The bat is back, and he’s bringing a tank...
Designing and introducing a new villain is a massive risk. Batman does not exist in a world short on lore and back-story of the kind that his legions of fans adore; the more dedicated of which will surely turn their noses up at a fresh face coming via a game, as opposed to a comic book.
For what it’s worth, though, the iniquitous Arkham Knight seems to fit within the Gotham’s shadowy ambience naturally and comfortably. He’s all muscle and military in appearance, but he possesses enough brain cells to provide a potential challenge above and beyond that which sheer brawn can muster. Who he actually is remains a mystery, the details being predictably kept under wraps in a bid to not give the game away.
He clearly hates the caped crusader with a vicious passion, we know that much, and he’s not above trying to end our hero’s existence in absence of the usual pomp and pageantry as embraced by the likes of the Joker and Poison ivy. It’s that directness, that threat of an instant and unpredictable attack, which gives Arkham Knight a lick of fresh faced danger.
The newbie is not the only one you need to worry about in this finale to rocksteady’s batman trilogy. Scarecrow is also on the prowl, getting up to his usual antics of gaining control through terror. Our latest hands-on time with the game saw batman infiltrating Gotham’s ace chemicals factory, the goal being
to wrestle control of it away from scarecrow and save the hostages he’s taken as leverage.
It all starts off in familiar fashion, a combination of stealth and combat as informed and determined by batman’s bag of tricks. Using the grappling hook to scale structures, quickly closing the gap to enemies and getting out of sight again with minimal delay is essential, not optional. The tool can now extend further and higher than before, allowing you more freedom in where you can zip up to and, thus, which encounters you can avoid.
Even more helpful is the new ‘fear takedown’ system, an attack that allows you to dispatch of enemies straight from cover. While hiding behind corners or under gratings you can now jump out at an unaware grunt and watch as batman knocks them senseless, if you’re quick enough on the trigger you can chain these attacks together to wipe out up to three bad guys at a time.
There’s no doubt that the system makes such a task easier, but there’s also no doubt that it makes you look and feel even closer to our traditional vision of who Batman is and what he can do. Getting that balance between making your actions ‘feel’ right and having them feel meaningful is, and always has been, one of Rocksteady’s most challenging hurdles with this series.
Chief within that balance, specifically as far as Arkham Knight is concerned, is the addition of the Batmobile, a vehicle very much inspired by the variations on show in the Christopher Nolan movies. Once inside the outer walls of Ace Chemicals, the Batmobile is essential for penetrating further and overcoming otherwise impenetrable obstacles.
To make use of all of its features you must consistently switch between its regular and battle modes. Regular Batmobile is faster but less agile, good for boosting across large gaps and racing quickly between point A and B. Battle mode is far more spritely, able to perform evasive dodge moves, strafe from side to side and cross narrow ledges. It also gives you access to machine guns and rocket launchers.
The interior courtyards of the factory are filled with small tanks belonging to the Arkham Knight. Yes, he’s joined the party. He must have been attracted by all the grappling. Fortunately for our friend, the Batmobile far outstrips these comparatively crude machines and it takes little effort to destroy them. It’s possible to use the Batmobile’s guns to neutralise foot soldiers, too, but it’s easier to do so in person.
You can glide straight out of the vehicle and home in on an enemy’s face, providing an elegant solution for moving between the realms of machine and melee-based combat. Again, this process is automated once you’ve initiated the manoeuvre so there’s little to no chance of missing an attack and/or looking stupid. In other words, there’s little chance of failure.
The climax of the demo sees Batman on the verge of rescuing one of the kidnapped Ace Chemical workers, only to be cornered and seemingly at the mercy of the Arkham Knight and a few of his henchmen. With the Batmobile in the area, however, help is always at hand.
You can control some of its functions remotely, including triggering a homing beacon that sees it drive itself to your location. It arrives behind Arkham Knight and his gang, turning what was a tricky situation for you into a terrible one for them. At the press of a button the camera switches to the Batmobile and from here you can use its riot gun (rubber bullets, Batman is still not interested in killing) to neutralise those enemies that look most dangerous. From there it’s a simple case of mopping up the stragglers.
Despite the inclusion of the Batmobile, the flow and pacing of your interactions feel incredibly similar to what we’ve played before. In Rocksteady’s hands Batman has always felt powerful, intimidating and fearless. That remains true here, perhaps more than it ever has.
We have no concerns whatsoever regarding the quality of the mechanics and the rules of this outing, we’re sure they’re going to work and blend together with the kind of precision that can only come from a studio infinitely familiar with the task at hand. Hopefully the Arkham Knight himself will fit well and truly into a mould that has proven so successful up to this point.
FORMAT: PS4, XOne, PC
PUBLISHER: Warner Bros.
DEVELOPER: Rocksteady Studios
RELEASED: TBC 2015
ONLINE: No