whole. Sure, having Joker’s own uncontrollability lead to his ultimate demise is very fitting but to have the entire game come down to Batman punching Strange a bunch of times and letting Ra’s and Joker basically kill themselves felt very anti-climactic. What happens to Arkham City now? Is Joker really dead? How did Strange discover Bruce Wayne’s secret in the first place and you actually want me to believe he didn’t tell ANYONE else that Wayne is Batman?

Batman: Arkham City - Holy incredible sequels, Batman!

If ain’t broke, don’t fix it - the folks at developer Rocksteady seem to have taken this mantra to heart when crafting “Batman: Arkham City,” the sequel to the breakout hit “Batman: Arkham Asylum.” Taking place about a year after the events of the original, Quincy Sharp is now the mayor of Gotham and has moved all the inmates of Arkham Asylum and Blackgate Prison into a new maximum security prison named “Arkham City” - a walled off section of the city itself. Sharp puts a man named Hugo Strange in charge of this risky new institution and employs an army of mercenaries from a group call TYGER to round up criminals and keep inmates from escaping. Anyone who speaks out against Sharp and Strange have a way of winding up in Arkham City and turns the prison into a constant battleground between the various super-criminals and their thugs.

The opening sequence to “AC” is absolutely superb. It’s extremely cinematic and sets up the game perfectly – the chaotic mess of the events of the intro translates perfectly into the chaos that Batman finds inside the prison’s walls. Once inside the prison itself, Batman must contend with a cadre of super villains while investigating Strange and looking for a way to shut down the prison for good.

Everything about “AC” is bigger and bolder than its predecessor. While this means enhanced visuals, a deeper combat system, and more gadgets to play around with, it also means a deeper, more twisting narrative. Though this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, the number of super villains with their own quests and storylines all sort of blend together and the main, overarching storyline losses steam at times because of it. There are major plot points dealing with Strange and the Joker that often times feel overshadowed by sidequests and the winding nature of including so many different characters into the plot.

For example (this might sound bland or confusing but I’m trying to make it as spoiler free as possible) I had a run-in with Joker. After this, I had to find Mr. Freeze to get his help against Joker. Come to find out, Freeze has been captured by Penguin. After completing a long indoor sequence to find him and defeat Cobblepot as well, I learn from Freeze that I must now find Ra’s Al Ghul (whose name they pronounce “ray-sh” and not “raaz” like in the movies and I don’t know which is correct), which is another long sequence in itself that ends in a boss battle. Returning to Freeze initiates another boss battle and so on and so on. And this stuff doesn’t have anything at all to do with Hugo Strange. Oh and also Catwoman is doing some stuff. Confused yet? Well you better start paying attention cause what I just described is, like, maybe 10 hours or so into a(n allegedly) 40 hour game. Luckily the format of the game, now a more traditional open-world environment, offers plenty of opportunity to have some fun outside of following the winding plot.

Though “Arkham Asylum” was basically an open world game, that title didn’t offer nearly as much side content as “AC.” Where in “AA” the sidequests amounted to basically finding Riddler trophies and riddles, “AC” has numerous sidequests to embark on as well as even more Riddler junk to collect. The city setting itself really shines as its own character, feeling alive, well-tread and teeming with villains and thugs that are all asking for a good thrashing. What truly makes the setting shine is how it deftly blends the major elements of gameplay – fighting, stealth and detective work – cohesively together. Where in “AA” the majority of encounters took place inside buildings where each room would have a specific method of progression – whether it was getting into a huge fight or taking out armed guards one by one, you pretty much knew it was going to be one or the other. On the streets of Arkham City, these encounters all happen organically. The streets teem with criminals – some have guns, some have bats, some have car doors used like shields – and it is up to you as Batman to take them out silently or engage in an all-out brawl.

Brawling is essentially the same as the first game – X attacks, B stuns and Y counters. It’s a simple equation to grasp but incredibly difficult to master. With the correct amount of button presses, Batman can now counter multiple enemies at once which also comes with new animations for combat as well as counters. Gadgets with uses in combat are also hot-keyed now (used to pulling the left trigger and pressing a face button) making it incredibly easy to throw Batarangs, stun enemies or disarm them during the course of a fight.

I can’t stress this enough how badass this game will make you feel. Setting up ambushes, taking out crowds of 15 or more thugs and pulling off crazy combos just like Batman would makes you feel like a boss. There’s almost nothing about this game I don’t like. Well, almost nothing.

While “AC” is an incredible experience overall, there are a few aspects of its design I feel could’ve used some work. For example, “AC” could’ve taken a big lesson in free-running from the “Assassin’s Creed” series. Though gliding/grappling around Arkham City is intuitive and easy, Batman’s movement across rooftops, billboards and watertowers is often interrupted by Batman simply not grasping a ledge he clearly should have or by your grappling hook deciding to take you in a different direction of its own choosing. With all your gadgets occupying each of the eight directions on the D-pad and some stacking multiple in a direction, it’s sometimes a little annoying to select the exact gadget you want. On top of that, silent takedowns can sometimes take a good amount of time to execute, leaving you very open to be discovered and take damage. I’ve found this to be especially true of Catwoman but it happens to Bats from time to time as well.

Those points, along with the sometimes overly-crowded plot, are pretty much my only complaints. The visuals and sound design are improved over the already slick sound and graphics of “AA,” with every detail of the city and characters appearing stunningly sharp. The music also sounds like it could fit perfectly into a Christopher Nolan Batman movie, adding to the epic trappings of this title. I don’t know if I’ve accurately conveyed just how much I love this game. Being a big fan of the Dark Knight only enhances the experience but literally anyone could pick up this game and have fun. The simplicity of its design and its gameplay that marries both stealth and close-combat fighting so exquisitely makes “Batman: Arkham City” not just a game you shouldn’t miss but a definite Game of the Year contender. And in a year featuring new releases from “Call of Duty,” “Battlefield,” “Assassins Creed,” “Gears of War” and “Elder Scrolls,” that is some very high praise indeed.

Warhammer 40k: Space Marine review - For the Emperor!

In the grim darkness of the future, there is only war. Fans of the storied “Warhammer” franchise know this tagline well but for the uninitiated, let me shed some light on the future in which humanity finds itself constantly fighting for survival.

In this bleak future, humanity, organized into the galactic-spanning Imperium of Man, follows the will of the living God, the Emperor of Mankind. Throughout the millennia, humanity has been beset by factions looking to conquer and destroy the human race – whether those forces be human in kind, alien or otherworldly is inconsequential, the Imperium exists to safeguard the race of man and see its existence continued. Though highly technologically advanced, the means and ways that brought mankind to these inventions were lost with the Emperor when he fell in battle protecting Earth, leaving mankind to look upon His works of technology with religious reverence. Before his fall at the hands of his own creations, the Emperor created the first of his Adeptus Astartes, otherwise known as the Space Marines, to protect humanity and unite them across the stars.

The Space Marines are the constant protectors of the human race. Having undergone severe genetic manipulation and rigorous training, Space Marines are superior to normal humans in every aspect. Whether the threat is from Orks, Eldar, Necron, or the Ruinous Powers of Chaos, the Space Marines live only to serve the Emperor. The duty of the Space Marine only ends in death. Every human works toward the preservation of the race – whether in factories producing arms and munitions, in the Imperial Guard, or as Adeptus Astartes – living by the saying, “It is better to die for the Emperor than live for yourself.” Though the human race lives under the oppressive thumb of the Imperium, working and dying to preserve humanity is seen as a far better alternative to living as a slave to the Chaos Gods or overwhelmed by the Ork hordes.

With this bit of information, it’ll be a little easier to explain the plot of “Warhammer 40k: Space Marine.” The Forge World of Graia (a massive, planet-sized factory) has come under assault by Orks who are looking to loot the planet of its weaponry as well as a massive war machine known as a Titan. In most instances, an invasion or Orks of this magnitude would be rectified by Exterminatus, or rather the purging of an entire planet’s population. In this case, however, it is determined that Graia is too valuable to be dealt such a killing blow and instead members of a chapter of Space Marines – the Ultramarines – are called in quell the invasion and assist the planetary Imperial Guard in retaking sections of the factory overrun by greenskins. However, all is not as it seems – the forces of Chaos are also at work on Graia and it is up to Captain Titus and his Battle Brothers to save the planet.

If you’ve been keeping up with this blog (and why wouldn’t you), you’ll remember I did a piece a while back on the demo for this game as well. Though I wasn’t initially intending on picking up this game so soon, a price drop at Best Buy was too tempting to resist and I find myself back in the power armored boots of Captain Titus.

“Space Marine” is a third-person shooter and while it may be compared to “Gears of War” by most, the two games actually aren’t much alike. In fact, I’d wager a majority of the net nerds who call out “Space Marine” for ripping off “Gears” don’t even realize the property was created well before Cliffy B. even made his first game. Where the gameplay in “Gears” focuses on tactical shooting and using cover, “Space Marine” combines both shooting and melee action for a blend of action that’s just a little bit more adrenaline pumping than the well known Epic series.

Though ranged weapons are an important part of your arsenal, the Space Marines also make use of a variety of imaginative close combat weaponry such as the Chainsword and Thunder Hammer. Titus and his brethren have no use for cover and, as they are basically walking tanks, wade into combat and meet the enemy head-on. Titus battles the marauding Ork hordes for the majority of the solo campaign. Orks crave warfare and are ferocious opponents who have little regard for their own lives as Titus and the Ultramarines cut down wave after wave of the aliens. Luckily, the combat, both close and ranged, is fast and fluid and a heck of a lot of fun.

I’m incredibly pleased with how easy and intuitive it is to mix both ranged and melee attacks into combat. The triggers are used for firing weapons, as is the case in most shooters, while the X, Y, and B buttons (attack, stun, and execute) are used for melee combat. Removing the need to switch from melee to ranged weapons keeps the action fast and intense. You’ll need this fluid use of both ranged and melee combat to fend off the bloodthirsty Orks as they too utilize both ranged and close weapons.

The pacing of the single player game is also very nicely done. The set pieces aren’t as sweeping and dramatic as in “Gears” though they get the job done and make for an enthralling experience. While entertaining, the solo campaign itself is pretty short and could do with some bigger moments or boss battles to make gamers want to experience the solo story again. The excellent pacing, fun combat and hidden collectibles will make replaying this game a definite option. Plus, there are various difficulties so you can really challenge yourself. It should also be noted that even though there are a handful of collectibles to find (Servo Skulls scattered throughout the game), “Space Marine” is a linear experience and exploration is very minimal.

While the majority of the fighting you’ll do in “Space Marine” is very enjoyable (especially the few instances where you get to make use of the jetpack) some encounters are incredibly annoying. You’ll often be facing overwhelming odds, though this is nothing a Space Marine can’t handle. Only in many of these fights, Orks with rocket launchers will rain down death upon you before you even realize they are on the field. I didn’t die very often in “Space Marine” but I think the majority of my deaths were the result of Rokkit Orks (Orks can’t spell very well) dominating me while I tried to thin out the Slugga or Shoota Boyz first.

I absolutely love the art style and design of “Space Marine.” The character design is impeccable – the Space Marines are large and imposing, their armor expertly crafted and bears the scars of countless battles; the Orks are beefy and ugly with razor sharp claws and teeth; and the forces of Chaos are twisted and all-around evil looking. Plus the use of dynamic lighting really shows off the incredible detail found in each individual character. Cutscenes, which help move the story along, really let you soak in the rich visual details of “Space Marine.”

The sound design is also really well done. The sound of the Space Marine’s boots stomping around is always present but never overpowers your senses and the report of the game’s inventive weaponry is suitably loud and very intimidating. On the other hand, probably the biggest complaint I have (and have heard from others) about the game is how the Orks will constantly and incessantly yell “SPACE MARINES!” when they see you, when they shoot at you, when they’re being killed by you – generally whenever they’re on screen and near you, you can be sure one of them will be yelling “SPACE MARINES! KILL THE SPACE MARINES!” or some variation of those words. And since the Orks have hilarious Cockney accents, they almost sound like they’re yelling “Spice Marines” which is funny at first but gets really old, really quick.

While on the subject of annoyances, the only way to regain lost health in the solo campaign is to stun an Ork and execute him (stunned Orks are made obvious by the giant B over their heads). These executions are brutally satisfying but Titus can still take damage while performing them. Some of the animations, while still cool, are a little drawn out and leave you very open to attack basically meaning that you’ll have to wait until the fight is almost over before you can refill your health. Activating Fury also refills your health, though activating it just to restore health may mean you don’t have it when you really need it.

Along with the solo campaign, “Space Marine” offers a multiplayer component that lets players battle it out as the Emperor’s Space Marines or as twisted Chaos Marines. There are only two modes to choose from right now (Annihilation [deathmatch] and Seize Ground [domination]) but the co-op mode, “Exterminatus,” is going to be released on Oct. 25. The two modes are straightforward and you probably already have a pretty good grasp on what they entail. Exterminatus lets you and three others team up to take on waves of enemies in specially designed missions. I’m not sure if this mode will make use of matchmaking, though.

In MP, you initially have access to three classes – Tactical, Devastator and Assault. Tactical is the standard loadout featuring a Bolter and grenades. Devastator allows you to wield the supremely powerful Heavy Bolter, which can be mounted on the fly to allow for greater accuracy and rate of fire. Assault is probably the most interesting class as it is melee focused and allows use of a jetpack. As you level up you can unlock customizable loadout slots to build your perfect Space Marine.

Speaking of building your perfect soldier, “Space Marine” offers a ton of character customization. Not only can you swap in numerous different parts for each individual piece of your armor but you can choose from many color schemes as well as different emblems so you can play as your preferred chapter (Space Wolves and World Eaters for me). Not only are a bunch of weapons to unlock but also many different perks which enhance your abilities (like new ammo types, more powerful melee attacks, enemy info readouts, etc.). These customization options all act as great incentives to keep you revisiting the multiplayer. Also, I think I read that items and weapons unlocked in multiplayer will also be available for use in Exterminatus.

The action in multiplayer is smooth and incredibly enjoyable. I’ve experienced very little lag so far, though I’ve read a lot of complaints on the internet about lag and inability to find games. Every so often the matchmaking will take longer than usual but nothing so bad to keep me from playing. No one class really has an advantage over the others which keeps everyone on a level playing field. Jetpack classes are very prevalent though they can be dealth with by keeping on the move (remember, they only have melee weapons and pistols) and Devastators, while using very powerful Heavy Bolters, are also very slow and can’t dodge like the other classes. I could do with a few more maps, though, as I feel like there are only 5-6 overall.

I can’t seem to say enough good things about this game (and I don’t think that it’s just because I’ve become a giant WH40k fan in the past few months). The art is very cool, the sounds of battle and the report of weapons fits very well, the gameplay is smooth and feels substantially heavy (each Space Marine weighs close to half a ton) while not so slow that the combat isn’t intense and pulse-pounding. With a short but sweet solo campaign and multiplayer that offers plenty to keep you interested and coming back for more, “Space Marine” is the start of a great series for THQ and Relic Entertainment. There are so many different directions sequels can be taken in but what I truly hope they include next time are vehicles. The WH40k universe and Space Marines feature a vast selection of cool vehicles (like Predator tanks, Land Raiders and Dreadnoughts) that would make sections featuring large scale vehicular combat just amazing. (And yes, fanboys, I know Dreadnoughts aren’t exactly vehicles in the traditional sense but who says Titus couldn’t be grievously injured and putting him in a Dreadnought is the only way to keep him alive?) Whatever the future holds, “Space Marine” is a great jumping off point for the series that I hope will receive numerous sequels as well as continued DLC support.