Batman: Arkham Asylum

[MournelitheCalix]

I get paid tomorrow and I am going to pick up the PS3 version of this game immediately.  I honestly can't wait the demo on steam was bad ass.  Has anyone played the joker levels?  I ask because I haven't heard really anything about it other than the joker is real fragile.

[Teleku]

So, is this game better on the PC or PS3?

[Kail]

So, is this game better on the PC or PS3?

I don't think it's out yet for the PC is it...?

As far as I can tell, it would control fine without a mouse, and the only exclusive content I know of is that Joker stuff for the PS3, so I'm inclined to say PS3, but I haven't played anything but the demo.

[Teleku]

Yeah, I guess I should have said, do the controls feel like they were designed for PC or a Console?  Game looks consolish to me, so I just figured I'd go with PS3.

[Ingmar]

The PC demo is out so you could try that. My guess is it will play better with a controller than a keyboard, but I've only played it on the xbox.

[LK]

You need a digital input instead of the analog keys to do very well in combat.

[Samwise]

I thought combat felt fine on the PC, but it was definitely designed for a console.

[NiX]

I thought combat felt fine on the PC, but it was definitely designed for a console.

Yeah, I agree with Sam. It doesn't feel awkward on the PC, but you can tell it would only serve you better to have a game pad.

[Kail]

So, I guess this game has SecuROM...?  Should I be worried?  What's the current status on that?

[UnSub]

Looking for logic in a comic book story:

Can anyone tell me what Dr Young though she would be achieving with the Titan formula? "Hey, you're a sociopath who's highly resistant to treatment, so let's give you steroids on steroids to fix that." I get what the Joker wanted, but for Dr Young to even start the project means she must have had some expectations of successful (read: non-super human killing machine) results.

[rk47]

Looking for logic in a comic book story:

Can anyone tell me what Dr Young though she would be achieving with the Titan formula? "Hey, you're a sociopath who's highly resistant to treatment, so let's give you steroids on steroids to fix that." I get what the Joker wanted, but for Dr Young to even start the project means she must have had some expectations of successful (read: non-super human killing machine) results.

Answer : Captain Gotham.

[Trippy]

She didn't know it was the Joker at first, I don't think. In the emails he used an alias (can't remember what it was at the moment). She was a very ambitious person and I think she probably saw it initially as a way to make a name for herself.

[UnSub]

Although Jack White helped finance the research, there wasn't a mention I can think of about exactly what the experiments were meant to achieve. I mean, working on Bane's Venom to turn it into something even more potent would make sense for her if it actually could have had some therapeutic benefits.

No big issue; just thought I'd ask if there was an obvious thing I'd missed that made the backstory make sense.

[rk47]

Found another good habit when doing combat challenges, do dodge more often (Double tap sprint) if you are unsure what to do next. This buys you another second and does not break combo, it also provides an effective defense against oncoming attacks that you might have missed.

[NiX]

If you have the PC version or are planning to get it, there is a patch that has to be downloaded through Games for Windows Live and sometimes is known to take anywhere from a couple minutes to an hour. So, if it seems like it's hanging at 98%, let it run and it'll eventually open the install dialogue for the patch.

[UnSub]

Found another good habit when doing combat challenges, do dodge more often (Double tap sprint) if you are unsure what to do next. This buys you another second and does not break combo, it also provides an effective defense against oncoming attacks that you might have missed.

Also, stun cape does not add to combo, but does not break combo either, so you can re-use it.

Throwing a quick batarang only takes one tap of the left trigger - double-tapping it can break the combo. However, you need to double-tap the right trigger for batclaw - single tapping that can break the combo.

It's a minor complaint, but whoever did the controls needs a quick chat. It's not great that some things are inconsistent - like the above, like how B is drop down unless you are hanging in which case A is drop down.

[LK]

I noticed Quick Batarang also doesn't give you the full second to continue the combo, so whenever I do it, I do an evade move to buy myself some time. I finally 1000'd the game so I've moved on but there was definitely a moment where I felt like I was getting really good at fighting in the game. Just... there's no point to getting really really good. :)

[Sky]

The PC demo is out so you could try that. My guess is it will play better with a controller than a keyboard, but I've only played it on the xbox.

I played it with a 360 controller on the pc and it was great.

[Mazakiel]

Although Jack White helped finance the research, there wasn't a mention I can think of about exactly what the experiments were meant to achieve. I mean, working on Bane's Venom to turn it into something even more potent would make sense for her if it actually could have had some therapeutic benefits.

No big issue; just thought I'd ask if there was an obvious thing I'd missed that made the backstory make sense.

My memory's a bit dodgy, because it's been a few weeks, but I think there was a commercial type deal going in the medical center about Project Titan, and how it was supposed to make it's subjects physically strong enough to be able to withstand the treatment they needed to cure their mental disease.  Joker would just be using way too strong a dose, hence the hulking out effect. 

[Kail]

Well, so far, loving it.  The villains really make this game, for me.  The Riddler, especially, though I am kind of annoyed at his "riddles."  Stupid crap like "Tweedledum and Tweedledee SAW it, can you SEE it?" being answered by snapping a photo of a see-saw?  Really?  The hell is this?  Worst of all are those "find the question mark" ones.  Sounded like a cool idea to me, " you see part of the question mark, and have to look around to figure out where you can see the whole thing from, and find a way to get there."  But you don't see anything unless you're running around with Joel-Schumacher-vision on all the time, even then it's usually way out of the way, and once you get there you have to futz around with the camera to line the stupid thing up.

Does anyone know what those sonic batarangs are for?  I got the upgrade, and they seem pretty useless.  The tooltip mentions something about them being in tune with the collars, which I guess using Superfriends-level science means they're supposed to lure them in, but I haven't seen it work on the rare occasions I've actually been in a position to use it.

[Triforcer]

AFter finishing it- love it.  The atmosphere makes this game for me.  The little touches, such as

 are awesome.  It would have been SO easy to try to stick in every iconic Batman villain in a series of shitty boss battles, where Two-face shoots laser beams at you or whatever.  But they just left subtle hints of the other criminals, which I like.  And they used Scarecrow in JUST the right way.

Also, I wish I would have entered that face capture contest.  I think the contest winner is located in .

My only nitpick are the boss battles.  I liked the Titan monster stuff, but the .  This wasn't a huge problem for me, since I play these games for the parts in between bosses anyway (bosses are just a necessary evil I try to get by). 

Verdict- awesome, worth full price even if there wasn't a Challenge mode. 

[NiX]

The Riddler, especially, though I am kind of annoyed at his "riddles."  Stupid crap like "Tweedledum and Tweedledee SAW it, can you SEE it?" being answered by snapping a photo of a see-saw?  Really?  The hell is this? Worst of all are those "find the question mark" ones.  Sounded like a cool idea to me, " you see part of the question mark, and have to look around to figure out where you can see the whole thing from, and find a way to get there."  But you don't see anything unless you're running around with Joel-Schumacher-vision on all the time, even then it's usually way out of the way, and once you get there you have to futz around with the camera to line the stupid thing up.

They're collectibles to unlock extra content, that's how it works. Also, every "riddle" is a picture. "Two DENTS on a wall" is two posters in one of the security huts in the same area where the see saw is. There isn't much else they could do without adding an entire section of the game solely for the riddler, which would deter from Arkham being manipulated as was, not before hand. You're his intellectual opponent in this setting, not trying to stop him from committing a crime.

[UnSub]

Does anyone know what those sonic batarangs are for?  I got the upgrade, and they seem pretty useless.  The tooltip mentions something about them being in tune with the collars, which I guess using Superfriends-level science means they're supposed to lure them in, but I haven't seen it work on the rare occasions I've actually been in a position to use it.

You throw them into a place in order to help set a trap. So, you might throw one near a grate so you get one guy by himself, take him down, then head off to prep a destructible wall nearby for when his friends show up to investigate. They can also be used to separate pairs of enemies.

[eldaec]

So this goddamn game finally gets released, and turns out that despite buying on steam I have to setup some BS microsoft account to able to save the game, and then reenter the sodding product key about a dozen time, update the 'microsoft live' software, and restart half a dozen times.

What is this bullshit?

[Big Gulp]

So this goddamn game finally gets released, and turns out that despite buying on steam I have to setup some BS microsoft account to able to save the game, and then reenter the sodding product key about a dozen time, update the 'microsoft live' software, and restart half a dozen times.

What is this bullshit?

Dunno, but you could always just torrent it.  I bought the game for the 360, but also wanted a copy on my PC, so my cheapass logic kicked in and said that it would be fine denying them a second bite of the apple.  Of course, you actually bought the PC version of the game, so your conscience should be even easier to soothe.

[NiX]

So this goddamn game finally gets released, and turns out that despite buying on steam I have to setup some BS microsoft account to able to save the game, and then reenter the sodding product key about a dozen time, update the 'microsoft live' software, and restart half a dozen times.

What is this bullshit?

I don't know why you had to restart so many times. But, not that I'm promoting piracy, but your newly acquired Games for Windows Live CD Key works for every Games for Windows Live game except for Section 8 and you can activate multiple games with the same key.

Enjoy!

[NiX]

Also, I wish I would have entered that face capture contest.  I think the contest winner is located in .

Yeah, that's him.

[eldaec]

The Riddler, especially, though I am kind of annoyed at his "riddles."  Stupid crap like "Tweedledum and Tweedledee SAW it, can you SEE it?" being answered by snapping a photo of a see-saw?  Really?  The hell is this? Worst of all are those "find the question mark" ones.  Sounded like a cool idea to me, " you see part of the question mark, and have to look around to figure out where you can see the whole thing from, and find a way to get there."  But you don't see anything unless you're running around with Joel-Schumacher-vision on all the time, even then it's usually way out of the way, and once you get there you have to futz around with the camera to line the stupid thing up.

They're collectibles to unlock extra content, that's how it works. Also, every "riddle" is a picture. "Two DENTS on a wall" is two posters in one of the security huts in the same area where the see saw is. There isn't much else they could do without adding an entire section of the game solely for the riddler, which would deter from Arkham being manipulated as was, not before hand. You're his intellectual opponent in this setting, not trying to stop him from committing a crime.

I thought the riddler thing was bullshit.

Add a scene where the riddler escapes, while explaining that the trophies are bombs and the riddle solutions are 'encrypted trigger codes', I don't know, this shit is supposed to be what professional writers do, something like that and you have a solid optional side mission.

This set up just reminds me I'm playing a console game.

[LK]

And the story reminds me I'm playing a comic book game. 

[UnSub]

I'd really like there to be a halt to all "collect 500 whatsits" as console achievements, but it won't happen because it is easy filler work that keeps players hanging on longer.

[eldaec]

And the story reminds me I'm playing a comic book game. 

The Dr Young thing in particular seemed to be cut off in mid flow.

Bane repeatedly refers to her as 'Bruja' in a rather forced manner, and shortly afterwards there are prisoner conversations the prisoner goes on the spell out that this is Spanish for 'witch'. I assumed this was a setup for Young taking on a villian persona.

My guess is that they originally wanted Dr Young to be an original villain, then cut that part but couldn't make the story work.

This would at least explain the flimsy Titan background.

[UnSub]

I saw the story as something that Dini probably worked backwards on - we want a big fight versus the Joker or the Joker wants a monster army, so we'll create a serum that will let that occur. Bane is the obvious candidate to kick things off with his Venom, and it is in Arkham so there are doctors so then this doctor creates the new version we need. Why? Mumble mumble mumble.

[LK]

So what you're saying is, as far as overall plot, Dini phoned it in, but the individual lines of dialog that occurs throughout the game are brilliant.

[Yegolev]

Maybe he's saying it's a pretty good story in the realm of Video Game Stories and serves its purpose of letting us pretend we are Batman.  I'm not analyzing the story too much and the lack of cohesion isn't bothering me a lot, but my expectation is in line with "one-hour special in which we see many major villains" style plot: it's flimsy but we get fan service.

[Samwise]

I'm still loving this game.  Just got the upgraded grapple.