We've been pretty lucky. In August 2009 Rocksteady brought us the definitive Batman game (make that the definitive superhero game) and no-one saw it coming.
Until then we'd had to make do with horrifically mediocre action games dressed as superheroes and Arkham Asylum was the first to put Batman first and build a game around him.
And late last year, while the dark but beautiful nightmare of Arkham Asylum was still fresh in our memories, we were treated to a substantial teaser trailer which not only confirmed a sequel (as if there was any doubt) but also hinted at all kinds of possibilities.
A wider game world in Gotham City and appearances from villains such as Two Face, Black Mask, The Penguin and maybe Catwoman all look likely. Right now, however, the only thing that we can truly count on is an appearance from Batman himself. Here's a few things CVG thinks would accompany The Dark Knight quite nicely in his next outing:
BETTER BOSSES The Titan-pumped super mutants were little more than bumbling clichés; big, dumb, powerful and predictable. It's a formula that's been used time and time again. In Arkham Asylum it was fun to begin with, but after fighting variations on the theme for the fifth time it got a bit boring. Even the final confrontation with the Joker became a cop out, "Finally, toe to toe with The Clown Prince of Crime... Ah crap he's taken the Titan."
But there was a wider problem here. It wasn't that almost every boss was either a Bane wannabe or Bane himself, it was that they all followed the same formula of fighting until they were stunned and vulnerable to a big attack before repeating.
It's been done to death and something that developers need to be creative about and move away from. Since Rocksteady broke the mould when it came to Batman, maybe they can do the same with the end of level boss.
REAL DETECTIVE WORK Batman is supposed to be the world's greatest detective, right? Well, Arkham Asylum he was just a dude with hi-tec specs. Of course we want Bats to use gadgetry to give himself the edge in the field, but the inclusion of an all-in-one super computer embedded in his cowl reduced any real detective work to a simple electronic breadcrumb hunt.
We want proper puzzles - and the thing is they were actually already present in Arkham Asylum. Take the Riddler side-quests, integrate them into the story properly, keep the hi-tec forensics, throw in a couple of fear-based interrogations and bingo, you've got a nice varied approach to tracking down peeps.
NIGHTWING This rule MUST be obeyed: Robin is out. He angers Bat fans more than anything else.
It seems that there's a fine line between cool and camp and, nine times out of ten, a teenage gymnast in tights somehow takes away the brooding edge of The Dark Knight.
Nightwing, on the other hand, is Dick Grayson with an extra blob of badass. In his later years as a solo vigilante, Grayson becomes just as capable as Bats and strikes a nice balance between stone cold crime fighting and light charisma.
And he can already slot straight into the continuity. Barbara Gordan was fulfilling her role as Oracle in Arkham Asylum - meaning her days of being Batgirl are over after being shot in the spine. This means we're already well beyond having to deal with Dick Grayson as a child and any other Boy Wonder such as Tim Drake or Jason Todd can just be ignored.
From a gameplay point of view, just think of the doors Nightwing's inclusion could open. What about a co-op Predator Mode, both online and off, picking off thugs in tandem with synchronised attacks? Or perhaps even a co-op campaign, where you plough through crowds of henchmen with a friend and work together to solve puzzles and rescue prisoners?
THE BATMOBILE Let's see a show of hands: Who sat bolt upright when Bats approached the Batmobile, only to slump back into their seat when the only door he opened was the boot?
In Batman: Arkham Asylum, the Batmobile was little more than a pimped out storage crate but in Arkham Asylum 2 we want to get behind the wheel, and if Gotham City is to be the setting then Batman's ride can surely be slotted in somewhere.
Lets not forget cameo appearances from the Batwing and Batboat as well, both of which could take the gameplay in a completely different direction for a level or two in the sequel. There's always the danger, of course, that vehicle sections in a predominantly third-person action game won't get the attention they deserve. But Rocksteady have taken Batman so close to their heart, that we trust them to inject the same solid, authentic gameplay into every aspect of a sequel, just like they did with Arkham.
MORE OF THE SAME Not for one moment do we want to sound spoilt here. It may seem like we've been given everything we've ever wanted and yet we're still asking for more, but the truth is that if Rocksteady were to re-release Arkham Asylum with a '2' written on the box in permanent marker, we'd probably take it anyway. Every part of the game, from the detailed, grimy walls of the asylum to the fluid, satisfying strikes of the combat system was everything Batman is supposed to be, and we want to see it all again.
We want Conroy's Batman, Hamill's Joker. We want the seamless set pieces from the Scarecrow and we want the stealth and brutality of the Invisible Predator system.
Most of all we want Rocksteady to put as much love, commitment and belief into the Dark Knight's source material as they did the first time. Even if they don't manage anything else from the list above, we know they won't disappoint us on that one.
So that's our list done and dusted, readers. But have we missed anything? What do you want to see in the sequel? Tell us below...
I completely trust Rocksteady to deliver a quality sequel. AA was such a joyful surprise that I'd have to agree that more of the same wouldn't deter me from picking up the sequel. Though bigger and better wouldn't be bad either. Bring it on Rocksteady! I'm ready!!!!!
Yeah I totally agree with above poster. I enjoyed AA very much still determined to plat tropgy it some day but not got around to it yet as there are alot of other games im playing.
it sounds wierd but i want batman to stay exactly the same game but to be totally changed in the process.
i loved it. every single second of it ok maybe not the fight challenge on the electric floor(lol that was a nightmare but finished)
but dam i want everything the same dont change anything just add more so its different. coop would rock.
a long solo story, for arkham 2 a coop story - between arkham 1 leading to arkham 2 more villans. more tactics in taking out villans more puzzles more detective work more harley quinn. more bosses more gadgets more cameo's more riddler more easter eggs more scarecrow scary bits
def NO FREE ROAM like GTA no vehicles, all vehicles in all game's like this suck. sorry but no vehicles. (very disliked person now)
Tim Drake as Robin is a must, hes an awesome character and not in anyway camp. He should be in it aswell as Dick Grayson as Nightwing and I'd also like to see Cassandra Caine as Batgirl.
I dont want them playable in the main story but it would be nice if we had some different characters to use in the challenge rooms.
I agree, Tim Drake should make an appearance. Hes the best Robin by far. And Im sorry, but you cant replace Bruce Wayne with Dick Grayson............oooops, now Im heading off topic Still refusing to accept the death and replacement of Batman in the comics hehehe
Id like to see a Harder difficulty mode than hard, the original game was a bit too easy apart from a few key moments, especially imo the silent predator parts, which were the best bit aside from how easy they were
I agree, Tim Drake should make an appearance. Hes the best Robin by far. And Im sorry, but you cant replace Bruce Wayne with Dick Grayson............oooops, now Im heading off topic Still refusing to accept the death and replacement of Batman in the comics hehehe
Not to worry the Return of Bruce Wayne storyline starts soon. Tim Drake figured out hes trapped in time.
Seeing as how its obviously based on No Mans Land, I want more allies, not just chatting to Oracle, what about Robin? Nightwing? Batgirl? the JLA? Oh and more variation on locations, the location of the original was awesome but it was one place and there was crap all to do when you finished the game
I'm with you on this one CVG. People are being so short sighted by saying no co-op, it was never suggested that co-op story should be included. Co-op challenge rooms and separate missions with Nightwing included would be great. Perhaps a few prequel missions to play seperately after completing the game to see how Nightwing got there. That said, loved the first, keep it similar, I don't want the physical scale of the game to be huge. Arkham plus a bit of wiggle room would be nice.
CO-OP not to shure on that as for vehicals maybe maybe not? could swing the game 2 ways really good or bad as hell.GTA could pull off the openworld size and quality but could rocksteady?Story to me is everything in Batman or i would not be a Batman fan.
Seeing as how its obviously based on No Mans Land, I want more allies, not just chatting to Oracle, what about Robin? Nightwing? Batgirl? the JLA? Oh and more variation on locations, the location of the original was awesome but it was one place and there was crap all to do when you finished the game
I'd love to see some cameos from some of Batmans allies. Nightwing is a must and I'd love to see Robin in there (not all Batman fans hate him - he's a great character!).
I'm really hoping that it does follow No Mans Land too, the preview video almost hints at it - but it could go anywhere really, there's also a fair-ground that flashes up and that's been heavily tipped as a possible setting. I just really want to take the gameplay of the first and take it to the streets of Gotham - not Sandbox, but certainly something like the larger areas of the Asylum. You could have the Predator sections using fire-escapes instead of gargoyles, for example.
Still, I'm pretty sure that Rocksteady have the skill to incorporate a lot more into the sequel - I'd suspect that the boss battles are their biggest challenge. I liked them, but I know they are the biggest complaint from most.
I would like to see everything mentioned above, but what about Penguin and Mr Freeze, and a face off with the riddler. Also catwomen would be nice. Harvey Dent would make a perfect bad guy until the joker escaped again When you complete the game, how about a mode when you go back through it again you get the old 60's series bang.... Kapow, whack above the bad guys heads when you take them out. (only a secret mode, you can turn on and off at a whim).
A 2 player co-op is a must ( Robin could be a secret character) to unlock and play through with if you want. But Batman and Nightwing or batman and batgirl, how about expanding it to include JLA or special guest by Green Arrow and maybe a cameo in the story for superman?
Just look at smallville on how to include a range of characters in the right way, i would love to see hawkman get his own game.
I would like to see everything mentioned above, but what about Penguin and Mr Freeze, and a face off with the riddler. Also catwomen would be nice. Harvey Dent would make a perfect bad guy until the joker escaped again When you complete the game, how about a mode when you go back through it again you get the old 60's series bang.... Kapow, whack above the bad guys heads when you take them out. (only a secret mode, you can turn on and off at a whim).
I had the exact same thought the other day, funnily enough - but I was thinking about the GOTY edition in 3D....the 'Zzaps' and 'Kapows' would look great. The combat is a little too fast-paced though, so the screen would be littered with them once you'd encountered a large group of thugs.
I think it's highly likely that the Joker will be in the sequel. The thing is, Mark Hamill did such a brilliant job in the first one that they can't not have him back.
I would really like to get an actual Riddler showdown in this one too - the Riddler puzzles were great, but I'd have loved to have tracked him down once they were completed.
Penguin is looking likely to make an appearance, but I don't think he'll be a boss - I'm hoping we'll get people like Hush and Man-Bat (although the latter is unlikely, I suppose). Two-Face is a definite.
A 2 player co-op is a must ( Robin could be a secret character) to unlock and play through with if you want. But Batman and Nightwing or batman and batgirl, how about expanding it to include JLA or special guest by Green Arrow and maybe a cameo in the story for superman?
Just look at smallville on how to include a range of characters in the right way, i would love to see hawkman get his own game.
Any cameos would be welcome and - seeing as Rocksteady have been bought by Warners - they're entirely possible.
A co-op mode would be great, but only for the challenge rooms. The main game should be Bats only, I think.
Go and read no mans land CVG then report back with your findings. T
hats obviously what the sequel will be based on. So any of the villains from the original could return plus big roles for two face and the penguin. Any of the various guys from the bat team (robin, nightwing, bat girl, the huntress. Could show up at various points. It even entertains a cameo from superman at some point.
It would also allow for a decent multiplayer element where you join one of the various factions within the city and fight for turf which could shift everyday depending on online games won and the like.
Personally ithink if they screw with the formula too much it'll be awesome.
Go and read no mans land CVG then report back with your findings. T
hats obviously what the sequel will be based on. So any of the villains from the original could return plus big roles for two face and the penguin. Any of the various guys from the bat team (robin, nightwing, bat girl, the huntress. Could show up at various points. It even entertains a cameo from superman at some point.
It would also allow for a decent multiplayer element where you join one of the various factions within the city and fight for turf which could shift everyday depending on online games won and the like.
Personally ithink if they screw with the formula too much it'll be awesome.
I don't think it'll strictly follow the No Mans Land storyline and I think it's unlikely that Superman will make an appearance, although it would be cool - I think it'd be too much of a distraction and I'm sure there'll be another Superman game soon.
Actually, do you know what I want more than anything else? - smoke grenades. They're such a big part of Bats bottomnal and I'd love to see them incorporated. It'd be great to just throw a couple on a group of thugs and take them out before they even know that you're there.
I would like to see some actual Batman stealth being able to pull people into the shadows before laying into them, moving/hiding bodies. More Batman utilities like smoke pellets to confuse the enemies. Basically i want to see a proper Batman not one who has to stick to swinging from gargoyle to gargoyle to hide.
The first game was BRILLIANT. Even so, I do think some great suggestions have been made as to how this game can be improved that little bit more...
I'd definitely want the use of vehicles but ONLY if it is done well. The prospect of speeding around in the Batmobile, Batbike and Batwing is exciting.
Further variations on the Batarang would be interesting:
Exploding/Timed Exploding/Magnetic Timed Exploding/ Magnetic Trace/Magnetic High Pitched Noise (Bat Screech?)/Magnetic Gas Release/Magnetic Camera(a la the sticky camera in Metal Gear Solid).
I'd like to see the environment utilized even more in taking villains down. E.g. Using a gadget to hit/pull a load-bearing pillar so that the roof collapses, or yanking a chimney stack down so it topples onto the baddies below.
Using the gadgets even more dynamically, eg. by firing the Batclaw low to the ground and pulling it taught so that the cable acts as a trip wire.
A co-op with Catwoman(that was more Michelle Pfeiffer than Halle Berry) would be cool. The opportunity to unlock characters and play as the Joker and other super-villains or heroes would be an nice extra.
I would like the decisions I make as Batman to affect how the story develops. For instance, it would be interesting to have certain characters react differently, according to the choices I make.
Okay, maybe I'm getting a little bit greedy!
Ps. I really like dm_1782's suggestions;
"I would like to see some actual Batman stealth being able to pull people into the shadows before laying into them, moving/hiding bodies. More Batman utilities like smoke pellets to confuse the enemies."
More Takedowns! AA was brilliant but the range of takedowns got a little repetitive towards the end. Like others have mentioned, it would be great to flick from one shadow to another slowly stalking the enemy, with a variety of extra takedowns.
I would also like to see Rocksteady expand on the "fear" aspect so you can really scare enemies into turning on each other even?? Would add a nice depth to the proceedings...
Finally, I hope there's less going back through the same corridoors/levels over and over. I can understand why it was done in Arkham, but now we're in Gotham, perhaps we won't have to retrace steps.
...and please, no co-op/robin. Co-op has ruined more good games than actually made them better.
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Still refusing to accept the death and replacement of Batman in the comics hehehe
Tim Drake figured out hes trapped in time.
