Ryan Scott:, Executive Editor: We both loved Batman: Arkham Asylum, and the sequel -- Arkham City -- is looking pretty damned amazing. What do you think of the move from Arkham Asylum to a chunk o' Gotham?
Will Tuttle, Editor in Chief: I love the decision to open the game world up by moving it into Gotham City. Running, leaping, swinging, and swooping through the concrete jungle made me feel like a more powerful Batman (and, really, isn't that all anyone wants?) than I was in the first game. This was immediately evident right off the bat (har har), as I leapt off a tall building and tucked into a power dive, rocketing toward the ground as the screen blurred around me. By simply opening up my cape mid-fall, I was able to swoop up and over the streets, effortlessly gliding over several city blocks without touching the ground. Naturally, I wasn't going to let that feeling end, so I fired my grappling hook while still in the air to pull myself up to the top of another building. In mere seconds, I had traversed some serious ground. This Bat don't walk! It's a good thing too, since we were told that Arkham City is roughly five times bigger than the island on which Arkham Asylum sits.
Ryan Scott: So, you played through a portion that involves some nasty business with Two-Face -- a section we've seen demo'd before. How was it? I dug the sort of Gollum angle that they went with for Two-Face.
Will Tuttle: Yeah, I was a bit bummed that I got to play the part that I'd already seen twice before, but I was still happy that I finally got to play one of my most anticipated games of the year. I'm definitely digging the creepy vibe that Two-Face gave off; I hope he doesn't just make a brief cameo. Most of my time was spent beating the absolute snot out of Two-Face's minions, and I'm happy to report that the combat in Arkham City is somehow even better than that of Arkham Asylum. The controls are largely the same (tap X to attack, hit Y whenever an enemy is about to hit you), but it just feels a bit more responsive and forgiving than it did in the first game. The fact that I was able to pull off a 20-hit combo while battling my first group of enemies was proof of that. And while I didn't do it myself, I also got a chance to check out the new ways in which the grappling hook figures into combat. In one sequence, the demoer wrapped the grappling hook around his foe's neck, yanking him toward Batman and taking him down violently with a clothesline. In the second, Batman grappled up to a ledge and immediately took down an enemy standing on the roof in one single move. The Dark Knight feels much more powerful this time out; hopefully, he has a lot more new weapons and attacks at his disposal.
Ryan Scott: What other Batman rogues did you encounter? We've seen Catwoman... and they've amped up the Riddler's presence significantly, yes?
Will Tuttle: The word on the proverbial street is that, yes, the Riddler plays a much larger role than he did in Arkham Asylum. Exactly how much larger still remains to be seen, but it sounds like the "Riddler's Revenge Challenge" might actually play into the story this time out. As for other Batman rogues, we were told at one point that we'd be getting to see one of the game's new "Scarecrow Moments," but that turned out to be a sick joke, as the moment was simply Batman literally scaring a crow off of a perch. Damn you, Rocksteady Studios!
The big reveal on the character front is the fact that you won't only be playing as Batman. That's right, you can occasionally take a break from fighting crime to play as Catwoman, a character with a completely different move set and style of play. While Batman can use his grappling hook and cape to navigate the city, Catwoman uses her whip to swing from objects, as she scales walls using her claws. Her attacks are much faster than Batman's, and it seems like she relies more on tricks and gadgets (like her bolo or some nasty little ground tacks) to gain the upper hand.
Ryan Scott: So what's the goal with her? Is it a side-mission sort of deal?
Will Tuttle: That seems to be the case, although I'm sure the completionists out there would disagree, given that some things in Arkham City (like certain Riddler trophies) are only accessible by Catwoman. She's basically got her own story, too; it turns out that before Huge Strange released Arkham Asylum's prisoners into the section of Gotham City that comprises Arkham City, he took all of their possessions from them and locked them away. Naturally, Catwoman wants to steal everything out from under Strange's nose, a task she takes very seriously. During the sequence I saw, she headed down into the city's sewers to stealthily make her way into a heavily guarded vault. Tasked with pickpocketing security keys from three guards, she climbed along the ceiling (she can't do this everywhere, just where certain textures are present) and dropped down behind each one of them, yanking their keys before they could even react. Naturally, after the alarm went off, it was time for Catwoman to really show her claws.
Ryan Scott: Does she play a lot differently than Batman? I imagine she's probably not quite as stealthy or restrained in combat.
Will Tuttle: Actually, in some ways, Catwoman was more stealthy than the Bat, mainly because the enemies she faced off against were brandishing automatic weapons. A lot of cat-and-mouse, quick strike attacks were on display, as Catwoman would stick to cover and wait until one of her targets branched off from his buddies. Sometimes, she'd actually be right above them on the ceiling, dropping down and knocking them out before they could react or alert their teammates. It kind of reminded me of Batman's silent takedowns from perches above his prey, although Catwoman managed to do it even more silently, breaking their necks with a twist of her legs. I was happy to see that you're actually graded for your performance during the Catwoman sequences, although part of me hopes that these won't replace Arkham Asylum's challenge mode. I really had a great time trying to get perfect scores on those!
