Well, it's definitely bigger than Asylum. Better? Depends on what you're looking for. It's far more of a sandbox, which has its ups and downs. The combat system is expanded nicely, though I did have some trouble with inputting the commands. Could be just me, but I could hardly pull off any of the fun combat maneuvers and so just button mashed and countered my way through. Gliding made the city fun and easy to traverse, and the expanded collection of gadgets (most with improved movesets themselves) made the puzzle solving very entertaining.
The boss fights, the only real low point in Asylum, were mostly better this time around
The story could have used some work, but then again, I didn't get the whole thing. A good chunk of content, the entirety of the Catwoman storyline, was locked away behind an online pass, so if you rented, borrowed from a friend, or bought used, then they expect you to shell out ten bucks if you want it. Can't agree with that. Or the excessive mini DLC marketing. Nothing you strictly need, of course. Just can't help be remember that alternate costumes and characters used to be an unlockable, not a money sink.
Bottom line, the game is very good itself, but marred by questionable business practices.

While that is true, Cobalt, they are in this to make money and I guess they go about doing it anyway they please, although I can't really agree with it I understand it

Definitely getting this at some point now !!!!, thanks for quick opinions guys !

No problem, Mitch.

Vrals597 wrote:

While that is true, Cobalt, they are in this to make money and I guess they go about doing it anyway they please, although I can't really agree with it I understand it

The ends don't always justify the means. Making money is fine, but exploiting your customers isn't. The alternate characters and costumes are just a naked cash grab. They make more than enough off of these games as is. The online pass is just them trying to hurt the used games market so that they can make more (which won't even work to any significant degree. Firstly because Used sales are not lost New sales. People more often buy used because they wouldn't risk that much on a new title, or because they couldn't afford it at all rather than purely to save a buck. And secondly, because in a few years' time (5-10 tops) we'll be on to full digital download anyway, meaning there won't be used games anymore.
Note too that it's not the developers that are doing this, but their publishers. It isn't Rocksteady that's raking in the ill-gotten money here, but Warner Brothers. The only way to stop it is to not support it. Sure the online pass thing *might* go away (if they can keep it they certainly will) once we go full DDL, but the other little cash grabs, the nickel and dime charges for what not two years ago was considered part of the game will only get worse. If we let it.

The online pass was implemented to combat developers losing a lot of possible extra revenue on used game sales, however extra content requiring it is ridiculous. Day-one dlc is a bit of a dampener on the experience to as an extension IMO. I'm looking at you ME3

Like I said, it's not the devs, it's the publishers. Sony's bad about this for any IP they're connected to, such as Resistance 3. Not Insomniac Games' call, but Sony's. Developers don't decide the business practices. Don't be mad at Bioware for ME3's mistakes. They don't get to decide what happens to their game, or even when they release it anymore.
I think [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] sums up nicely how EA treats the studios it acquires.

Ahahahahaha!!! It's so true!!

EA is cancer to the gaming industry.

Mitchell wrote:

The online pass was implemented to combat developers losing a lot of possible extra revenue on used game sales, however extra content requiring it is ridiculous. Day-one dlc is a bit of a dampener on the experience to as an extension IMO. I'm looking at you ME3

Used game sales don't "hurt" as much as one might think for a couple of reasons. Many gamers trade in their games (which are then sold as used) so they have cash to buy NEW games. If the used game market is destroyed there will be less new games sold.The used game buyer playing online does not cost the company anymore than the original buyer did. The new game buyer's slot in online play is just replaced by the used game buyer.Used games introduce gamers to IP's they might not have tried at full price they then will buy new installments of it at full price if the game is good.Think of it this way I buy a new house or car and sell it to you. The auto manufacturer or homebuilder does not lose a penny when I sell it. They might view it as a potential sales loss but they have already made their money on the sale. If you had to pay the auto maker or homebuilder $5,000 dollars for the key to your new home or car it would follow the business model the game developers are trying to foist on you.

rrwatch wrote:

Mitchell wrote:

The online pass was implemented to combat developers losing a lot of possible extra revenue on used game sales, however extra content requiring it is ridiculous. Day-one dlc is a bit of a dampener on the experience to as an extension IMO. I'm looking at you ME3

Used game sales don't "hurt" as much as one might think for a couple of reasons. Many gamers trade in their games (which are then sold as used) so they have cash to buy NEW games. If the used game market is destroyed there will be less new games sold.The used game buyer playing online does not cost the company anymore than the original buyer did. The new game buyer's slot in online play is just replaced by the used game buyer.Used games introduce gamers to IP's they might not have tried at full price they then will buy new installments of it at full price if the game is good.Think of it this way I buy a new house or car and sell it to you. The auto manufacturer or homebuilder does not lose a penny when I sell it. They might view it as a potential sales loss but they have already made their money on the sale. If you had to pay the auto maker or homebuilder $5,000 dollars for the key to your new home or car it would follow the business model the game developers are trying to foist on you.

I see what you're talking about and wholeheartedly agree with you, but some developers don't release games too often and used game sales can make creating new IP's a risky business, especially for new companies with little to no fanbase. An example here is heavy rain, it was a new concept and many were unwilling to lay the cash down on release, thus Quantic Dream apparently lost over a million dollars in possible sales through used game sales.
I like buying pre-owned games but we need to still encourage new IP's as current franchises won't last forever. The barriers to entering the gaming industry shouldn't be too high so smaller companies can show off their own possible talents and ideas to players.

Mitchell wrote:

I see what you're talking about and wholeheartedly agree with you, but some developers don't release games too often and used game sales can make creating new IP's a risky business, especially for new companies with little to no fanbase. An example here is heavy rain, it was a new concept and many were unwilling to lay the cash down on release, thus Quantic Dream apparently lost over a million dollars in possible sales through used game sales.

Used sales are not lost sales. Those who waited to buy it used would never have bought it new anyway because it was too expensive of a risk on an untested product. Used game sales do not deprive companies of a penny that they deserve. The profits from new sales are all that they are entitled to. New sales are made on the strength of the product and that of its creators' history.
Used game sales are nothing but beneficial to untested or new models. Why? It provides access to their new, risky product at a price that is worth the risk, allowing gamers to see if they like it or not. If they do, then they're more likely to want to buy the next product the company puts out on release, as well as any worthwhile DLC that exist for the original game (in which case they make money on used sales). Whether or not the game is good or bad will determine how the company's next product is received.

Those who bought Heavy Rain used bought it because at that price it was worth the risk whereas it wasn't for the new price. Case in point, I bought Heavy Rain as a Greatest Hit because at that price it was worth taking a gamble on. (Incidentally, I am very glad it was a waste of $15 and not $60.) Now I know whether or not I feel that Quantic Dream's next project is worth getting excited about. Same goes for everyone else. Those who fell in love with it will be waiting on a new game from them and be more likely to buy it new, and those who didn't don't feel ripped off.

I believe that if I buy a game that devs have worked hard on and I enjoy it then they deserve my cash. Unfortunately, with used games, you are able to buy and thus keep a game with the devs earning no revenue from it. Sure you may not like it but what if you do ?. I'm a bit torn because I think devs should earn money if you enjoy the game but not so much justified if you didn't.
I also meant (Heavy Rain) that they are losing possible revenue in used game sales. In my opinion, this is still a fairly big deal as numbers add up quickly and might as well be a major loss for the company, even though it technically isn't lol.

Create a market discussion thread?

I want to say more, but Liam's right. We have come rather far afield of the topic.
I'm more than happy to discuss this topic further if you wish to create a thread for it, Mitch.

I have a feeling I'll be shot down on this one so I might not bother until the time arises again....

Back to Batman, I have been watching a few more reviews and gameplays and the combat looks so awesome and satisfying. Are all those moves difficult to pull off ?, I don't want another fighting-game-like system with different combinations of buttons for every move.

I have no doubt that someone with your skills can pull off the moves Mitch. They are pretty fluid and it seems at least to me that the game does realize there is a bit of a learning curve. I think people who loved the last game will kike this even more.

Mitchell wrote:

I have a feeling I'll be shot down on this one so I might not bother until the time arises again....

Back to Batman, I have been watching a few more reviews and gameplays and the combat looks so awesome and satisfying. Are all those moves difficult to pull off ?, I don't want another fighting-game-like system with different combinations of buttons for every move.

I'm not certain what you mean by "shot down" Mitch.
Never be afraid to express your opinions on the Nation. I might debate with you until I'm (even more) blue in the face if I disagree with you, but there would never be any negative repercussions for taking a stance others don't like unless it or the discussion somehow broke Nation rules.
Moreover, discussion is how we learn. You should never be afraid to have your beliefs challenged. After all, what good is a faith that can't withstand a single question? Be willing to accept change if you should happen to be proven wrong. It's happened to me once or twice. Conviction is fine. Conviction in the face of irrefutable proof to the contrary is willful ignorance.
Note that I'm not saying by any means that a debate on this would see you wrong. I try to practice what I preach. If you could show me how used game sales have a direct negative impact on developers, then I would be forced to change my views.

Well, enough with the PSA...back to Batman!


Like I said before, I got through the game on nothing much more than basic attacks and counters, both very easy. By the end of it I had managed to complete all the combat themed Riddler challenges, but I didn't need to use them in combat much outside of that either. The same might not be true on Hard Mode, however. Didn't play it so I couldn't say. I know that you're less tough and they don't give you the counter prompts so more advanced combat maneuvers might be needed to win.
I place part of my difficulty with the game on myself, and part on the controls themselves. (Probably more me than them. Can't rightly say.) The worst thing I can recall about the controls is that many of the moves require you to move the stick either towards or away from an opponent, but because I was always flying around all over the screen ti would be difficult to determine where towards or away from an opponent was at any given time.

Unfortunately, that's me in real life also, afraid to express my opinions in full force at times , I like having a lot of friends and semi-friends and try hard to not lose any through heated arguments that may result from discussions where my ideas oppose their's. I'm going to end this discussion at that, if anyone wants to respond then feel free to send me a PM

Anyway, enough about me. I will definitely be picking this up at some point when the price drops a bit further. At the moment I putting school at a very high priority also and buying new games will ruin that.

Actually I meant I wanna see a thread for a discussion of the market cause I think it would be a good idea.

Game's on sale at the moment, $55 NZ down from $80, tempting even though I have a few games I have yet to play that are on my shelf .
I have been wanting to pick this up for a while, just a matter of time now.....

In all honesty, this game can be beaten rather quickly, it just depends on what you do in the game, if you do ALL of the side missions before you beat the main storyline (which I don't recommend) I think it will take you about 2-5x longer than if you focused mostly on the main storyline, but as always in games such as this, the choice is up to you

Mitchell wrote:

Game's on sale at the moment, $55 NZ down from $80, tempting even though I have a few games I have yet to play that are on my shelf .
I have been wanting to pick this up for a while, just a matter of time now.....

Is that for the GOTY edition ?

Well, I bought it and I should be receiving it before the weekend. No, it wasn't the GOTY Edition, it releases in NZ on September 7th and I am definitely not waiting that long lol.

Be sure to tell us what you think, hope I can try and help you out if you run into any hard spots in the game

I went for Saturday delivery, payed $1 extra but at least it'll be in my hands for the long weekend !

hey, $1 extra is better than what they charge us here in the states for rush delivery